24 Exit Ticket Ideas

We’ve probably all used exit tickets before in our classroom for a quick, informal assessment. And, I’m willing to bet that most of the time you have used nearly the same questions– something along the lines of “tell me what you have learned today.” If you’re like me, after a while, they become generic and boring. You often end up looking for new ideas and ways to engage your students, while still assessing what they know. That’s where this post comes in! I’ve compiled a list of exit ticket ideas that are engaging for both you and your students while helping you assess the important information you need!

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

Before I get started discussing my exit ticket ideas, I want to make sure we are all on the same page. Exit tickets are often used at the end of class as an informal measure of how well students understand the topic or lesson. Teachers will often pose a question or prompt and students will express what they think about the new information, reflect on what they learned, or in some way, think critically. This helps the teacher assess quickly the students’ understanding of the material.  Exit tickets are just one of the many ways teachers can informally assess students.

Exit Ticket Ideas for Any Classroom

1.) Activating prior knowledge. While I understand that the purpose of EXIT tickets is to exit the lesson, why not start the lesson with an exit ticket to determine what a student knows (activating that prior knowledge) and then after the lesson to determine what they have learned! These examples below are perfect exit tickets that show how to activate prior knowledge.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

2.) Practice reading strategies. Every student could benefit from practicing reading strategies because it helps them with comprehension skills too. Why not practice summarization, paraphrasing, visualization, or questioning for example.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

3.) Growth mindset. Growth mindset is really big right now and would be easy to incorporate. These examples below demonstrates growth mindset while still assessing what your student understands.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

4.) Reading skills. As long as you’re practicing reading strategies, why not practice reading skills. Have your students practice skills such as making judgments, determining importance, or the main idea. The list could go on.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

5.) Creativity. Boost your students’ creativity by providing them with exit ticket ideas such as the ones below. This requires them to think a bit more and work with their right brain.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

6.) Vocabulary. Why does exit tickets have to just assess what they learned from the lesson? Why not assess their knowledge or understanding of the vocabulary used?

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

7.) Writing opinions. Have students practice forming opinions and using reasoning to support it. Go a step further and use persuasion!

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

8.) Integration. Have students practice integrating reading into other subjects by using important skills like cause and effect or compare and contrast. Check out these exit ticket ideas pictured below.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

9.) Create extensions. Exit tickets can be used to differentiate students. This can be accomplished by creating exit tickets that extend the lesson such as the ones found below.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

10.) Create guided groups. Just like above, you can use exit tickets to determine which students need to be placed into small groups. In the example below, you can sort students into groups based on which “path” they chose. You can also group students based on what areas they are having difficulty in.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

11.) Application. Have students share with you how they can apply the concept to their lives. The crossover and connections to their real life can be the hardest sometimes.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

12.) Differentiate. Provide students with different exit tickets. Not all students need to be given the same exit ticket at the same time. Base it off of their needs.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

13.) Figurative language. Why not provide students with practice of similes or idioms, such as the examples below.  You could also include analogies.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

14.) Interests. Use exit tickets to determine your students’ interests or to group students.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

15.) Student-centered learning. Help students be in control of their learning more by asking them what they want to review next or learn next.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

16.) Use science. Have students practice science activities such as labeling diagrams (quick sketch) or notice and wonder.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

17.) Learning styles. Find out your students learning style by asking for suggestions on they would like you to teach things.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

18.) Reflect. Have students reflect on their work and rate their confidence so they are self-aware.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

19.) Use higher order thinking/critical thinking. We are always trying to increase students’ thinking instead of spoonfeeding our students. Consider exit ticket ideas such as these below.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

20.) High engagement. Use exit tickets that are motivating and increase student engagement. It also helps to get students excited about the next lesson.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

21.) Partner work. Exit slips do not have to be completed independently. Why not have students work in pairs or groups. This one below demonstrates a good example of students working together.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

22.) Practice finding evidence. Common Core is big on supporting everything with evidence. Have students support everything with evidence by asking them where they found their information or why they feel that way. Another way would be to have students provide an example.

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

23.) Create a portfolio. Why not use exit tickets in a portfolio? These would be wonderful pieces to show parents during parent-teacher conferences!

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

24.) And of course- still, use them to just check for understanding!

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!
We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

You can easily create exit tickets or exit slips by providing a question on the board, doc cam, or overhead and having students respond on an index card, piece of paper, or sticky note.  You can also find many online for free or to purchase, such as this set found in this post.

What To Do With Exit Tickets

I’ve seen teachers use special boards like “what stuck with you today” or “ticket out the door” boards.  I have just collected them when students were done. When I collect them, I try to look them over right away. If I can’t look them over right then, I look them over when I have a free minute, such as when the students get started on something, when walking to the copy room, to specials, or just briefly at lunch while waiting for the microwave. It’s usually really quick. I’m typically just looking to see if anything sticks out – like someone not understanding or having trouble. That’s the important thing. Then I use the information to guide my lessons, pull the students to talk to privately/help, or to plan my next set of slips! Definitely look at them though – otherwise, it defeats their purpose.

Now that you have some ideas and know what to do with them, you are ready to go!

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

Get started with them in your classroom today by creating them or save time and shop my store by picking up this set described above. You can find this complete 103 page set on Teachers Pay Teachers here or in my personal store here.

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