When students hear the word “test” they start to wonder if they paid enough attention in class or took down the correct notes. They start planning how much time is needed to study (or how little) and consider how to best juggle all their subject requirements. But should testing really cause this much concern, or is it simply a valuable teaching strategy that gets a bad rap from students? 

First, let’s look at the reasons we test students; there are several aims to pausing and evaluating student understanding whether these assessments are graded or ungraded, we can access valuable data that can inform our teaching. 

Intuitive assessments can diagnose student gaps and competency to clearly illustrate ability and understanding. This information can influence the work we assign students, the extra support offered, or if they need a further challenge in class. This type of test is essential for meeting students’ individual needs and creates the foundation of a differentiated approach to teaching and learning. 

End-of-unit tests and yearly exams evaluate learning and monitor student progress throughout the school year. This helps teachers intervene if a student isn’t performing as expected and measures whether learning objectives were met. Schools can use this information to decide what content needs to be covered again and if teaching tools need to be reviewed. 

Testing can enhance student understanding and retention as it’s a tool for revision, spaced practice, and transferring knowledge to long-term memory. In a 2009 study, students (aged 14) who took a practice test halfway through the year remembered 10 percent more facts on a history final at the end of the year than peers who studied but took no practice test.

Finally, we can reflect on teaching strategies by analysing class data collected from tests and determine how effective our lessons and approaches to topics were. If a whole class performed below expectation or there was a question most students tripped up on, we know where to investigate further and what concepts should be revised before moving on. 

The two types of testing incorporated in learning 

There are two forms of assessment that teachers rely on to gather valuable data and information. 

Summative assessments are the most common form of testing, they take place at the end of key segments in a learning cycle and allow students the opportunity to convey what they have learnt. The purpose is to provide evidence of the degree to which a student has mastered the knowledge, understanding, and skills of the unit. These assessments are used to grade students and evaluate a school’s performance, for example, an end-of-year exam. 

Formative assessments occur both before and during learning so students can show that they are learning the material taught. If designed appropriately, it can help students identify their strengths and weaknesses, improve their self-regulatory skills, and provide helpful information to the faculty about the areas students struggle with.

Is incorporating formative assessment necessary? 

Summative assessments are an essential part of any education; it’s how we check for understanding and monitor student progress, but are formative assessments like pre-testing benefiting learning in the same way? 

Differentiated classrooms rely on formative tests to diagnose and evaluate student understanding at various points. Pre-assessments occur before a unit begins and assess for readiness, using insights on what students know and can demonstrate and what knowledge is missing or misunderstood. 

A study was conducted with a group of teachers who were equipped with a diagnostic tool. After students completed this pre-test and teachers received the detailed data and insights, 81% of the teachers reported having improved knowledge of the achievement of individual students and students in general and that they used this information in several ways to improve their teaching. 

In this report, one teacher noted “I had assumed that at year 10 my students would have a basic understanding of the idea of percentages – many of them didn’t! Instead of going straight into calculating percentages of quantities and calculating whole quantities given a percentage, and then on to financial arithmetic (simple interest), I went back to basics with the students who needed it, and others who could cope with this were assigned the original tasks I had planned.”

Formative assessment provides teachers with influential data and insights but can become meaningless unless the information is used to alter and improve instruction. Essentially, frequent formative assessment provides awareness, and when an educator is aware of exactly what students are having trouble grasping, an intervention can take place. 

So yes, formative assessments are an integral part of any education; they empower educators with knowledge of students’ gaps and competencies, allowing for targeted support and personalised learning paths so that students can fill in missing understanding. 

How to effectively implement pre-testing 

Testing students to uncover detailed insights into gaps and competencies sounds great – this data can inform teaching and provide better support to students. But how do we effectively incorporate formative assessments without taking on an unmanageable workload preparing and marking extra assessments? 

There are resources available to help!  

The Maths Pathway program features an intuitive diagnostic tool that uncovers students’ understanding across the entire mathematics curriculum. The initial diagnostic test runs for just 40 minutes and uncovers individual student gaps and competencies. By the end of class, you’ll have a clear picture of the spread of ability and be able to group students by learning level. Making it easy to address learning gaps, apply personalised teaching, and set students up for success.

The insights the diagnostic tool generates allow teachers to pinpoint exactly where students need support or extension in their work and implement targeted intervention through one-on-one sessions. You can compare your class data with other classes, which is perfect for collaborating with colleagues and planning for the whole year level. The data extracted can also be shared with parents, students, and school leaders, making parent-teacher interviews and reporting time more manageable. 

The diagnostic tool is completely free to explore in the free trial experience of Maths Pathway.