Exit Ticket vs. Exit Slip: Is There a Difference?

Short answer: no. An exit ticket and an exit slip are the same thing. Both are a quick question students answer at the end of class before they leave.

Different schools, trainings, and teacher teams just use different names. You may also hear “ticket out the door,” “exit pass,” or “closing question.” They all mean the same idea.

Why two names?

“Ticket” points to the door part: students hand it over to leave, like a ticket to a show. “Slip” points to the paper part: a small slip of paper, often a quarter or half sheet. Some teachers say slip when it is on paper and ticket when it is digital, but there is no official rule.

What makes a good exit slip

• One clear question. Two at most.
• Short answer. A few sentences or one worked problem.
• Tied to today. It checks the main goal of the lesson, not a side detail.
• Easy to sort. You can read 30 of them in about five minutes.

Paper exit slips

Paper is fast and never crashes. Print four or six slips to a page, cut them, and keep a stack by the door. Students write their name, answer, and drop it in a tray. Our printable exit tickets guide shows easy ways to set this up.

Sticky note exit slips

No printing needed. Students write on a sticky note and stick it on the door, a chart, or the board on the way out. You can sort them right on the wall into “got it” and “not yet.”

Exit slips on the board

You can also skip the printed question. Put the prompt on the board and students answer on any scrap of paper or in their notebook. Our free exit ticket tool shows the question in big text with a countdown timer, so the whole class knows how long they have.

Other names you might hear

Some schools call it a “ticket to leave,” a “closure question,” or a “checkout.” Elementary teachers sometimes use a “stop sign” where students write on a red octagon. The names change, but the routine is the same: one short question, a quick answer, and a slip in your hand before students leave. Pick one name and use it every day so students know the routine on sight.

Which name should you use?

Use whatever your school uses so students hear one word all year. What matters is doing it often and actually reading the answers. A slip that never gets read is just extra paper.

New to this? Start with our guide to what an exit ticket is, then grab a prompt and try one tomorrow.