How to prepare for the formative assessment in a UK university

Preparing for a formative assessment at a UK university involves a few key strategies to help you gain the most from the experience, as these assessments are designed to provide feedback on your progress rather than contribute to your final grade. We have created a unique checklist which should guide you in your preparation for the upcoming formative. Our checklist provides tasks which you should follow while preparing for your formative. Our checklist benefits from the universal application to various modules across academic disciplines.

Table 1. ‘Checklist for Formative Assessment Preparation’

Preparation Area	Tasks
Purpose	✔ Formative assessments are often aimed at helping you identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement before a summative assessment. Recognize that the goal is to learn from the feedback, rather than to focus solely on getting a high mark. Oftentimes, you will not be awarded a grade for your work, but you will receive valuable written feedback.
Materials Review	✔ Thoroughly review lecture notes, readings, and any other materials covered in the assessment topics. If there are learning outcomes listed for the course, make sure you understand how each relates to what you’ve studied so far. The topic of your formative task will be gathered from what was discussed during your lectures and seminars/tutorials.
Key Topics	✔ Identify the main topics and concepts that have been emphasized by your lecturers and tutors. Formative assessments often focus on foundational knowledge or key skills, so spend time revising these areas.
Writing/Problem Practice	✔ If it’s an essay-based assessment, practice structuring your responses with clear introductions, arguments, and conclusions. For quantitative or problem-solving subjects, work through sample questions or past papers, if available.
Study Notes	✔ Summarize key points, theories, and arguments in concise notes. Create mind maps, flashcards, or summaries that allow you to quickly review essential information.
Peer & Tutor Engagement	✔ Discuss the topics with classmates or ask your tutor for clarification if there’s something you don’t understand. Study groups can be particularly useful, as they allow you to test each other’s understanding and gain different perspectives.
Assessment Format	✔ Get familiar with the format (e.g., essay, multiple-choice, practical). This will also allow you to tailor your preparation to the specific requirements of the assessment. Also, ensure that you comply with the format requirements such as referencing, front page and word limit.

Contact us if you have any doubts about your upcoming formatives. Our dedicated team of education specialists offers personalised online sessions during which your formative can be discussed. Contact us today to book your appointment.