In addition to the lesson-based formative assessments, it is recommended that teachers administer at least one summative assessment at the conclusion of each unit of instruction as they finish teaching a SEEd standard or strand. It is recommended that teachers prioritize and administer USBE's Utah Core Standards Benchmarks. A Benchmark exists for every Earth and Space Science SEEd standard. The expectation is that minimally students will take a Benchmark 3 times per year before the deep data dives and teachers will analyze the Benchmark data on the deep data dive days. This will provide valuable data for teachers and an opportunity for students to get comfortable with the Utah Core Standards Benchmarks system and question types in preparation for the end of year assessment.

When a Benchmark is not appropriate, it is recommended that teachers administer formative assessments from the USBE Science Core Guide: Earth and Space Science, found for each standard under the Assessment Exemplar section.

For more detailed information about Utah Core Standards Benchmarks administration (including how to prepare the testing session and print student tickets), consult the Test Administration Manual on the Utah Core Standards Benchmarks website under the support menu in the links box.