Exit Tickets

Purpose

Exit tickets provide a quick formative assessment to gauge student understanding at the end of a lesson. They help teachers identify misconceptions, adjust future instruction, and ensure students have grasped key concepts before moving forward.

Materials Needed

  • Index cards, sticky notes, or half sheets of paper

  • Pencils or pens

  • Optional: Digital platform (Google Forms, Padlet, Seesaw) for virtual exit tickets

  • Container or basket for collecting exit tickets

Instructions

  1. Design a prompt or question that targets the lesson's learning objective (e.g., "Explain how photosynthesis works in your own words" or "Solve: 24 ÷ 6 = ?")

  2. Reserve the last 3-5 minutes of class for exit ticket completion

  3. Display the prompt on the board or distribute printed exit tickets

  4. Have students work independently to respond to the prompt

  5. Collect exit tickets as students leave the classroom or submit digitally

  6. Review responses after class to inform next day's instruction and identify students who need additional support

Classroom Management

  • Set clear expectations that exit tickets are completed independently and silently

  • Establish a routine for distributing materials and collecting responses efficiently

  • Use a timer to keep students on track with the time limit

  • Designate a specific spot where students place their exit tickets (basket by the door, turn-in tray, etc.)

  • Consider making exit ticket completion the "ticket out the door" to maintain accountability

Differentiation

  • For struggling learners: Provide sentence frames, word banks, or multiple-choice options to support their responses

  • For English Language Learners: Allow drawing or labeling diagrams, provide visual supports, or permit responses in their native language

  • For advanced learners: Ask higher-order thinking questions that require application, analysis, or evaluation of concepts

  • For students with writing difficulties: Allow verbal responses recorded on a device or dictated to a partner

Extensions

  • Self-Assessment Component: Have students rate their confidence level (1-5 scale) alongside their response

  • Entrance Tickets: Use student responses to create entrance tickets for the next day that address common misconceptions

  • Gallery Walk: Post anonymous exit ticket responses and have students do a gallery walk to identify patterns in thinking

  • Student-Created Questions: Have students create their own exit ticket questions to deepen understanding

  • Digital Responses: Use platforms that provide instant data visualization to quickly sort students into intervention groups