Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) Practice Exam

What is the primary purpose of a summative evaluation?

1. To facilitate instructional planning

2. To assess final achievement after instruction

3. To monitor client behavior during a program

4. To evaluate initial reactions to a program

The correct answer is: To assess final achievement after instruction

The primary purpose of a summative evaluation is to assess final achievement after instruction. This type of evaluation is typically conducted at the end of an instructional period to determine the extent to which learners have achieved the learning objectives set forth at the beginning of the course or program. By focusing on outcomes, summative evaluations provide critical information about the overall effectiveness of the instructional design and the learning experiences, helping educators, trainers, and organizations understand the impact of their instructional strategies on learner performance. In contrast, other evaluation types serve different functions. For example, some evaluations are designed to facilitate instructional planning by gathering data during the instruction, allowing for adjustments and improvements in real-time. Others may focus on monitoring behaviors throughout a program to ensure participants are engaging as intended, or they may be aimed at collecting initial reactions to training immediately after it concludes, which typically informs future iterations or enhancements of the program rather than measuring final efficacy.