What does a formative test focus on?

A formative test focuses on ongoing assessment during the learning process. This type of assessment is designed to gather feedback about student understanding and performance throughout the instructional period rather than at the end of a course. The primary goal of formative testing is to identify areas where students may be struggling and to adjust teaching methods or provide additional support to enhance learning outcomes.

This continuous feedback loop helps educators make informed decisions regarding instructional strategies and helps students recognize their strengths and weaknesses in real-time, allowing them to engage with the material more effectively. In contrast, other types of assessments, such as end-of-course evaluations or standardized tests, do not provide the same immediate insights into a student’s progress during the learning process. Therefore, the nature of formative assessments is inherently different, focusing on improvement over time rather than final evaluations of student learning.