What defines a formal assessment in education?

A formal assessment in education is defined as a standardized assessment that is administered and scored according to prescribed procedures. This means that the assessment follows strict guidelines to ensure consistency and reliability in measuring student performance. Standardized assessments are designed to provide objective data that can be compared across different populations, helping educators to gauge student learning and inform instructional decisions.

This type of assessment usually has established scoring criteria that facilitates an unbiased evaluation, making it a critical tool in educational settings for benchmarking and accountability. In contrast, assessments that can be subjective or vary greatly in scoring methods lack the consistency and objectivity that formal assessments provide. Furthermore, assessments solely for formative purposes are aimed at understanding student learning progress rather than providing a standardized measure of performance, which also distinguishes them from formal assessments.