Which statement about formative feedback is true?

Which statement about formative feedback is true?

• A. It is used primarily for punishment.
• B. It ignores performance data.
• C. It is generally low stakes and improvement focused.
• D. It is always part of the annual review.

Answer: (C)

Formative feedback is feedback given during the learning or improvement process with the goal of helping someone get better, not to punish or rank them. Because its purpose is growth, it tends to be low-stakes—there’s a focus on actionable steps and quick adjustments rather than final judgments. It relies on performance data to identify what’s working and what isn’t, then guides concrete next steps to close gaps before any final assessment. That combination—supportive, timely guidance driven by actual performance data—is why this statement is true. By contrast, feedback that is punitive, ignores data, or is solely tied to annual reviews describes a more summative, evaluative process rather than formative development.

Formative feedback is feedback given during the learning or improvement process with the goal of helping someone get better, not to punish or rank them. Because its purpose is growth, it tends to be low-stakes—there’s a focus on actionable steps and quick adjustments rather than final judgments. It relies on performance data to identify what’s working and what isn’t, then guides concrete next steps to close gaps before any final assessment. That combination—supportive, timely guidance driven by actual performance data—is why this statement is true. By contrast, feedback that is punitive, ignores data, or is solely tied to annual reviews describes a more summative, evaluative process rather than formative development.