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As students make their way through a school day, learning unit, or academic year, they\u2019re in constant motion, transitioning from one learning experience to the next. They move at different speeds and have different needs, presenting teachers with a perennial challenge: keeping tabs on how each student is doing and using that information to shape future instruction.<\/p>\n
Formal interim assessments like MAP\u00ae Growth\u2122<\/a> are invaluable sources of data on student achievement over time, but for quick measurements that keep teachers aligned with where students are in the present moment, it\u2019s tough to beat the exit ticket, a widely used instructional and formative assessment<\/a> strategy that helps teachers gauge student learning and informs future instruction. Exit tickets are a \u201cpulse check\u201d teachers use to see whether instruction is landing and to decide what to do next, explains Jenna Talos<\/a>, an NWEA professional learning<\/a> consultant.<\/p>\n In this article, I\u2019ll cover what exit tickets are, why they matter, how to use and create them, and subject-specific examples and ideas.<\/p>\n Despite the name, an exit ticket isn\u2019t a get-out-of-school pass. \u201cExit\u201d simply means closing out a phase of instruction, whether it\u2019s a lesson, mini-lesson, or unit. The format is flexible; index cards, sticky notes, notebook paper, or digital tools can all make for effective exit tickets.<\/p>\n A key principle is that exit tickets are formative assessments, not tests to be graded. Teachers use them purely to inform their next instructional move, not to evaluate students. That distinction matters a lot to students, who feel quite differently about an ungraded, informal check-in<\/a> than they do a formal assessment.<\/p>\n Exit tickets serve three main purposes:<\/p>\n Traditional exit tickets should provide opportunities for students to share facts they learned, things that captured their interest, and outstanding questions. This structure isn\u2019t tied to any particular learning unit. \u201cThe beauty of a traditional exit ticket is that it\u2019s cross-curricular,\u201d says Jenna. \u201cI can use it for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n As a minor variation on the traditional exit ticket, teachers often use a 3-2-1 format in which students identify three things they learned, two interesting takeaways, and one remaining question. The overall structure is similar to a traditional exit ticket, but teachers may find that the 3-2-1 format is the right fit for a given subject or learning unit.<\/p>\n Teachers often use entry tickets in addition to exit tickets. The difference? An exit ticket looks backward while an entry ticket looks forward. \u201cAn exit ticket is an opportunity to reflect on the learning that occurred, or the learning that did not occur,\u201d says Jenna.<\/p>\n An entry ticket, by contrast, activates prior knowledge before instruction begins. A quick vocabulary check, for instance, or a one-minute prompt asking students to jot down what they remember from the day before are examples of entry tickets.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth entry and exit tickets are working to activate student learning\u2014or lack of learning\u2014to help us make some instructional decisions,\u201d Jenna says.<\/p>\n There are three broad assessment categories: formative assessments woven into daily instruction, interim assessments<\/a>, like MAP Growth, given a few times a year to track growth over time, and summative assessments, usually given at the end of a unit or year, that measure what students have learned against a standard. Exit tickets fall into the first category, giving teachers a fast, informal read on students\u2019 learning progress.<\/p>\n For more on formative and summative assessment, see \u201cFormative vs. summative assessment: Key differences, examples, and best practices.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Because exit tickets are low stakes, ungraded, and meant to inform a teacher\u2019s next move rather than measure mastery at the end of a unit, we consider them to be formative assessments. Or, as Jenna calls them, \u201ca pulse check for learning.\u201d<\/p>\n Exit tickets put students and teachers on a solid footing as they move toward the next quiz, project, or interim assessment. With just a few minutes of reflection at the end of a lesson, students provide insights that lead to more effective teaching and learning.<\/p>\n Exit tickets offer a few concrete benefits:<\/p>\n The next few sections cover how to build exit tickets into a regular classroom routine, how to use them to generate genuinely useful information, and a few common mistakes worth avoiding.<\/p>\n First things first: Before writing a single question on a new exit ticket, Jenna recommends identifying the learning goal. What do students need to walk away with to be ready for the next lesson? From there, teachers can build a small, reusable set of prompts tied to that goal rather than writing something new every time.<\/p>\n Exit tickets can go out at the end of a school day, but they can just as easily go out at the close of a lesson, mini-lesson, or unit segment. Collecting them can be as simple as passing slips down a row, or teachers could have students keep an exit ticket journal on their desks. There are plenty of other distribution and collection options. \u201cWe have to think about the lowest lift for ourselves that gives us the most high-quality information,\u201d Jenna says.<\/p>\n A good exit ticket does two things: it stays aligned to the lesson\u2019s objective, and it\u2019s written in language students can act on. It also helps to use prompts that ask for reasoning over ones with a single right-or-wrong answer. Questions like, What is one part of today\u2019s lesson that still feels confusing? or What is one thing you can explain clearly about ____? will produce more useful information than something vague like, How was today\u2019s lesson?<\/p>\n A simple framework like 3-2-1 can help, too. Giving students a manageable set of questions lowers the stakes, Jenna says, and makes it easier for students to engage.<\/p>\n Here are some pitfalls to avoid:<\/p>\n Exit tickets come in a handful of common formats, as I mentioned earlier, and many teachers rotate between them depending on the lesson:<\/p>\n The best exit tickets are built around what a teacher actually wants to learn from the answer. Here are a few examples that can be adapted for different subject areas:<\/p>\n Not sure where to start? These ready-to-use prompts cover a range of purposes and can be adapted to different subjects and grade levels.<\/p>\n Comprehension:<\/p>\n Reflection:<\/p>\n Critical thinking:<\/p>\n Self-assessment:<\/p>\n An exit ticket\u2019s questions change from subject to subject, but the underlying goal is the same: to find out whether a lesson is reaching students and, if not, where the gaps are.<\/p>\n In math, the goal is telling a computational error apart from a genuine conceptual misunderstanding. By asking students to solve a problem and then explain which strategy they used, teachers gain insight into whether a student understands the reasoning behind the steps or is just following a rote process. \u201cCan they explain their reasoning,\u201d Jenna asks, \u201cor can they simply complete the process with the framework we\u2019ve given them?\u201d<\/p>\n Reading exit tickets work best when they measure comprehension, analysis, vocabulary development, and evidence-based thinking. Instead of asking students to recite a fact from the text, try questions that ask them to interpret it: What does the word ___ mean in this paragraph? Which details best support ___? What is the main idea of today\u2019s text, and what evidence best supports your answer?<\/p>\n Science exit tickets help gauge concept mastery, inquiry skills, and the application of scientific thinking. Try asking, What variable changed during today\u2019s investigation? What evidence supports today\u2019s conclusion? What question would you investigate next? Together, these prompts check understanding of the setup, the reasoning behind the conclusion, and students\u2019 curiosity about what comes next.<\/p>\n Social studies exit tickets support historical analysis, civic literacy, and critical thinking about events and sources. Try asking questions like, What was the most significant cause of today\u2019s historical event? Which source seemed most reliable, and why? How might a different group have viewed this event?<\/p>\n Ready to try exit tickets in your own classroom? These templates make it easy to get started.<\/p>\nWhat are exit tickets?<\/h2>\n
What is the purpose of an exit ticket?<\/em><\/h2>\n
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Traditional exit tickets<\/em><\/h2>\n
3-2-1 exit tickets <\/em><\/h2>\n
Exit tickets vs. entry tickets<\/em><\/h2>\n
What type of assessment is an exit ticket?<\/h2>\n
Is an exit ticket a formative or summative assessment?<\/em><\/h2>\n
Why is an exit ticket important?<\/h2>\n
What are the benefits of exit tickets?<\/em><\/h2>\n
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How teachers use exit tickets in the classroom<\/h2>\n
Using exit tickets in the classroom<\/em><\/h2>\n
How to create an effective exit ticket<\/em><\/h2>\n
Avoid common exit ticket mistakes<\/em><\/h2>\n
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Types of exit tickets<\/h2>\n
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Exit ticket examples<\/h2>\n
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Exit ticket questions for students<\/h2>\n
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Subject-specific exit ticket ideas<\/h2>\n
Math exit tickets<\/em><\/h2>\n
Reading exit tickets<\/em><\/h2>\n
Science exit tickets<\/em><\/h2>\n
Social studies exit tickets<\/em><\/h2>\n
Exit ticket templates<\/h2>\n
Traditional exit ticket template<\/em><\/h2>\n