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The purpose of this study is to explore Chinese secondary EFL teachers’ comprehension and use of assessment, including formative assessment (FA) and summative assessment (SA). Assessment has a great impact on students’ learning. The role of FA for improving learning has been well documented (Black & Wiliam, 1998, Hattie & Timperley, 2007, Shute, 2008; Wiliam et al., 2004) and teachers’ summative assessment practices also have the potential to positively influence students and teachers (Biggs, 1998; McMillan, 2003). Thanks to its value for learning and teaching, assessment has been emphasized in many national educational documents in China such as National English Curriculum Standards (MoE, 2001 & 2011). Yet little researches have been done so far to investigate how secondary EFL teachers in China understand and implement FA and SA. This study, via a qualitative and quantitative analysis of questionnaire questions, reveals some specific patterns in teachers’ understanding and application of assessment: their consistency and inconsistency with the discourse of mainstream assessment literature. The findings are expected to provide implication for development of professional teacher preparation program and teachers’ self-reflection.