TEST CONSTRUCTION

Prepared: Mr. Jay-cen T. Amanonce

College of Teacher Education
Cagayan State University
Andrews Campus
TEST MEMES
TEST CONSTRUCTION
Prepared: Mr. Jay-cen T. Amanonce
College of Teacher Education
Cagayan State University
Andrews Campus
 T I ON
NSTRUC OBJECTIVES
1. Explain the theories and concepts that rationalize the
practice of assessment
2. Make a table of specifications of the test items
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3. Design pen and paper tests that are aligned to the

learning intents
4. Justify the advantages and disadvantages of any pen and
paper test
5. Evaluate the test items according to the guidelines
presented
 T I ON
NSTRUC INTRODUCTION

Writing test items is a matter of precision, perhaps more

akin to computer programming than to writing prose.
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A test item must focus the attention of the examinee on

the principle or construct upon which the item is based.
 T I ON
INTRODUCTION
Ideally, students who answer a test item incorrectly will do
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so because their mastery of the principle or construct in

focus was inadequate or incomplete.
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Any characteristic of a test item which distract the

examinee from the major point or focus an item reduce the
effectiveness of that item.

Any item is answered correctly or incorrectly because of

extraneous factors in the item, results in misleading
feedback to both examinee or examiner.
 T I ON
NSTRUC Item Writing Commandments
 Thou shall not produce opaque directions to students
regarding how to respond to yours instructions
(opaque directions).
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 Thou shall not employ ambiguous statements in your

assessment item (ambiguous statements).
 Thou shall not unintentionally provide students with
clues regarding appropriate response (unintended
clues).
 T I ON
NSTRUC Item Writing Commandments
 Thou shall not employ complex syntax in your
assessment item (complex syntax).
 Thou shall not use vocabulary that is more advanced
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than required (difficult vocabulary).

 General Suggestions in Writing Test
T I ON
NSTRUC
 Use test specifications as guide to item writing.
 Construct more test items than needed to have extra
items when making decisions as to which items have to
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be discarded or revised.
 Have test of sufficient length to adequately measure the
target performance. (Note: the longer the test, the more
reliable it is)
 Write the test items well in advance of the testing date
to have time for face and content validity
 General Suggestions in Writing Test
T I ON
NSTRUC
 Write the test items with reference to the test
objectives.
 Write each test item in appropriate reading level.
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 Write the test item in a way that it does not become clue
to other test items.
 Write the test items whose answer is one that would
agreed upon by the experts.
 General Suggestions in Writing Test
T I ON
NSTRUC
 Write the test items in the proper level of difficulty .
 Have items that could discriminate the bright from poor
pupils.
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 T I ON
NSTRUC Test Length
 The test must be of sufficient length to yield reliable
scores
 The longer the test, the more reliable the results
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 The test should be valid if it is reliable

 For the grade school, one must consider the stamina
and attention span of the pupils
 The test should be long enough to be adequately
reliable and short enough to be administered
 T I ON
NSTRUC Test Layout
 The arrangement of the test items influences the
speed and accuracy of the examinee.
 Utilize the space available while retaining readability.
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 Items of the same type should be grouped together.

 Arrange test items from easiest to most difficult as a
mean of reducing test anxiety.
 T I ON
NSTRUC Test Layout
 The test should be ordered first by type then by
content.
 Each item should be completed in the column and
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page in which it is started.

 If the reference materials is needed, it should occur on
the same page as the item
 If you are using numbers to identify items it is better to
use letters for the options.
 T I ON
NSTRUC Stages in Test Preparation

1. PLAN THE TEST CONTENT & FORMAT

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 Determine the learning objectives

 Create a Table of Specifications
 Determine the test format and the length of the test
 T I ON
NSTRUC Stages in Test Preparation
2. PREPARE THE TEST ITEM
 Prepare more items that you need & spend more
time developing your test items.
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 Utilize Table of Specifications.

 Arrange items in test accordingly.
 Write specific instructions for each group of test
format & include brief description of point
distribution.
 T I ON
NSTRUC Stages in Test Preparation
2. PREPARE THE TEST ITEM
 Review all your test items.
 Lay-out your test accordingly.
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 Try-out the timing in answering the test. No purpose

is served by creating a test too long for even well-
prepared students to finish and review before
turning it in.
 Prepare keys or model answers.
 T I ON
NSTRUC Stages in Test Preparation
3. EVALUATE YOUR TEST

 Examine outcome of the test to identify problems

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with specific test items.

 Perform test item analysis.
 Revise, edit or delete test items if necessary.
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
T I ON
NSTRUC

A Table of Specifications is a plan to help teachers decide

the subject in which to test. Instructional objectives specify
the actual learning behavior , and test items are then
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designed to elicit those behavior (Chase, 1999).

It is a two-way chart which describes the topics to be

covered by a test and the number or points which will be
associated with each topic.
 T I ON
NSTRUC STEPS IN CONSTRUCTING TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS

1. Define the content categories. This is the scope or

coverage of what was taught-the classroom test-or
what was intended to be taught (achievement test).
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2. Define the skills. This can be defined in general

categories or in specific behavior.
3. Determine relative weights. For content and skills
categories assign weighs considering priorities and
points for emphasis.
4. Complete the entries. Allocate the number of items in
each category. It is necessary to fill all the cells.
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
T I ON
NSTRUC
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 T I ON
NSTRUC KRATHWOL’S LEVEL OF COGNITIVE DOMAIN

 REMEMBERING
 UNDERSTANDING
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 APPLYING
 ANALYZING
 EVALUATING
 CREATING
 T I ON
NSTRUC REMEMBERING
 Involves recall of a wide range of previously learned
materials from specific facts to complete theories.
 Represents the lowest level of learning outcomes.
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Typical remembering assessments ask learners to:

Define Name Write

Repeat Label Select
Record Describe Outline
List Match Recall
 T I ON
NSTRUC REMEMBERING
Examples:

1. Who was Lapu-lapu?

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2. Where is Mayon volcano located?

3. Recite the 5 parts of speech.
4. What is the name of the main character in the story?
5. Label the parts of the computer.
 T I ON
NSTRUC UNDERSTANDING
 Is the ability to grasp the meaning of a material.
 Involves organizing and selecting facts, ideas, principles
& interpreting the material by explaining or
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summarizing.
 Represents the level of understanding.
 T I ON
NSTRUC UNDERSTANDING
Typical understanding assessments ask learners to:

Rearrange Distinguish Interpret

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Express Give examples Discuss

Illustrate Predict Estimate
Summarize Translate Generalize
Infer Describe Explain
Classify Comment Re-state
 T I ON
NSTRUC UNDERSTANDING
Examples:

1. Restate/Retell in your own words . . .

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2. What is the main idea . . .

3. Summarize the basic tenets of . . .
4. Graph the following equation . . .
5. What does this cartoon mean?
6. Which of the following is an example of a random
sample?
 T I ON
NSTRUC APPLYING
 Refers to the ability to use learned materials in new
concrete situation.
 Includes choosing among and using rules, methods and
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concepts, principles, laws, & theories in novel situations.

 It represents the beginning of creative thinking.
 T I ON
NSTRUC APPLYING
Typical applying assessments ask learners to:

Apply Operate Organize

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Demonstrate Relate Restructure

Compute Adapt Use
Solve Implement Illustrate
Modify Calculate Produce
Arrange Classify Show
 T I ON
NSTRUC APPLYING
Examples:

1. How is . . . and example?

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2. Why is . . . significant?
3. Solve the . . .
4. Calculate the following by applying the rules . . .
 T I ON
NSTRUC ANALYZING
 Refers to the ability to break down materials into its
component parts so that its structure may be
understood.
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 Involves identification of parts, determination of the

relationship between parts and recognition of the
principles involved.
 T I ON
NSTRUC ANALYZING
 Requires an understanding of both content and
structural form of the material.
 Also requires the ability to categorize, to perceive
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similarities in different things & differences in similar

things & sort out both relevant and irrelevant
information.
 T I ON
NSTRUC ANALYZING
Typical analyzing assessments ask learners to:

Diagram Illustrate Deduce

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Estimate Infer Compare

Separate Relate Contrast
Order Select Inspect
Differentiate Subdivide Analyze
Make inferences Make conclusions Examine
Distinguish Discriminate
 T I ON
NSTRUC ANALYZING
Examples:
1. Is the president’s SONA, which statements are based
on facts & which are based on assumptions?
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2. How does . . . compare/contrast . . . ?

3. What evidences can you give (list) for . . . ?
4. In what ways is the main character like you & in what
ways is he different?
5. Which things in the story were real and which were
make-believe?
 T I ON
NSTRUC EVALUATING
 The ability to judge the value of material (eg. statement,
novel, poem, research report) for a given purpose.
 Contains elements of all other categories plus conscious
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value judgment based on a clearly defined criteria.

Typical evaluating assessments ask learners to:

Judge Rate Justify
Conclude Value Explain
Consider Assess Appraise
Criticize Revise Weigh
 T I ON
NSTRUC EVALUATING
Examples:
1. Do you agree . . . ?
2. What do you think about . . . ?
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3. What is the most important . . . ?

4. How would decide about . . . ?
5. Why is Bach’s Mass in B Minor acknowledged as a classic?
6. Which of the following poems is best? Why?
7. Should capital punishment be abolished? Why or why not?
8. Which form of government is more fair, monarchy or
democracy? Why?
 T I ON
NSTRUC CREATING
 Refers to the ability to put parts together or combine
ideas to form a new whole through creative thinking.
The outcome is usually a product.
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 Involves creative application of prior knowledge and skill

from different areas to solve problem or produce an
original entity.
 Represents a higher order cognitive ability.
 T I ON
NSTRUC CREATING
Typical creating assessments ask learners to:

Produce Devise Organize

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Create Generate Reconstruct

Formulate Rearrange Compile
Compose Combine Explain
Plan Reorganize Categorize
Construct Design Revise
 T I ON
NSTRUC CREATING
Examples:
1. How would you restructure the school day to reflect
children’s developmental needs?
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2. What would you predict/infer from . . . ?

3. What ideas can you add to . . . ?
4. What might happen if you combine . . . with . . . ?
5. What solutions would you suggest for . . . ?
6. Write a new ending for Red Riding Hood that involves
an elephant instead of a wolf.