Meaning & use

summative

adjective·Academic

Relating to an assessment given at the end of a course or unit to evaluate overall learning.

See it in a sentence

The final exam serves as the summative assessment for the entire semester.

Teachers use summative tests to measure what students have retained by term's end.

A note on using this word

Summative assessment is contrasted with formative assessment, which monitors learning progress throughout a course rather than at its end.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “summative”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.