TEST

CONSTRUCTION
The Art of Effective Evaluation
Presented to the Faculty
and Students of UPHSD –
Molino Campus

Presented by:
Arnel O. Rivera
http://www.slideshare.net/ArnelSSI
EMPTY YOUR CUP

An Old Buddhist Tale

 Bruce Lee, the legendary
martial artist, once told a
story about a highly-
educated man who went
to a Zen teacher to ask
and acquire knowledge
about Zen.
 As the Zen teacher began
to explain things, the man
would frequently interrupt
with remarks like, "Oh,
yes, we have that too…”
 Finally the Zen teacher
stopped talking. He began
to serve tea. He poured
tea into the man’s cup.
 He poured tea into the cup
until it was full, and then
kept pouring until the cup
overflowed. "Enough!" the
man once more
interrupted, "No more can
go into the cup!"
 “Indeed, I see," answered the Zen teacher, "If
you do not first empty the cup, how can you
taste my cup of tea?"
 A full cup cannot accept
anything more. Similarly,
a person who believes
that he had learnt a lot
cannot learn anything
else & will stagnate
quickly and not move to
higher levels.
WWW.SIMILIMA.COM
ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ALTITUDE.
A SMALL CHANGE IN ATTITUDE MAKES A BIG
DIFFERENCE
Why is there a need to study
TEST
CONSTRUCTION?
13% of students who got low
grades in exams are caused
by faulty test questions.
WORLDWATCH
The Philadelphia Trumpet
August 2005
It is estimated that 90% of all test
questions asked in the US are of
“Low level” - knowledge and
comprehension.
(Wilen, W.W., 1992)
“Low level” doesn’t mean easy:
 Write an essay explaining the decline and
fall of the Roman Empire incorporating at
least five of the seven causes discussed in
class from the writings of Gibbon and
Toynbee
“High level” doesn’t mean hard:
 Which movie did you like more, WALL-E or
Cars? Why?
Sample Test Question:
Outline:
 Principles in Test  Preparing Matching
Construction Type Questions
 Steps in Preparing  Preparing Sentence
Test Questions Completion Questions
 Preparing Multiple  Preparing Essay
Questions
Choice Questions
 Other types of Test
 Preparing True or Questions
False Questions
 Wrap-up/Things to
Remember
“The evaluation of pupils’
progress is a major aspect of
the teacher’s job.“
Evaluating Educational Outcomes
(Oriondo & Antonio)
Explain the message of the comic strip.
Our students were trained
to memorize information.

After they have memorized

facts, then what?
Old belief about teaching .....

Education is a process where the

notes of the teachers or the
contents in the books are
transfered to the notebooks of
the students, without
understanding them.
(Wiggins, 2009)
In your lesson plans, did you
ever bother to ask this
question:
• How do you know if
you have achieved
your desired result?
 What is testing?

“A test is a sample of behavior, products, answers, or

performances from a particular domain” (Carrington, 1994)

“… it's a systematic method of eliciting performance which is intended

to be the basis for some sort of decision making" (Hughes, 1989).

“A test will predict performance levels, and the learner will somehow
reconstruct its parts in meaningful situations when necessary”
(McCann, 2000)

“ Testing is generally concerned with turning performance into

numbers.” (Baxter, 1997)

Guidelines for Test Construction

 What are tests for?

Inform learners and teachers of the strengths and

weaknesses of the process
Motivate learners to review or consolidate specific material
Guide the planning/development of the ongoing teaching
process
Create a sense of accomplishment

Determine if the objectives

have been achieved

Encourage improvement

Guidelines for Test Construction

Encourage
improvement!
BARRIERS IN TEST CONSTRUCTION
Ms. Alanganin – confusing statements
Mr. Highfalutin – difficult vocabulary
Ms. Madaldal – excessive wordiness
Ms. Magulo – complex sentence structure
Ms. Malabo – unclear instructions
Mr. Pulpol – unclear illustrative materials
Ms. Foringer – linguistically bound words
Ms. Colonial Mentality – culturally bound words
Characteristics of Good Tests
Validity – the extent to which the
test measures what it intends to
measure
Reliability – the consistency with
which a test measures what it is
supposed to measure
Usability – the test can be
administered with ease, clarity
and uniformity
Other Things to Consider
Scorability – easy to score
Interpretability – test results can
be properly interpreted and is a
major basis in making sound
educational decisions
Economical – the test can be
reused without compromising the
validity and reliability
“To be able to prepare a good
test, one has to have a
mastery of the subject
matter, knowledge of the
pupils to be tested, skill in
verbal expression and the
use of the different test
format”
Evaluating Educational Outcomes
(Oriondo & Antonio)
 5 Most Commonly used
Test Format

1. Multiple Choice
2. True or False
3. Matching Type
4. Fill-in the blanks (Sentence Completion)
5. Essay
Source: Turn-out of Test Questions in SSI (2003-2007)
General Steps in Test Construction
DRAFT
PRODUCE A
T.O.S.
ORDER

TEST ANALYZE

SUBMISSION
Table of Specifications (TOS)

A two way chart that relates the

learning outcomes to the course
content
It enables the teacher to prepare a test
containing a representative sample of
student behavior in each of the areas
tested.
Tips in Preparing the Table
of Specifications (TOS)
Don’t make it overly detailed.
It's best to identify major ideas and skills
rather than specific details.
Use a cognitive taxonomy that is most
appropriate to your discipline, including non-
specific skills like communication skills or
graphic skills or computational skills if such
are important to your evaluation of the
answer.
Tips in Preparing the Table
of Specifications (TOS)
Weigh the appropriateness of the distribution
of checks against the students' level, the
importance of the test, the amount of time
available.
MATCH the question level appropriate to the
level of thinking skills
Examples of Student Activities and Verbs
for Bloom’s Cognitive Levels (Jacobs &
Chase, 1992:19)
Bloom’s Cognitive Student Activity Words to Use in Item
Level Stem
Knowledge Remembering facts, Define, list, state,
terms, concepts, identify, label, name,
definitions, principles who?, when?, where?,
what?
Comprehension Explaining/interpreting Explain, predict, interpret,
the meaning of material infer, summarize, convert,
translate, account for,
give example, paraphrase
Application Using a concept or Apply, solve, show, make
principle to solve a use of, modify,
problem demonstrate, compute
Examples of Student Activities and Verbs for
Bloom’s Cognitive Levels (Jacobs & Chase,
1992:19)
Bloom’s Cognitive Student Activity Words to Use in Item
Level Stem
Analysis Breaking material down Differentiate,
into its component parts to compare/contrast,
see interrelationships/ distinguish ____from
hierarchy of ideas ____, how does
____relate to ___, why
does ____work
Synthesis Producing something new or Design, construct, develop,
original from component formulate, imagine,
parts create, change, write a
poem or short story
Evaluation Making a judgment based Appraise, evaluate,
on a pre-established set of justify, judge, which would
criteria be better?
 Tips in Preparing the Table
of Specifications (TOS)

The following array shows the most common

questions types used at various cognitive
levels.
Factual Knowledge Application Analysis and
Evaluation
Multiple Choice Multiple Choice Multiple Choice
True/False Short Answer Essay
Matching Type Problems
S. Completion Essay
Short Answer/RRT
General Rules in Writing Test
Questions
Number test questions continuously.
Keep your test question in each test group
uniform.
Make your layout presentable.
Do not put too many test questions in one
test group.
 T or F: 10 – 15 questions
 Multiple Choice: max. of 30 questions
 Matching type: 5 questions per test group
 Others: 5 – 10 questions
Some additional guidelines to consider
when writing items are described below:
1. Avoid humorous items. Classroom testing is
very important and humorous items may
cause students to either not take the exam
seriously, become confused or anxious.
2. Items should measure one’s knowledge of the
item context not their level of interest.
3. Write items to measure what students know,
not what they do not know. (Cohen & Wallack)
Multiple Choice Test
What to Look for on
Multiple Choice Tests
When checking the stems for correctness:
Ensure that the stem asks a clear
question.
Reading level is appropriate to the
students
The stem is grammatically correct.
Negatively stated stems are
discouraged.
 Anatomy of a Perfect
Multiple Choice Tests
Example:
What is the effect of releasing a ball in
positive gravity?
a) It will fall “down.” correct
b) It will retain its mass. true but unrelated
c) It will rise. false but related
d) Its shape will change. false and unrelated
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Use negatively stated stems sparingly and
when using negatives such as NOT,
underline or bold the print.
2. Use none of the above and all of the above
sparingly, and when you do use them, don't
always make them the right answer.
3. Only one option should be correct or clearly
best.
Multiple Choice Questions:
4. All options should be homogenous and
nearly equal in length.
5. The stem (question) should contain only
one main idea.
6. Keep all options either singular or plural.
7. Have four or five responses per stem
(question).
Multiple Choice Questions:
7. When using incomplete statements place
the blank space at the end.
8. When possible organize the responses.
9. Reduce wordiness.
10. When writing distracters, think of incorrect
responses that students might make.
Examples
1. Sheldon developed a highly controversial
theory of personality based on body type and
temperament of the individual. Which of the
following is a criticism of Sheldon's work?
a. He was influenced too much by the
Freudian psychoanalysis.
b. His rating of physique and temperament
were not independent.
c. He failed to use empirical approach.
d. His research sample was improperly
selected.
Examples
Better: (Eliminate excessive wording and
irrelevant information)
1. Which of the following is a criticism of
Sheldon's theory of personality?
Examples
1. The receptors for the vestibular sense
are located
a. in the fovea.
b. in the brain.
c. in the middle ear.
d. in the inner ear.
Examples
Better: (Include in the stem any word(s) that
might otherwise be repeated in each
option.)
1. The receptors for the vestibular senses are
located in the _______.
a. fovea
b. brain
c. middle ear
d. inner ear
True or False
What to Look for on
True/False Tests
Each statement is clearly true or
clearly false.
Trivial details should not make a
statement false.
Statements are written concisely
without more elaboration than
necessary.
Statements are NOT quoted exactly
from text.
Tips in Making True/False Tests
Give emphasis on the use of quantitative
terms than qualitative terms.
Avoid using of specific determiners which
usually gives a clue to the answer.
 False = all, always, never, every, none,
only
 True = generally, sometimes, usually,
maybe, often
Discourage the use of negative
statements.
Whenever a controversial statement is
used, the authority should be quoted.
Discourage the use of pattern for answers.
Examples:
Find the errors, and/or problems with the
following true-false tests.
____ 1. Repetition always strengthens the
tendency for a response to occur.
(Using "always" usually means the answer
is false.)
Examples:
_____ 2. The process of extinction is
seldom immediate but extends
over a number of trials.

(Words like "seldom" usually indicate a

true statement.)
Examples:
_____ 3. The mean, median, and mode are
measures of central tendency,
whereas the standard deviation and
range are measures of variability.

(Express a single idea in each statement.)

e.g.“The mean and standard
deviation are measures of central
tendency.”
Matching Type
Parts of the Matching Type Test
(Vertical Type)
Column A Column B
(Premise) (Response)
Parts of the Matching Type Test
(Horizontal Type)
(Response)

(Premise)
What to Look for on
Matching Type Tests
The list of responses should be
relatively short.
Response options should be arranged
alphabetically or numerically.
Directions clearly indicate the basis for
matching.
 Can responses be used more than once?
 Where will you place your answer?
 Can students infer relationships or are
they based on real word logic?
What to Look for on
Matching Type Tests
Position of matches should be varied.
Avoid using patterns.
The choices of each matching set
should be on one page
There are more responses than
premises in a single set if responses
cannot be used more than once.
What to Look for on
Matching Type Tests
The premises are homogeneous as well
as the responses and are grouped as
one item.
 Example:
 Set A: Provinces in Region I
 Set B: Provinces in CAR
If responses can be used more than
once, it should be proportional to the
number of premises (3:5 or 4:10)
Examples:
Directions: Match the following.
1. Food A. Primary reinforcer
2. Psychoanalysis B. Sigmund Freud
3. B.F. Skinner C. Operant conditioning
4. Standard deviation D. Measure of variability
5. Schizophrenia E. Hallucinations
Examples:
Better: (Use homogenous material in matching items, and
if responses are not to be used more than once, include
more responses than stimuli.)
Match the theories in Column A with their proponents in
Column B. Write the letter of the correct answer.
Column A Column B
___ 1. Psychodynamic Theory A. Albert Bandura
___ 2. Trait Theory B. B.F. Skinner
___ 3. Behaviorism C. Carl Rogers
___ 4. Humanism D. Gordon Allport
___ 5. Social Learning Theory E. Karn Horney
F. Raymond Cattell
G. Sigmund Freud
Sentence Completion /
Fill-in the Blanks
What to Look for on
Sentence Completion Tests
Only significant words are omitted.
When omitting words, enough clues are
left so that the student who knows the
correct answer can supply the correct
response.
Ensure that grammatical clues are
avoided.
What to Look for on
Sentence Completion Tests
Blanks are at the end of the statement.
The length of the responses are limited
to single words or short phrases.
Questions are not lifted as verbatim
quotes from text.
Examples:

1. An animal with six legs is called _________.

The item is so indefinite.It can be completed with
answers such as bee, mosquito or any other
insect
Better:
1. Animals with six legs are called ___________.
Examples:

1.The __________ is the answer in _____.

Too many key words are omitted. Lines are
not in equal length.

Better:
1. The product is the answers in _________.
Examples:
1. If a mango weighs 250 grams, 10 mangoes
would weigh ______.

There are two possible answers – 250 grams

and .25 kilos.

Better:
1. If a mango weighs 250 grams, 10 mangoes
would weigh ____ grams.
Essay / Short Answer Test
Types of Essay Items:
Extended response type
The test may be answered by the
examinee in whatever manner he wants
 Example: Do you think teachers should be
allowed to work abroad as domestic
helpers? Explain your answer.
Two Types of Essay Items:
Restricted response type
The test limits the examinees response
may be answered by the examinee’s
responses in terms of length, content,
style or organization.
 Example: Give and explain three reasons
why the government should or should not
allow teachers to work abroad as domestic
helpers.
What to Look for on
Essay Tests
The task is clearly defined. The
students are given an idea on the scope
and direction you intended for the
answer to take. The question starts
with a description of the required
behavior to put them in the correct mind
frame.
E.g. “Compare” or “Analyze”
What to Look for on
Essay Tests
The questions are written in the
linguistic level appropriate to the
students.
Questions require a student to
demonstrate command of background
information, not simply repeating
information.
What to Look for on
Essay Tests
Questions regarding a student’s opinion
on a certain issue should focus not on
the opinion but on the way it is
presented and argued.
A larger number of shorter, more
specific questions are better, than, one
or two longer questions.
Proposed Criteria in Grading
Essay Test

Ideas (20%)
Weight of Evidence Presented (40%)
Correct Usage (20%)
Logical Conclusions drawn from the
evidence (20%)
Example:
What is wrong with this question?
Describe asthma?
Better: (Clearly explain what is expected of
the student.)
Describe asthma. Include in your answer :
a. the pathophysiologic features of asthma
b. the clinical manifestations associated with
an asthma episode
c. the management of an asthma episode.
(10 points)
Example:
What is wrong with this question?
Who is better, Rizal or Bonifacio?
Better: ( The students are given an idea on
the scope and direction you intended for the
answer to take.)
Compare and contrast the method used by
Rizal and Bonifacio in promoting
nationalism. (5 points)
Other types of Test Questions
Restricted Response Test (RRT)
Test takers are not given choices as possible
answers. Items ask for a specific answer to
each questions.
 Example:

 Who discovered the Philippines?

 What are the four elements of the state?
Principles in constructing RRT
Do not ask for trivial facts or details. It is not
only useless but also frustrates the students.
 How many balls are used in a 9-ball match?
Questions should elicit facts not opinions?
 What do you think Pres. GMA should do for the
country to recover from its’ economic deficit?
Minimize questions that call for sheer
memory work unless if the answer has
important analytical significance.
 When will the next president be sworn to office?
Chronological Sequencing Test (CST)
Test takers are asked to arrange items
in a systematic or logical order.
 Arrange the presidents according to their
term of office.
_____ Fidel Ramos
_____ Joseph Estrada
_____ Corazon Aquino
_____ Gloria Macapagal - Arroyo
Principles in constructing CST
Items should be homogenous and are related
to each other.
There should not be more than 5 items in
each set.
Do not number the items. This confuses the
students.
All items to be arranged should be in the
same page.
Directions should be clearly stated and that
each set should be labeled about their
relevance.
What is wrong in this test question?

Arrange the following events in their

chronological order.
1. Bataan Surrenders
2. The Japanese attacks the US fleet in Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii.
3. Hitler invades Poland
4. The US declares war with Japan.
5. Gen. MacArthur escapes to Australia.
Better:
21-25.) War in the Pacific
Arrange the following events in chronological order.
Write the numbers 1-5 on the blanks provided.

___ USAFEE forces in Bataan surrender to the Japanese.

___ Japanese forces attacks the US fleet in Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii.
___ Japan breaks diplomatic ties with the US.
___ The US declares war with Japan.
___ Gen. MacArthur escapes to Australia from Corregidor.
Proposed Arrangement of Test Items

True or False
Multiple Choice
Matching Type
Sentence Completion
Others (RRT/Analogy/CST)
Essay
Things to Remember:
Making a good test takes time
Teachers have the obligation to
provide their students with the
best evaluation
Tests play an essential role in the
life of the students, parents,
teachers and other educators
Break any of the rules when
you have a good reason for
doing so! (emphasis mine)
(Mehrens, 1973)
POINTS TO PONDER…
A good lesson makes a good question
A good question makes a good content
A good content makes a good test
A good test makes a good grade
A good grade makes a good student
A good student makes a good COMMUNITY
Jesus Ochave Ph.D.
VP Research Planning & Development
Philippine Normal University
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