<p>Formative assessment is globally promoted to improve student learning, yet its integration into performative educational contexts remains challenging. In Mainland China, despite repeated calls for formative assessment reform, the outcomes have been far from optimistic. To broaden the global perspective on formative assessment, it is necessary to include the Chinese K–12 context, where the dominance of high-stakes examinations and traditional mindset presents a significant barrier to implementation. As part of a larger study, this article reports the qualitative findings of formative assessment literacy and practice from 17&#xa0; K–12 teachers in Shanghai China. This study extends Pastore and Andrade’s (2019) Conceptual-Praxeological-Socio-emotional framework by illustrating how its three dimensions unfold within a performative, examination-driven educational system. The findings highlight the current limited and uneven professional development, partial and uncertain conceptions, formalistic practices, and cultural conditions shaped by hierarchy and examination pressure. Policy and professional development considerations for advancing formative assessment in Mainland China are discussed. </p>