What type of assessment is writing done in response to a prompt considered?

Writing done in response to a prompt is categorized as performance-based assessment because it involves students demonstrating their understanding and skills in a specific task—namely, writing. This type of assessment allows educators to evaluate a student's ability to apply knowledge, synthesize information, and express their thoughts coherently and creatively in a real-world context or simulated scenario.

Performance-based assessment focuses on the process and the product of learning, as it assesses the student's capability to perform tasks that mirror expectations outside of traditional testing environments. It usually emphasizes higher-order thinking skills and requires students to engage actively in their learning.

In contrast, formative assessments are typically used to monitor student learning during the instructional process, rather than to evaluate a specific performance. Diagnostic assessments aim to identify students' strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins, while summative assessments evaluate student learning at the conclusion of an instructional period. These types of assessment do not focus on the active demonstration of skills related to specifically crafted tasks, which is why they do not fit the characteristics of writing prompted by a specific task.