Formal assessment is used for assessment of learning.

It provides teachers with a systematic way of evaluating how well learners are progressing in a particular subject or grade.
The forms of assessment used should be appropriate to the age and the developmental level of the learners in the phase.
Timeous feedback to the learners is critical whether through whole-class discussion, teacher-learner interaction or written responses.

• Highlight the importance of explaining to the learners which knowledge and skills are being assessed, the required length of responses, and how marks are allocated.
• Emphasise that assessment criteria should be clear to the learners before the assessment process. Empowering learners with knowledge of assessments will assist them to take ownership of their own progress.
• Show a wide range of formal assessments; eg, projects, oral presentations, demonstrations, performances, tests, examinations, practical demonstrations.
• Refer student teachers to the CAPS assessment sections of the relevant subject to guide them regarding abilities and cognitive levels as well as weighting of the cognitive levels across different grades.
• Discuss ‘feed-forward’ vs ‘feed-back’ responses. All learners, of any age, appreciate some comment on their work, even a sticker or ‘smiley’ face. ‘Sandwich’ comments with a positive comment, a problem area and suggestion for improvement.
  

Read the following article for more information on the concept of ‘feed-forward’ responses.