FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which type of assessment measures a student's understanding of content as it is being taught?

1. Formative assessment

2. Diagnostic assessment

3. Summative assessment

4. Criterion-referenced assessment

The correct answer is: Formative assessment

Formative assessment is designed to measure a student's understanding of content during the teaching process. It involves ongoing assessments, observations, and feedback that occur while the instructional strategy is being implemented. This type of assessment helps educators identify areas where students may struggle and allows them to adjust their teaching methods accordingly. By focusing on the development of student learning in real-time, formative assessments enable teachers to provide immediate support and clarification to enhance understanding. The other types of assessment serve different purposes: diagnostic assessments are used prior to instruction to identify students’ learning gaps; summative assessments evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional period; and criterion-referenced assessments measure student performance against a fixed set of criteria or learning standards rather than against each other. Each serves a vital role in the educational process, but formative assessment is specifically oriented toward improving understanding during the learning experience.