1
WGU D659 OA EXAM TEST QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
ASSESSING AND MONITORING STUDENT LEARNING – OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
Core Domains:
• Formative, Summative, Diagnostic, and Ipsative Assessments
• Norm-Referenced vs. Criterion-Referenced Assessments
• Validity and Reliability (Content, Construct, Criterion, Inter-Rater, Test-
Retest, Internal Consistency)
• Authentic and Performance-Based Assessments
• Rubrics, Feedback, and Data-Driven Instruction
• SMART Goals and Backward Design
• Triangulation of Data
• Fairness and Cultural Responsiveness in Assessment
• Using Assessment Data to Improve Teaching and Learning
This comprehensive practice examination is designed to prepare students for the
Western Governors University (WGU) D659 Objective Assessment (OA) – Assessing
and Monitoring Student Learning. The assessment encompasses all core domains
tested on the official WGU D659 exam, including formative, summative,
diagnostic, and ipsative assessments; norm-referenced and criterion-referenced
assessments; validity and reliability; authentic and performance-based
assessments; rubrics and feedback; data-driven instruction; SMART goals;
backward design; triangulation of data; fairness and cultural responsiveness; and
the effective use of assessment data to improve teaching and learning. Through a
combination of multiple-choice questions and scenario-based items, this practice
pg. 1
,2
exam mirrors the structure and difficulty level of the actual WGU D659 Objective
Assessment. Each question is accompanied by a verified correct answer and a
detailed rationale explaining the underlying assessment principles, reinforcing key
concepts and promoting deeper understanding. Successful completion
demonstrates readiness for the WGU D659 OA and mastery of assessment and
monitoring student learning concepts required for WGU's education programs.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1-100
Question 1
When a teacher uses quick exit tickets at the end of a lesson to check for student
understanding and adjust the next lesson accordingly, what type of assessment is
this?
A. Summative assessment
B. Norm-referenced assessment
C. Formative assessment
D. Diagnostic assessment
C. Formative assessment
RATIONALE: Formative assessments are ongoing evaluations conducted
during the learning process to provide feedback and guide instruction. Exit tickets
help teachers understand student comprehension and adjust teaching strategies
immediately. Formative assessment is used to monitor student learning and
provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their
teaching and by students to improve their learning. In contrast, summative
assessment evaluates student learning at the end of an instructional unit by
comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Norm-referenced assessment
compares a student's performance to that of a peer group. Diagnostic assessment
identifies a student's strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins.
Question 2
pg. 2
,3
A district administers an annual standardized reading test to determine how well
schools are meeting state benchmarks at the end of the year. What kind of
assessment is this best described as?
A. Summative assessment
B. Formative assessment
C. Informal assessment
D. Ipsative assessment
A. Summative assessment
RATIONALE: Summative assessment evaluates student learning at the end of
an instructional period (such as the end of a unit, semester, or school year) by
comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Annual standardized tests that
measure how well schools are meeting state benchmarks are classic examples of
summative assessment. They are typically high-stakes, occur after instruction is
complete, and are used for accountability purposes.
Question 3
A teacher compares one student's essay scores across multiple semesters to
determine if they are improving compared only to their own past work. What
type of assessment is this?
A. Norm-referenced assessment
B. Ipsative assessment
C. Criterion-referenced assessment
D. Diagnostic assessment
B. Ipsative assessment
RATIONALE: Ipsative assessment measures a student's performance against
their own previous performance. In this scenario, the teacher is comparing the
student's essay scores across semesters to track individual growth. This contrasts
with norm-referenced assessment (comparing to peers) and criterion-referenced
assessment (comparing to a set standard). Ipsative assessment is valuable for
measuring student growth and identifying areas of improvement over time.
pg. 3
, 4
Question 4
A teacher uses a pre-assessment before a unit on biology to determine what
students already know about cellular structures, cell division, genetic
mechanisms, and energy production. What is the purpose of this assessment?
A. To assign final grades
B. To diagnose students' prior knowledge and identify areas of need
C. To compare students to national averages
D. To evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum
B. To diagnose students' prior knowledge and identify areas of need
RATIONALE: Diagnostic assessments are used before instruction to identify
students' existing knowledge, skills, and misconceptions. They help teachers
determine what students already know and what they need to learn, allowing
instruction to be tailored to student needs. A pre-assessment before a unit serves
this diagnostic purpose, guiding instructional planning.
Question 5
A student's test score shows how they rank compared to all other students in the
state. What assessment type does this best represent?
A. Norm-referenced
B. Criterion-referenced
C. Ipsative
D. Formative
A. Norm-referenced
RATIONALE: Norm-referenced assessment compares a student's performance
to that of a peer group (the "norm"). When a score shows how a student ranks
compared to all other students in the state, it is a norm-referenced interpretation.
Examples include standardized tests where scores are reported as percentiles.
This contrasts with criterion-referenced assessment, which measures
performance against a fixed set of criteria or learning standards.
pg. 4
WGU D659 OA EXAM TEST QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
ASSESSING AND MONITORING STUDENT LEARNING – OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
Core Domains:
• Formative, Summative, Diagnostic, and Ipsative Assessments
• Norm-Referenced vs. Criterion-Referenced Assessments
• Validity and Reliability (Content, Construct, Criterion, Inter-Rater, Test-
Retest, Internal Consistency)
• Authentic and Performance-Based Assessments
• Rubrics, Feedback, and Data-Driven Instruction
• SMART Goals and Backward Design
• Triangulation of Data
• Fairness and Cultural Responsiveness in Assessment
• Using Assessment Data to Improve Teaching and Learning
This comprehensive practice examination is designed to prepare students for the
Western Governors University (WGU) D659 Objective Assessment (OA) – Assessing
and Monitoring Student Learning. The assessment encompasses all core domains
tested on the official WGU D659 exam, including formative, summative,
diagnostic, and ipsative assessments; norm-referenced and criterion-referenced
assessments; validity and reliability; authentic and performance-based
assessments; rubrics and feedback; data-driven instruction; SMART goals;
backward design; triangulation of data; fairness and cultural responsiveness; and
the effective use of assessment data to improve teaching and learning. Through a
combination of multiple-choice questions and scenario-based items, this practice
pg. 1
,2
exam mirrors the structure and difficulty level of the actual WGU D659 Objective
Assessment. Each question is accompanied by a verified correct answer and a
detailed rationale explaining the underlying assessment principles, reinforcing key
concepts and promoting deeper understanding. Successful completion
demonstrates readiness for the WGU D659 OA and mastery of assessment and
monitoring student learning concepts required for WGU's education programs.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1-100
Question 1
When a teacher uses quick exit tickets at the end of a lesson to check for student
understanding and adjust the next lesson accordingly, what type of assessment is
this?
A. Summative assessment
B. Norm-referenced assessment
C. Formative assessment
D. Diagnostic assessment
C. Formative assessment
RATIONALE: Formative assessments are ongoing evaluations conducted
during the learning process to provide feedback and guide instruction. Exit tickets
help teachers understand student comprehension and adjust teaching strategies
immediately. Formative assessment is used to monitor student learning and
provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their
teaching and by students to improve their learning. In contrast, summative
assessment evaluates student learning at the end of an instructional unit by
comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Norm-referenced assessment
compares a student's performance to that of a peer group. Diagnostic assessment
identifies a student's strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins.
Question 2
pg. 2
,3
A district administers an annual standardized reading test to determine how well
schools are meeting state benchmarks at the end of the year. What kind of
assessment is this best described as?
A. Summative assessment
B. Formative assessment
C. Informal assessment
D. Ipsative assessment
A. Summative assessment
RATIONALE: Summative assessment evaluates student learning at the end of
an instructional period (such as the end of a unit, semester, or school year) by
comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Annual standardized tests that
measure how well schools are meeting state benchmarks are classic examples of
summative assessment. They are typically high-stakes, occur after instruction is
complete, and are used for accountability purposes.
Question 3
A teacher compares one student's essay scores across multiple semesters to
determine if they are improving compared only to their own past work. What
type of assessment is this?
A. Norm-referenced assessment
B. Ipsative assessment
C. Criterion-referenced assessment
D. Diagnostic assessment
B. Ipsative assessment
RATIONALE: Ipsative assessment measures a student's performance against
their own previous performance. In this scenario, the teacher is comparing the
student's essay scores across semesters to track individual growth. This contrasts
with norm-referenced assessment (comparing to peers) and criterion-referenced
assessment (comparing to a set standard). Ipsative assessment is valuable for
measuring student growth and identifying areas of improvement over time.
pg. 3
, 4
Question 4
A teacher uses a pre-assessment before a unit on biology to determine what
students already know about cellular structures, cell division, genetic
mechanisms, and energy production. What is the purpose of this assessment?
A. To assign final grades
B. To diagnose students' prior knowledge and identify areas of need
C. To compare students to national averages
D. To evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum
B. To diagnose students' prior knowledge and identify areas of need
RATIONALE: Diagnostic assessments are used before instruction to identify
students' existing knowledge, skills, and misconceptions. They help teachers
determine what students already know and what they need to learn, allowing
instruction to be tailored to student needs. A pre-assessment before a unit serves
this diagnostic purpose, guiding instructional planning.
Question 5
A student's test score shows how they rank compared to all other students in the
state. What assessment type does this best represent?
A. Norm-referenced
B. Criterion-referenced
C. Ipsative
D. Formative
A. Norm-referenced
RATIONALE: Norm-referenced assessment compares a student's performance
to that of a peer group (the "norm"). When a score shows how a student ranks
compared to all other students in the state, it is a norm-referenced interpretation.
Examples include standardized tests where scores are reported as percentiles.
This contrasts with criterion-referenced assessment, which measures
performance against a fixed set of criteria or learning standards.
pg. 4
