Which statement best describes the difference between formative and summative feedback?

• A. Formative feedback is generally higher stakes than summative.
• B. Both are indistinguishable in purpose.
• C. Formative feedback focuses on current performance and improvement, while summative focuses on goal achievement and is higher stakes.
• D. Formative feedback is not used in occupational therapy

Answer: (C)

Formative and summative feedback serve different purposes and carry different stakes in learning and practice. Formative feedback is given during the learning process to help you improve your current performance. It’s diagnostic and actionable, guiding you on what to adjust next to close gaps and develop skills. Summative feedback, by contrast, is provided after a learning period or task to judge whether you’ve achieved the stated goals or standards; it often determines outcomes like advancement, certification, or final grades, hence its higher stakes.

The statement that best describes the difference reflects this distinction: formative feedback focuses on current performance and improvement, while summative feedback focuses on goal achievement and is higher stakes. In practice, you’d encounter formative feedback during supervision or practice sessions to refine techniques and approaches, and summative feedback at the end of a course or fieldwork experience to determine overall competence.

Other choices don’t fit because they misstate the relationship between the two types or their usage. Formative feedback is not higher stakes than summative; it’s used to support ongoing learning. The two types are not indistinguishable in purpose. And formative feedback is indeed used in fields like occupational therapy for ongoing development, not excluded from practice.