What is Summative Assessment?

• A. Ongoing feedback during instruction.
• B. A group project.
• C. Evaluation of student learning at the end of an instructional unit.
• D. A diagnostic test at the start.

Answer: (C)

Summative assessment is the evaluation of what students have learned after completing a unit or course, and it typically determines final grades or qualification. It happens at the end to judge whether learning objectives have been met. This contrasts with formative assessment, which is ongoing feedback during teaching to improve learning, and diagnostic assessment, which is used at the start to identify existing knowledge and gaps. A group project is just an activity that could be used in different ways, but the defining idea of summative assessment is its end-point purpose of judging overall achievement.