An exit ticket is a short question students answer on a slip of paper at the end of a lesson, before they leave. It shows you who understood the lesson and who needs help tomorrow. Pick a type, type your question or prompts, choose how many tickets per page, and print.
What is an exit ticket?
An exit ticket (also called an exit slip) is a quick written answer to one or two questions about the lesson, given in the last few minutes of class. Students hand it in on the way out. It isn’t a quiz: it usually isn’t graded, and its job is to tell you what to do next.
Exit tickets are a kind of formative assessment, a check on learning while there’s still time to act on it. They also give quieter students a private way to share what they think: the National Science Teaching Association notes they can give a voice to students who rarely speak up in class (NSTA).
How to make exit tickets
- Choose the type. 3-2-1, Rate it, One question or Your prompts (each is explained below).
- Type the words. Change the 3-2-1 prompts, type the question, or leave the question empty to write it on the board.
- Choose tickets per page. Two a page give room to write; four or six save paper for short answers.
- Print and cut. Cut along the dashed lines. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print window to keep a copy for next time.
The four kinds of ticket
- 3-2-1. Three things I learned, two things I found interesting, one question I still have. You can change all three prompts, for example to “3 new words, 2 examples, 1 question”.
- Rate it. Students circle one of four faces, from “I’m lost” to “I could teach it”, then explain why. Sorting the stack by face takes seconds.
- One question. One problem or question with room to answer. It’s the quickest check that the main idea landed.
- Your prompts. Up to three prompts of your own, one per line.
Exit ticket ideas
- What is one thing you learned today?
- Solve one problem like the ones we practiced.
- What was the most confusing part of today’s lesson?
- Write one question that could be on the quiz, and answer it.
- How would you explain today’s idea to a younger student?
- Which strategy did you use, and why?
- Give an example of today’s word or idea from your own life.
- What do you want to learn more about?
How to use the answers
Read the stack the same day and sort it into three piles: got it, almost, and not yet. Start the next lesson with a short reteach for the “not yet” group, or pair students from different piles. Teacher Rebecca Alber also suggests showing the class how their answers shaped the next lesson, so they see the tickets matter (Edutopia). Keep it to a few minutes at the end of class so it doesn’t eat into the lesson.
Questions
Is an exit ticket a formative or summative assessment?
Formative. It’s a quick check on learning while there’s still time to act on it, and the answers tell you what to teach next. Writing for Edutopia, teacher Rebecca Alber calls the exit slip a favorite formative assessment.
Is an exit slip the same as an exit ticket?
Yes, they’re two names for the same quick written check at the end of a lesson. If your class says “exit slip”, type that in the “Title” box before you print.
Should exit tickets be graded?
Usually not. Exit tickets are meant to be low-stakes: the National Science Teaching Association notes that they let you see students’ thinking without affecting their grade.
Sources
- Fowler, K., Windschitl, M. and Richards, J. Exit Tickets. National Science Teaching Association.
- Alber, R. (2012, updated 2013). A Favorite Formative Assessment: The Exit Slip. Edutopia.