Which of the following are examples of informal assessments?

• A. Norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests
• B. Diagnostic assessment, curriculum-based assessment, observations, checklists, time sampling, portfolios
• C. Checklists and time sampling
• D. Observations and anecdotal records

Answer: (B)

Informal assessments are ongoing, classroom-based tools used to understand what a child can do in the moment and to guide instruction, without relying on standardized, one-off tests. They are flexible and draw from multiple sources within everyday activities, giving a fuller picture of a child’s learning.

This set is the best fit because it includes a range of common informal approaches: diagnostic and curriculum-based assessments that are tied to what is happening in the classroom and used to tailor instruction; observations that capture real-time behavior and learning as children engage in activities; checklists that quickly record whether specific skills or behaviors are present; time sampling that notes how often a child demonstrates a behavior over intervals; and portfolios that collect a child’s work over time to show growth. None of these require formal, standardized testing with norms or fixed procedures, which is what makes them informal.

In contrast, formal assessments involve standardized procedures, scoring, and comparisons to norms or fixed criteria, which is not what informal assessments aim for. A set limited to just one or two informal tools would miss the breadth of information informal assessment typically provides.