Which statement correctly differentiates formative and summative assessment?

• A. Formative is a check point; summative is what they have learned at the end.
• B. Formative is the final grade; summative is ongoing feedback.
• C. Formative is used for attendance; summative for attendance.
• D. Formative and summative are identical.

Answer: (A)

The main distinction is that formative assessment happens during learning to guide improvement, while summative assessment happens at the end to evaluate what has been learned. The statement fits this well: formative is a check point during instruction to provide feedback and adjust teaching, and summative is an end-of-unit measure of learning outcomes.

In practice, formative assessments in physical education are quick checks — watching a student perform a skill during practice, giving feedback on technique, or using a short quiz or exit ticket to gauge understanding. These inform what to reteach or emphasize next. Summative assessments, by contrast, occur after a unit or period of instruction and determine the final level of achievement — such as a skill performance test, a final fitness assessment, or a written test that counts toward a grade.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: formative isn’t the final grade and summative isn’t ongoing feedback; attendance is not a measure of learning, and they are not identical.