Exit tickets and quick checks: a kaiako guide
Step-by-step guide to exit tickets and quick checks in NZ primary — design templates, when to use them, and how to act on evidence the same day.
Exit tickets are short end-of-lesson checks that tell you whether today's learning intention landed. This guide helps NZ primary kaiako design, deploy, and respond to exit tickets and related quick checks — without turning every lesson into a paperwork exercise.
For the wider assessment-for-learning picture, see our formative assessment strategies article. Official curriculum context lives on Tāhūrangi and education.govt.nz.
What makes a good exit ticket?
A useful exit ticket:
- Takes 2–4 minutes for ākonga to complete
- Aligns to one learning intention and success criteria
- Produces evidence you can sort and act on before the next lesson
- Uses formats appropriate to the learning area (written, drawn, multiple choice)
Avoid exit tickets that only ask "Did you enjoy today's lesson?" — enjoyment matters for wellbeing, but it does not show learning.
Quick check formats to rotate
| Format | Best for | Example prompt |
|---|---|---|
| One sentence | Literacy, inquiry | "State the main idea of the text in one sentence." |
| Show your work | Mathematics | "Solve this problem and circle the strategy you used." |
| Draw / diagram | Science, geometry | "Sketch and label the water cycle stage we focused on." |
| A, B, C choice | Quick whole-class sort | "Which answer is correct? Explain in one word why." |
| 3-2-1 | Reflection + content | "3 facts, 2 questions, 1 connection to prior learning." |
Design workflow (five minutes at planning time)
- Open your lesson plan and highlight the learning intention.
- Write one question that only someone who understood today's focus could answer well.
- Decide how you will collect responses (sticky notes, slip, digital form, mini whiteboard photo).
- Plan your if/then: If most succeed → extend tomorrow; if many struggle → reteach opener.
- Note where the check maps on NZC progressions if you are tracking term outcomes.
Same-day response routines
Exit tickets earn their name when you use them before you leave for the day — or first thing next morning.
- Sort into three piles: secure, partial, not yet
- Name the misconception on a sticky for your plan book ("confusing perimeter and area")
- Group for tomorrow: brief reteach group + extension for secure learners
- Share one anonymous example at the next lesson start ("Here is strong work — what makes it meet our criteria?")
Digital quick checks
Digital tools can speed collection when privacy and kura policy allow. Choose tools mapped to NZ curriculum outcomes and check NAG-related data practices with your leadership team.
Browse curriculum-aligned apps or explore the assessment for learning hub for related reading.
Common mistakes to fix
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Ticket asks about lesson activity, not learning | Rewrite prompt from success criteria |
| Never reviewed | Block 10 minutes on planner for same-day sort |
| Only high writers succeed | Allow draw, oral, or choice format |
| Used as punishment | Keep low-stakes; no public ranking |
| Too long | Cut to one focused prompt |
Adapting for Year 1–2 and Year 7–8
Junior classes: Use thumbs, picture cards, or dictation to teacher instead of extended writing. Photograph mini whiteboards as evidence.
Senior classes: Add "justify" or "evaluate" stems for higher-order checks. Link tickets to inquiry or cross-curricular writing when one learning area is the focus.
Linking tickets to reporting
Exit tickets rarely appear on reports directly — they feed your body of evidence. Keep a folder or digital album of dated samples that show growth over a unit. When report writing season arrives, you already have proof of next steps taught and progress made.
Printable checklist for kaiako
- Exit ticket matches today's learning intention
- All ākonga can complete it in under four minutes
- I know how I will sort responses tonight
- I have planned a reteach or extension based on possible results
- Success criteria were visible during the lesson
Exit tickets are small tools with large impact when you respond to what they show. Start a teacher trial to pair quick checks with digital practice that gives immediate formative feedback.