Shepard argues that "If we wish to pursue seriously the use of assessment for learning, it is important to recognize the pervasive negative effects of accountability tests and the extent to which externally imposed testing programs prevent and drive out thoughtful classroom practice  (2000, p.9). Yet Black and his research team found that it is possible for teachers to bridge the tensions between summative and formative assessment by making formative use of summative assessment (2003, p.8). This essay is aimed at providing a thorough description of the nature of the tension between formative and summative forms of assessment, and continues by providing a discussion regarding the various ways in which teachers can work to overcome as well as integrate the two forms of assessment. I will attempt to do the latter and the previously mentioned by first giving a description of what assessment is, furthermore describe formative and summative forms of assessments. I will also compare and contrast the two forms of assessment by drawing from the notions put forth on various readings. I will also attempt to show how they differ in their intention, their timing, classroom methods, responses to learners' work, relationship with learners, the design of assessment tasks and their ways of dealing with assessment data. This will be followed by an analysis of the tension that exists between the two approaches of assessment, by analysing their merits, limitations and try to establish whether they can be integrated or not. Then state its implications on the teachers work. Finally conclude by justifying my position regarding formative and summative assessment. Assessment is a tool used to measure of the extent of learning in individuals, which can be interpreted as the measure of learner achievement however in more detail it could also be understood as the obtaining of information about the skills and potentials of individuals, with dual goals of providing useful feedback to the individuals and helpful data to the surrounding community. Gardener (in Verhage and de Lange (1997). It involves making professional decisions through a comparison and judgment of relative value. Not only is it used for measuring learner's achievements, moreover employed to improve learners' achievement, aid in better acquisition of knowledge. In that assessment is not only limited to just tests, examinations and exercises but rather on many other ways of gaining information and giving feedback(Siebörger, R. & Macintosh, H. 1998, p.5) `. Assessment can be either formative or summative, whereas the latter mainly concerned with as assessment for learning and the previously mentioned with assessment of learning. Formative assessment is a form of assessment which is used to inform educators and learners about a learner's progress in order to improve learning; the information should be of a kind and be available at a time which will enable the learner to grow or develo