Summative assessment judges how far learners got at the end of a stretch of teaching, against criteria set in advance. It is the counterpart of formative assessment, which is used during the work to change teaching. For that pair, see comparing formative and summative assessment.
Last reviewed: 31 August 2026.
What it is for
To certify or summarise achievement: a grade, a pass, evidence that a unit’s goals were met. Typical forms: end-of-unit tests, exams, performances or portfolios used for a final judgement.
It should not be the first time anyone discovers the class cannot do the thing. Formative work should have made the summative task unsurprising.
Design checks
- The task matches the stated goals, not a surprise skill
- Conditions are fair enough to compare (time, access, language)
- The mark scheme is usable by more than one marker
- Feedback, if given, is still worth reading even when the grade is done
What it is not
- Not the enemy of formative assessment. Most courses need both.
- Not the same as formal assessment. Formal vs informal is a different cut. See formal and informal assessment.
Sources
- Black, P. and Wiliam, D. Formative assessment as feedback that moves learning on; summative as the complementary judgement of achievement.