Definition: Formal Assessment is assessment that is presented in a written format and administered to students in a single sitting. The student may not read the assessment to answer the questions or perform the tasks. The administrator, the person giving the assessment, may read the items or present the printed items. Individualized achievement tests, such as the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) may have printed items with pictures, and students may be asked to point to the correct answer.
Also Known As: Standardized tests are also formal assessments
Examples:
Mrs. Miller decided to give the class a formal assessment, giving a written test with 20 mixed addition and subtraction problems with a 30 minute time limit.
