Formative assessments are assessments FOR learning and happen while learning is still underway. They can be used to diagnose learners’ needs, judge progress towards a goal, help plan the next steps in learning and to provide students with feedback so they can use to improve the quality of their work.

Summative assessment is the assessment OF learning and allow judgments to be made about learner achievement at the end of a sequence of instruction. An example of this is the end of a practice assessment or end of course exam.