Exit Ticket Examples: 50 Prompts for Every Subject (K–5)

An exit ticket is a quick, 2–5 minute question at the end of a lesson that every student answers to show whether they met the objective; the best exit tickets ask one or two questions that match the lesson goal exactly, and you sort them right away to plan the next day. Exit tickets are one of the simplest forms of formative assessment, and they work in every grade and subject. Below you’ll find 50 ready-to-use examples, eight formats, a three-minute sorting routine and ideas for using the results.

What makes a good exit ticket

A quick test: if every student answered correctly, would you know they met the objective? If not, rewrite the question.

8 exit ticket formats

1. One problem. Solve one problem that represents the skill.
2. Explain the mistake. Show a wrong answer; students find and fix the error.
3. 3-2-1. Three things learned, two questions, one connection (best for grades 3–5).
4. Sentence starter. “Today I learned… One thing I’m still wondering is…”
5. Draw it. Students draw a model, a diagram or a scene.
6. Self-rating plus proof. Rate understanding 1–4 and solve one problem to prove it.
7. Multiple choice with reasoning. Pick an answer and explain why.
8. Digital or verbal. A quick poll, a sticky note on the door or a whisper to the teacher on the way out (great for K–1).

50 exit ticket examples by subject

Math (1–15)

1. Solve 47 + 36. Show your strategy.
2. Which is greater, 3/4 or 2/3? Draw a model to prove it.
3. Write a word problem for 6 × 4.
4. A student says 0.5 is less than 0.25 because 5 is less than 25. Is that right? Explain.
5. Round 3,482 to the nearest hundred. How do you know?
6. Draw an array for 3 × 5 and write the multiplication sentence.
7. Show 54 using tens and ones in two different ways.
8. What time will it be 45 minutes after 2:30?
9. Find the area of a rectangle that is 7 cm by 4 cm.
10. Kindergarten: show me 8 on your fingers, then make 8 with two colors of cubes.
11. Explain the steps you used to solve today’s division problem.
12. Which strategy did you use today: number line, drawing or equation? Solve one more problem with it.
13. Is 24 a multiple of 6? How do you know?
14. Count the coins: two quarters, one dime and three pennies.
15. Write one question you still have about fractions.

Reading (16–28)

16. What is the main idea of the paragraph we read? Give one detail.
17. How did the character feel at the end? What clue tells you?
18. Retell the story using first, next, then, last.
19. Read these three words aloud (from today’s phonics pattern).
20. Write one word with today’s spelling pattern and use it in a sentence.
21. What does the word ___ mean? What clue in the text helped you?
22. Is this text fiction or nonfiction? How do you know?
23. Compare the two characters in one sentence.
24. What is the theme of the story? Use evidence.
25. Kindergarten: circle the picture that starts with the same sound as sun.
26. What text feature helped you find information today? How?
27. Write one question you would ask the author.
28. How does the setting affect what happens in the story?

Writing (29–35)

29. Write a topic sentence for a paragraph about your favorite animal.
30. Add a transition word to connect these two sentences.
31. Fix the capitals and punctuation in this sentence.
32. Rewrite this sentence with a stronger verb: “The dog went across the yard.”
33. Write a hook for your opinion piece.
34. What is one revision you will make to your draft tomorrow?
35. Combine these two short sentences into one.

Science and social studies (36–43)

36. Draw and label the life cycle of a plant.
37. What happens to water when it freezes? Give an example.
38. What is one way animals survive winter?
39. Write a prediction for tomorrow’s experiment and explain why.
40. Name one natural resource and one way we use it.
41. On the map, label one landform we learned today.
42. Why do communities need rules? Give one example.
43. What is one cause and one effect of the event we studied?

SEL and reflection (44–50)

44. One thing I did well today was…
45. Rate your effort today from 1 to 4. What will you do differently tomorrow?
46. Who helped you today, and how?
47. What strategy did you use when you got stuck?
48. How did your group work together today?
49. One thing I want my teacher to know is…
50. Draw your feelings about today’s lesson.

Sort exit tickets in 3 minutes

Make three piles while students pack up or during your planning period:

Write the names from the “not yet” pile on a sticky note. That’s your first small group tomorrow. If most of the class is in “almost” or “not yet,” reteach the whole class with a new approach.

Tips for making them work

• Plan the question first. Write the exit ticket while planning the lesson. It clarifies your objective.
• Keep a routine. Same time, same place to submit (a bin, a door chart, a digital form).
• Make it accessible. Read questions aloud for younger students or those with reading accommodations. Students with IEPs or 504 plans keep their accommodations on exit tickets too, and English learners can answer with drawings or sentence frames.
• Close the loop. Tell students what you noticed: “Many of you mixed up numerators and denominators, so today we’re going to…”
• Track over time. A simple checklist of names and dates turns exit tickets into data you can use at conferences. For more structure, see our guide to progress monitoring.

You can quickly build one-question practice and exit slips with a worksheet generator, and connect the results to small group reading instruction or math groups the next day.

Exit tickets by grade band

• K–1: oral or picture responses, one task, done at the carpet or the door. Record results on a class checklist rather than collecting paper.
• 2–3: one problem or one written sentence, plus a self-rating. Students can sort their own ticket into a “got it / need help” bin.
• 4–5: a problem plus a short explanation, or a 3-2-1 reflection. Older students can track their own results on a skill log.

Build exit tickets into your plans

Exit tickets are most useful when they’re part of the lesson plan from the start: objective, instruction, practice, check. Our lesson planning guide shows how to write objectives and assessments that line up, so every exit ticket tells you exactly what to teach next.