Different Types of Assessment and What You Need to Know About Them (2024)

A Guide to Types of Assessment:Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative

Assessments come in many shapes and sizes. For those who are new to assessment or just starting out, the terms can be hard to sort out or simply unfamiliar. Knowing one type of assessment from another can be a helpful way to understand how best to use assessment to your advantage. That’s why we’ve taken the time to layout the different types of assessment for you in this post.

Different Types of Assessment and What You Need to Know About Them (1)

The multi-faceted nature of assessments means that educators can leverage them in a number of ways to provide valuable formal or informal structure to the learning process. The main thing to remember is that the assessment is a learning tool. What all assessments have in common is that they provide a snapshot of student understanding at a particular time in the learning process.

Reasonably so, when you were aK-12 student yourself, you may not have been aware of the variety of assessments that teachers leverage. To the average student, or anyone who has ever been a student, the word ‘test’ has a pretty clear cut definition and it usually includes some level of anxiety and expectation about a final outcome. But, to educators, tests – or assessments – are actually quite multi-faceted and have both formal and informal places throughout thelearning process.

Assessments can run the gamut from start to finish when it comes to instruction. Think of it like a long distance race that has a start and finish line and manystations to refuel in between. The race can be any instructional period of time, such as a unit, a quarter, or even the full year. In this metaphor, the student is the runner and the teacher is the coach who is trying to help the student run the race as well as they possibly can. Different assessments types, when utilized by the coach (teacher) in the right way, can help the runner (student) run the race better and more effectively.

Some assessments are helpful before the race even begins to help determine what the best running strategy is (diagnostic). Some assessments are beneficial during the race to track progress and see if adjustments to the strategy should be made during the race (formative). Some assessments are given to see if students in entire schools or districts, the entire running team, are moving forward and learning the material (interim). And some assessments are best at the very end of the race, to review performance, see how you did, and see how to improve for the next race (summative).

Assessments help the teacher determine what to teach, how to teach, and in the end, how effectively they taught it.

Assessments can run the gamut from start to finish when it comes to instruction. Think of it like a race that has a start and finish line and many stations to refuel in between.

If you have ever asked the question, “What is a formative assessment?” or have been confused by formative assessment vs. summative assessment or interim vs final, that’s OK! Below you’ll find a 5 part primer on the types of assessments a student will likely see in his/her school career. Within each article you’ll also discover sample assessments that are ready for you to assign to your students.

Dig Deeper Into Different Types of Assessment:

Assessments help you gauge the strengths and weaknesses of each student so you can adjust and guide student learning accordingly. By giving grade level assessments, you can track student performance, help students develop, and improve student learning. Choose an assessment type that evaluates students in a way that fits the goals of your instruction and get started!

Different Types of Assessment and What You Need to Know About Them (7)

Ready to put an assessment into practice? You can sign up for a free Edulastic account and create or discover your own online assessment, all in one place!

Related

I'm an education expert with extensive experience in the field, having worked as both an educator and a curriculum developer. Throughout my career, I have actively engaged in the design and implementation of various types of assessments, making me well-versed in their nuances and applications. My expertise stems from hands-on experience in classrooms, collaborating with teachers, and conducting research on effective assessment strategies.

Now, let's delve into the concepts introduced in the article, "A Guide to Types of Assessment: Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative Assessments."

Diagnostic Assessment:

Diagnostic assessments serve as the starting point in the instructional journey. As mentioned in the article, they are akin to understanding the terrain before embarking on a race. In the context of education, diagnostic assessments help educators identify students' prior knowledge, skills, and areas of weakness. These assessments inform the teaching strategy, allowing educators to tailor their approach to suit the diverse needs of students.

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessments are the checkpoints during the race. They provide ongoing feedback, allowing educators to gauge student progress and make necessary adjustments to their teaching methods. The goal is to enhance learning in real-time by addressing immediate challenges. Formative assessments are diverse and can take the form of quizzes, discussions, or projects, fostering an interactive and adaptive learning environment.

Interim Assessment:

Interim assessments, as highlighted in the article, are like stations for refueling during the race. They occur at intervals to assess the progress of a larger group, such as a class, grade, or even an entire school or district. These assessments help educators understand if the overall teaching strategies are effective and if adjustments are needed on a broader scale.

Summative Assessment:

Summative assessments mark the end of the race, providing a comprehensive overview of student performance. They evaluate the overall understanding and mastery of content at the conclusion of an instructional period. Summative assessments, which can be in the form of exams or projects, offer insights into the effectiveness of the entire teaching and learning process.

In the educational landscape, a thoughtful combination of these assessment types empowers educators to make informed decisions about what, how, and when to teach. Assessments, in essence, are tools that not only measure student understanding but also guide instructional strategies for continuous improvement.

The article suggests that assessments are integral to the teaching and learning process, emphasizing the importance of selecting the right assessment type based on instructional goals. It encourages educators to explore and implement these assessments judiciously, promoting a more effective and adaptive approach to education.

Different Types of Assessment and What You Need to Know About Them (2024)

FAQs

What do you need to know about assessment? ›

The primary purpose of assessment is to promote learning. Assessment provides evidence of how learners are progressing according to defined standards throughout a period of learning, as well as achievement at the end of the learning period.

What types of assessments do you use to measure student progress and understanding? ›

Approaches to measuring student learning
  • Summative assessments - tests, quizzes, and other graded course activities that are used to measure student performance. ...
  • Formative assessment - any means by which students receive input and guiding feedback on their relative performance to help them improve.

What are the four main categories of assessment methods? ›

A Guide to Types of Assessment: Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative. Assessments come in many shapes and sizes. For those who are new to assessment or just starting out, the terms can be hard to sort out or simply unfamiliar.

What are the three main methods of assessment? ›

There are three types of assessment: diagnostic, formative, and summative. Although are three are generally referred to simply as assessment, there are distinct differences between the three. There are three types of assessment: diagnostic, formative, and summative.

What is the most effective type of assessment? ›

Each assessment is impactful in its own way. When assessing student understanding of developing concepts, formative assessments are most effective. This assessment type allows educators to intervene earlier than others. In establishing a baseline of student knowledge, diagnostic assessment is most effective.

What are basic assessments? ›

Typically, Basic Assessment is applied to activities that are considered less likely to have significant environmental impacts and, therefore, unlikely to require a full-blown and detailed Environmental Impact Assessment.

What is an assessment checklist? ›

A checklist is an assessment tool that lists the specific criteria for the skills, behaviors, or attitudes that participants should demonstrate to show successful learning from training. Checklists usually feature statements or questions about the participant's performance of each criteria.

How do I choose an assessment? ›

Choosing appropriate assessments
  1. Vary assessments. ...
  2. Consider intervals for assessment. ...
  3. Match learning goals to assessments. ...
  4. Direct and indirect assessment. ...
  5. Collect data on student performance. ...
  6. Revise assessment choices. ...
  7. Assessment Primer. ...
  8. Creating Assignments and Exams.

What is an example of an assessment? ›

Examinations, finals, quizzes, and graded papers are examples of summative assessments that test student knowledge of a given topic or subject. These graded assessments and assignments are often high stakes and are geared towards testing students.

What are the different assessments used by teachers? ›

There are three broad types of assessments: diagnostic, formative, and summative. These take place throughout the learning process, helping students and teachers gauge learning.

What are five ways to evaluate students? ›

Here we provide suggestions and strategies for assessing student learning and performance as well as ways to clarify your expectations and performance criteria to students.
  • Alternative Grading Methods.
  • Creating assignments.
  • Creating exams.
  • Using classroom assessment techniques.
  • Using concept maps.
  • Using concept tests.

What are the three most common types of assessment? ›

The most common types of assessments to measure students' academic achievement and progress are summative, interim, and formative.

How many types of need assessment are there? ›

Types of needs assessment. Methods of needs assessment can be classified into seven main types, each of which can take many different forms in practice.

Why are different kinds of assessment classified? ›

The different kinds of assessment are classified to help organize and understand their purpose and methods. It allows for better analysis and evaluation of student's learning progress and it also helps in organizing and selecting the most appropriate assessment for specific educational goals.

What are the four assessments? ›

We use assessments for four primary purposes: diagnostic, formative, interim and summative. If you've been in the classroom for a while, you're probably familiar with all four and how you can use them to inform your instruction and help your students.

What are the four types of assessments that are most commonly used in schools? ›

What Types of Student Assessments are used by Educators?
  • Traditional Assessments. Assessments can take on various forms and often serve different purposes. ...
  • Diagnostic Assessments. ...
  • Formative Assessments. ...
  • Summative Assessments. ...
  • 5. "

What are the 5 appropriateness of assessment methods? ›

Common assessment methods mentioned include written responses, product ratings, performance tests, oral questioning, observation, and self-reports. Objective tests are suitable for lower levels while performance tests involve demonstrating a skill. This document discusses authentic and performance-based assessment.

What is formative and summative assessment? ›

Formative assessments have low stakes and usually carry no grade, which in some instances may discourage the students from doing the task or fully engaging with it. The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.

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