WGU D659 OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT EXAM
Assessing and Monitoring Student Learning150
Questions | Verified Answers with Rationales |
Graded A+
Academic Year: 2025/2026
SECTION 1: ASSESSMENT TYPES & PURPOSES
Questions 1–30
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
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Formative assessments (assessment FOR learning) are used during instruction to
gauge student understanding and guide teaching adjustments. Exit tickets are classic formative
assessment tools that provide immediate feedback on student learning .
Question 2
,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
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Summative assessments (assessment OF learning) measure student achievement at
the end of a unit or academic period. Standardized tests administered annually to evaluate
school performance are summative in nature .
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
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Ipsative assessment measures student progress against their own previous
performance rather than against external standards or peer groups. This approach focuses on
individual growth over time .
Question 4
Before starting a new science unit on ecosystems, a teacher administers a pre-test to find out
what prior knowledge students already have. What is this type of assessment?
A) Diagnostic assessment
B) Summative assessment
C) Norm-referenced assessment
D) Criterion-referenced assessment
,Correct answer: A
Rationale: Diagnostic assessments are administered before instruction to identify students' prior
knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, and misconceptions. This information helps teachers plan
effective instruction .
Question 5
When a teacher observes students during group work, takes notes about participation, and uses
that information to guide future lessons, which type of assessment is being used?
A) Informal assessment
B) Summative assessment
C) Standardized testing
D) Norm-referenced testing
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Informal assessments are unstructured, ongoing observations and data collection
methods that provide qualitative information about student learning. They are not standardized
or graded but inform instructional decisions .
Question 6
A teacher uses a rubric aligned to state standards to grade student essays fairly and
consistently. What type of assessment is this an example of?
A) Criterion-referenced assessment
B) Norm-referenced assessment
C) Ipsative assessment
D) Informal observation
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Criterion-referenced assessments measure student performance against a specific,
pre-defined standard or learning objective (mastery). Rubrics aligned to standards are classic
criterion-referenced tools .
, Question 7
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) Informal
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Norm-referenced assessments compare a student's performance to that of a peer
group. Percentile rankings (e.g., scoring in the 85th percentile) indicate norm-referenced
interpretation .
Question 8
In a unit about prime factorization, the teacher's goal is for students to determine prime
factorization for any three-digit number. Which assessment method should the teacher use to
effectively evaluate if students understood the content after the completion of the unit?
A) A worksheet having students practice identifying prime and composite numbers
B) A final exam covering all the prime factorization topics of the unit
C) A paired discussion with peers to discuss prime factorization challenges
D) A short essay explaining how prime factorization relates to previous concepts
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Summative assessments like final exams are appropriate for evaluating student
understanding after unit completion. The assessment must directly measure the learning
objective of determining prime factorization .
Question 9
A teacher uses scores from tests, projects, and participation to form a complete picture of
student progress. What principle is this?
A) Multiple measures
Assessing and Monitoring Student Learning150
Questions | Verified Answers with Rationales |
Graded A+
Academic Year: 2025/2026
SECTION 1: ASSESSMENT TYPES & PURPOSES
Questions 1–30
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
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Formative assessments (assessment FOR learning) are used during instruction to
gauge student understanding and guide teaching adjustments. Exit tickets are classic formative
assessment tools that provide immediate feedback on student learning .
Question 2
,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
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Summative assessments (assessment OF learning) measure student achievement at
the end of a unit or academic period. Standardized tests administered annually to evaluate
school performance are summative in nature .
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
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Ipsative assessment measures student progress against their own previous
performance rather than against external standards or peer groups. This approach focuses on
individual growth over time .
Question 4
Before starting a new science unit on ecosystems, a teacher administers a pre-test to find out
what prior knowledge students already have. What is this type of assessment?
A) Diagnostic assessment
B) Summative assessment
C) Norm-referenced assessment
D) Criterion-referenced assessment
,Correct answer: A
Rationale: Diagnostic assessments are administered before instruction to identify students' prior
knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, and misconceptions. This information helps teachers plan
effective instruction .
Question 5
When a teacher observes students during group work, takes notes about participation, and uses
that information to guide future lessons, which type of assessment is being used?
A) Informal assessment
B) Summative assessment
C) Standardized testing
D) Norm-referenced testing
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Informal assessments are unstructured, ongoing observations and data collection
methods that provide qualitative information about student learning. They are not standardized
or graded but inform instructional decisions .
Question 6
A teacher uses a rubric aligned to state standards to grade student essays fairly and
consistently. What type of assessment is this an example of?
A) Criterion-referenced assessment
B) Norm-referenced assessment
C) Ipsative assessment
D) Informal observation
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Criterion-referenced assessments measure student performance against a specific,
pre-defined standard or learning objective (mastery). Rubrics aligned to standards are classic
criterion-referenced tools .
, Question 7
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) Informal
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Norm-referenced assessments compare a student's performance to that of a peer
group. Percentile rankings (e.g., scoring in the 85th percentile) indicate norm-referenced
interpretation .
Question 8
In a unit about prime factorization, the teacher's goal is for students to determine prime
factorization for any three-digit number. Which assessment method should the teacher use to
effectively evaluate if students understood the content after the completion of the unit?
A) A worksheet having students practice identifying prime and composite numbers
B) A final exam covering all the prime factorization topics of the unit
C) A paired discussion with peers to discuss prime factorization challenges
D) A short essay explaining how prime factorization relates to previous concepts
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Summative assessments like final exams are appropriate for evaluating student
understanding after unit completion. The assessment must directly measure the learning
objective of determining prime factorization .
Question 9
A teacher uses scores from tests, projects, and participation to form a complete picture of
student progress. What principle is this?
A) Multiple measures
