Background: Formative activities can help students consolidate knowledge, monitor progress, and engage with course content before summative. In a first-year Microbiology and Infectious Diseases course, we examined whether participation in optional virology consolidation exercises was associated subsequent performance on summative examination. Methods: Student participation across eight virology consolidation exercises was measured by the number of quiz questions completed and a participation indicator. Outcomes included performance on the overall course examination and on the virology section of that summative examination. Analyses included t-tests, Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and multivariable regression models controlling for prior examination performance. Findings: Student participation was bimodal: most students completed either none (n=85) or all (n=22) available questions. Participants scored an average of 3.23 points higher on the Virology section than nonparticipants (p=0.0299). Participation was weakly but significantly associated with virology performance in correlation and simple regression models. (p=0.0292 and p=0.0148, respectively). Each additional question completed was associated with a 0.11-point increase in Virology score. After controlling for prior exam performance, quiz participation was no longer statistically significantly. Conclusion: Participation in formative virology consolidation exercises was associated with modestly higher summative virology performance, but the association was attenuated after accounting for prior exam performance. Optional formative participation may therefore function less as an independent predictor of achievement and more as a signal of learner engagement, preparation, or help-seeking. Within a growth-oriented assessment framework, these activities may help identify students who could benefit from earlier feedback, targeted support, and structured opportunities for academic development.