Summative, Continuous or Formative?

When assessment takes place will be determined by the purpose of the assessment. The most common approaches to assessment in university are summative, continuous and formative:

• Summative Assessment
• At the end of the learning process (e.g. exam, written report or paper)
• Used to demonstrate competence
•  Usually contributes to final grade in a course, module, or level

• Continuous Assessment (CA)
• Usually involves a series of tasks, individually assessed
• Takes place during the course of learning
• Used when there are several distinct module learning outcomes that need to be achieved at various stages of a module
• Used to lessen the burden of summative assessment

• Formative Assessment 
• Used to enhance the learning process
• Provides an opportunity to give feedback and advice on how to improve or progress during the course of learning
• Does not usually form part of a summative grade or mark.
• Provides an opportunity for students to evaluate their own learning and progress
• Used as a diagnostic evaluative tool to assess if students have grasped specific aspects of a topic or course before moving on with the learning process.