Assessment Overview

Summative assessment is used to assess learner’s achievement at the end of a course or topic.  It should relate directly to the learning aims and objectives.  It provides a summary picture of what the learner has learnt during the course.  Some aspects of summative assessment use formal methods of assessment (tests/exams) but this is not always the case, especially with adult community learning.

Summative assessment can be used to:

• enable learners to recognise their achievements
• justify awarding a qualification
• help the tutor plan future courses
• guide learners through their next steps

There are a variety of methods for conducting summative assessment, and not all of these are formal written assessments

• Digital assets (video, audio, website)
• Portfolios
• Observation of practical task
• End product e.g. something the learner has made using new skills
• Discussion with learner
• Written unseen exams
• Multiple choice question (MCQ) exams
• Open book exams
• Seen exams
• Essay submissions
• Dissertations