Materials
Gather these before class.
- Exit ticket half-sheets (index cards or quarter-sheets of paper)
- Document camera to display problems
- Basket/collection box near the door
- Colored pencils for student self-assessment
Ready-to-use classroom activity
Exit Ticket
Students complete a brief written response to demonstrate understanding before leaving class.
Grade range
1st Grade – 12th Grade
Works across
ScienceMathematicsEnglishHistoryForeign Language
Activity style
IndividualAssessmentWriting
Classroom walkthrough
See it in practice
One concrete example you can borrow, adapt, or teach as written.
Example lesson context
Addition with Regrouping (Mathematics - 2nd Grade)
Preparation
What to have ready before students begin.
Create simple exit tickets with 2-3 questions. Include: 1) a calculation problem, 2) an application problem, and 3) a confidence rating. Make a sorting plan for quick assessment (meeting/approaching/below expectations).
Run the activity
A classroom-ready sequence from launch to follow-up.
1
Five minutes before the end of your lesson on addition with regrouping, alert students that they'll complete an exit ticket.
2
Display the exit ticket on the document camera and distribute paper:
Problem 1: '28 + 35 = ____' (calculation with regrouping)
Problem 2: 'Sam had 16 red marbles and 27 blue marbles. How many marbles in all?' (application)
Confidence rating: 'Circle how you feel: 😊 (I get it!), 😐 (I'm not sure), 😕 (I need help)'
3
Remind students to show their work, especially for the regrouping steps.
4
Allow 3-4 minutes for students to complete the exit ticket independently.
5
Have students deposit completed tickets in the collection box as they leave.
6
After class: Sort tickets quickly into three piles (full understanding, partial understanding, misconceptions).
7
Use the results to form small intervention groups for the next day and to adjust instruction.
Differentiate
Adjust the activity without losing its core purpose.
For struggling learners, provide a number line or hundreds chart support. For advanced students, add a 'stretch' problem with three addends or a missing addend. Modify the question format for younger grades (drawing instead of writing, simpler problems).
Look for learning
Use these signals to assess understanding.
Review exit tickets to identify students needing additional support. Note common errors to address in the next lesson. Track progress over time by keeping exit tickets in student portfolios.