Instructor surveys students’ assumptions about the concepts that will be taught in the course (e.g. the nature of mind or behavior)

- It can be tutor led, peer or self-assessment.
- Formative assessments have low stakes and usually carry no grade.
-Formative assessments, provide a highly effective and risk-free environment in which students can learn and experiment.
-They also provide a useful lead-in to summative assessments, so long as feedback is provided.
2. summative assessment  evaluates student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. 
-Summative assessments often have high stakes and are treated by the students as the priority over formative assessments.
- feedback from summative assessments can be used formatively by both students and faculty to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses.

- An over-reliance on summative assessment at the conclusion of an element of study gives students a grade, but provides very little feedback that will help them develop and improve before they reach the end of the end of the Term. 

Assessment as learning (formative assessment) actively involves student reflection on learning, monitoring of his/her own progress, and:

Assessment of learning (summative assessment)
involves teachers’ use of evidence of student learning to make judgements about student achievement and: