Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of summative assessments?

Summative assessments are designed to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. These assessments typically occur at the conclusion of a course or a significant segment of instruction, allowing educators to measure what students have learned and how well they can apply that knowledge.

The characteristic that focuses on the process rather than the end results contradicts the fundamental purpose of summative assessments, which is to determine the level of achievement based on final outcomes. Summative assessments are more concerned with the end results of learning, such as grades or scores, rather than the methods or processes through which that learning was achieved.

In contrast, the other characteristics mentioned align with what summative assessments typically involve, such as being conducted at the end of a unit and including formats like multiple choice questions, which are common in many assessments. Additionally, summative assessments usually provide data that is often not used for instructional decisions in the same immediate way formative assessments do; instead, they serve to provide a snapshot of student learning at a particular point in time.