Which of the following is a common type of formal assessment?

Standardized tests represent a common type of formal assessment because they are structured evaluations that are administered and scored in a consistent, systematic manner. These tests are designed to measure students’ performance against a uniform set of criteria or benchmarks. They often include multiple-choice questions, essays, and other formats that ensure fairness and reliability in assessing knowledge, skills, and abilities across a wide population of students.

Formal assessments like standardized tests are typically administered under controlled conditions with specific guidelines, allowing for data to be compared across different groups and settings. This standardization makes it easier to evaluate student performance objectively, track academic progress over time, and inform educational decisions at the individual, school, and district levels.

The other options—observation assessments, informal quizzes, and class participation—are generally considered informal assessments. They do not follow the same structured format or standardized criteria that formal assessments do, and they may rely more on subjective interpretation or day-to-day observations rather than on set guidelines and norms. Thus, they serve different purposes in educational settings compared to standardized tests.