QTS Assessment and Feedback 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of formative assessment?
- To grade students at the end of a unit
- To monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback to inform teaching (Correct answer)
- To rank students against national standards
- To report final progress to parents
Correct answer: To monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback to inform teaching
Formative assessment is an ongoing process used to monitor student understanding and adjust teaching in response to pupils' needs.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes Assessment for Learning (AfL)?
- Assessment that occurs only at the end of a term
- Assessment used solely to assign a final grade
- Assessment that actively involves pupils in understanding their goals and next steps (Correct answer)
- Assessment conducted exclusively by external examiners
Correct answer: Assessment that actively involves pupils in understanding their goals and next steps
AfL engages pupils as active participants who understand what they are learning, where they are in relation to the goal, and what they need to do next.
Question 3: What does 'closing the feedback loop' mean in classroom assessment?
- Completing all marking before the end of term
- Ensuring students act on feedback received to improve their work (Correct answer)
- Providing written comments on every piece of work submitted
- Notifying parents of all assessment outcomes
Correct answer: Ensuring students act on feedback received to improve their work
The feedback loop is only closed when students use the feedback given to make meaningful improvements to their work.
Question 4: Which assessment strategy involves students evaluating their own work against set criteria?
- Peer assessment
- Diagnostic assessment
- Self-assessment (Correct answer)
- Summative assessment
Correct answer: Self-assessment
Self-assessment requires pupils to reflect critically on their own work using agreed criteria, developing metacognitive awareness.
Question 5: According to Black and Wiliam's influential 1998 research, what significantly raises student achievement?
- Increasing the frequency of summative tests
- Providing grades without written feedback
- Formative assessment practices including targeted feedback (Correct answer)
- Standardising all assessments nationally
Correct answer: Formative assessment practices including targeted feedback
Black and Wiliam's 'Inside the Black Box' demonstrated that strengthening formative assessment produced significant and sustained learning gains.
Question 6: What is a 'success criterion' in the context of classroom assessment?
- A national benchmark for student achievement
- A specific indicator showing pupils what they must do to meet a learning objective (Correct answer)
- The minimum grade required to pass a national examination
- A school policy document for reporting student progress
Correct answer: A specific indicator showing pupils what they must do to meet a learning objective
Success criteria break down the learning objective into observable steps that pupils can use to self-monitor and guide their work.
Question 7: Which of the following is the best example of diagnostic assessment?
- End-of-year KS2 SATs tests
- A GCSE mock examination in November
- A pre-unit quiz used to identify pupils' prior knowledge and misconceptions (Correct answer)
- A termly written report card for parents
Correct answer: A pre-unit quiz used to identify pupils' prior knowledge and misconceptions
Diagnostic assessment is used before or at the start of teaching to identify what pupils already know and any gaps or misconceptions to address.
QTS Assessment and Feedback 1
What is the primary purpose of formative assessment?