Plain English Meaning
Check-ins along the way that show how a student is doing so the instructor can adjust teaching and the student can improve before the final test.
Full Definition
Ongoing evaluations conducted during the learning process to monitor a student's progress, identify areas of difficulty, and guide adjustments to instruction. Formative assessments are not used to assign final grades or determine pass/fail outcomes; they are diagnostic tools that shape how training continues.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation instructor training when discussing how instructors evaluate students during lessons, not just at the end of a course or lesson block.
Derivation
From Latin formare, meaning 'to shape' or 'to form.' A formative assessment is one that helps shape the learning while it is still in progress, rather than judging it after it is finished.