EDUC105 Handouts Chapter 5
Planning A Test and Construction of Table of o Preparing a Table of Specification (TOS)
Specifications A test map that guides the teacher in
constructing a test, ensuring balance
o Identify Test Objectives/Learning
in both LOTs and HOTs
Competencies The TOS ensures that each of the
An objective test, if it is to be objectives from the Bloom’s Taxonomy
comprehensive, must cover the is well presented in the test
various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy Without this, there is a tendency to
Each objective consists of a statement focus too much on facts/concepts at
of what is to be achieved preferably by knowledge level
students Consists of 4 Columns
Level of Objectives
Statement of Objective
Item Numbers to be tested
Number of Items & Percentage
Table of Specifications Prototype
Example: Subject-Verb Agreement
in English 5
Knowledge/Remembering: The
students must be able to identify the
subject and the verb in the given
sentence
Comprehension/Understanding:
The students must be able to
determine the appropriate form of the o Constructing the Test Items
verb in each sentence General Rule: The actual number
Application/Applying: The students of items to be constructed in the
must be able to write sentences draft should be double the desired
observing rules on subject-verb number of items
agreement. Some items are likely to be
Analysis/Analyzing: The students eliminated due to difficulty, too
must be able to break down a given easy or non-discriminatory
sentence into its subject and predicate Example: 10-item quiz for subject-
Evaluation/Evaluating: The students verb agreement; draft a 20-item
must be able to evaluate whether or question
not a sentence observes rules on o Item Analysis & Try-out
subject-verb agreement The test draft is tried out to the
Synthesis/Creating: The students students in order to determine the:
must be able to formulate rules to be Item characteristics through
followed regarding subject-verb analysis
agreement Characteristics of the test’s
validity, reliability, and
o Determine the Objective Test to Prepare practicality
Test objectives guide the kind of
Matching Type Test
objective tests that will be designed
o The matching type test provides a way for
and constructed by the teacher
learners to connect a word, a sentence, or
For a 50-item test: 30-item MCQ, 10-
a phrase in one column to a
item identification and 10-item essay
corresponding word, sentence, or phrase
in the second column.
EDUC105 Handouts Chapter 5
o The items in the first column are called the 6. Avoid specific determiners or give-away
premises (stem) and the answers in the qualifiers
second column are called responses 7. Avoid a grossly disproportionate number
(options). The items in the first column are of either true or false statements
usually numbered while the items in the
second column are labeled with capital Essays
letters. o Essays are non-objective tests that allow
for the assessment of higher order
Guidelines in Formulation of Matching Type thinking skills.
Test o In essay tests, students are required to
1. Match homogeneous subjects/items and write one or more paragraphs.
not heterogeneous subjects/items.
2. The stem (longer in construction than the Essay questions can be used to measure
options) must be in the first column while attainment of a variety of objectives
the options (usually shorter) must be in the o Comparing, relating cause and effect,
second column.
Justification, summarizing, generalizing,
3. The options must be more in number than
the stems to prevent the student from inferring, classifying, applying, analyzing,
arriving at the answer by the process of evaluating, creating
elimination. Types of Essays
4. To help the examinee find the answer o Restricted Essays – also referred to as
easier, arrange the options alphabetically
short, focused response
or chronologically
5. Like any other test, the direction of the test o Non-restricted/Extended Essays – much
must be given. The examinees must know longer and complex than restricted essays
exactly what to do. Rules for Scoring and Constructing
6. Imperfect matching exists when the 1. Phrase the direction in such a way that
response list is longer than the premise list students are guided on the key concepts
when responses can be used more than to be included.
once, and/or when some of the responses 2. Inform the students on the criteria to be
do not match any of the premises. used
7. Take note: If you intend to make an
3. Putting a time limit on the essay test can
imperfect matching type test, make sure
help students demonstrate disciplinary
you indicate the "direction" to let the
students know that answers may be knowledge on their essays
repeated 4. Decide on your essay grading system
prior to giving essays
True or False Test 5. Evaluate all the students’ answers to one
o True or false test, also referred to as question before proceeding to the next
alternative-response question, are used to question
assess a student’s ability to determine 6. Evaluate answers to essay questions
whether a statement is correct. without knowing the identity of the writer
o A statement that requires a true or false 7. Whenever possible, have two or more
response. persons grade each answer.
8. Do not provide optional questions
Guidelines in Formulation of True or False
9. Provide information about the value/weight
Test
of the question and how it will be scored
1. Do not give a hint (inadvertently) in the
10. Emphasize higher level thinking skills
body of the question
2. Avoid using the words “always”. “never”,
“often” and other adverbs that tend to be Multiple Choice Questions
either always true or always false o Multiple choice test consists of two parts:
3. Avoid long sentences as these tends to be (a) the stem, and (b) the options. In the set
“true”. Keep sentences short. of options, there is a “correct” or “best”
4. Avoid trick statements with some minor option while all the set of options are
misleading word or spelling anomaly, considered “distracters”.
misplaced phrases o The distracters are chosen in such a way
5. Avoid quoting verbatim from reference that they are attractive to those who do not
materials or textbooks know the answer or are guessing but at
EDUC105 Handouts Chapter 5
the same time, have no appeal to those
who actually know the answer.
o It is the feature of multiple-choice type test
that allow the teacher to test higher order 16. Use the “none of the above” option only
thinking skills even if the options are when the keyed answer is totally correct.
clearly stated. When choice of the “best” response is
intended, “none of the above” is not
Guidelines in Formulation of MCQ appropriate, since the implication has
1. Do not use unfamiliar words, terms, and already been made that the correct
phrases. response may be partially inaccurate.
2. Do not use modifiers that are vague and 17. Note that the use of “all of the above” may
whose meanings can differ from one allow credit for partial knowledge. In a
person to the next such as: much, often, multiple option item, if a student only knew
usually, etc. that the two (2) options were correct, he
3. Avoid complex or awkward word could then deduce the correctness of “all
arrangements. Also, avoid use of of the above”. This assumes you are
negatives in the stem as this may add allowed only one correct choice.
unnecessary comprehension difficulties. 18. Better still use “none of the above” and “all
4. Do not use negatives or double negatives of the above” sparingly. But best not to
as such statements tend to be confusing. use them at all.
5. Each item should be as short as possible: 19. Having compound response choices may
otherwise, you risk testing more for purposefully increase difficulty of an item.
reading and comprehension skills. The difficulty of a multiple-choice item may
6. Distracters should be equally plausible be controlled by varying the homogeneity
and attractive. or degree of similarity of responses. The
7. All multiple-choice options should be more homogeneous, the more difficult in
grammatically consistent with the stem. the item because they all look like the
8. The length, explicitness, or degree of correct answer.
technicality of alternatives should not be
the determinants of the correctness of the Completion Type Test
answer. The following is an example of o A type of test in which the participant is
this rule: usually required to supply a missing
9. Avoid stems that reveal the answer to phrase, word, or letter in a written text. In
another item. nonverbal completion tests, a missing
10. Avoid alternatives that are synonyms with number, symbol, or representation must
others or those that, include or overlap be supplied.
others. Guidelines in Formulation of Completion
11. Avoid presenting sequenced items in the Type Test
same order as in the text. 1. Avoid over mutilated sentences. Give
12. Avoid use of assumed qualifiers that many enough clue to the student.
examinees may not be aware of. 2. Avoid open ended item, there should only
13. Avoid use of unnecessary words or be one acceptable answer.
phrases, which are not relevant to the 3. The blank should be at the end or near the
problem. The item’s value is not end of the sentence. The question must
particularly damaged if the unnecessary first be asked before an answer is
material is designed to distract or mislead. expected. Like a matching type of test, the
Such items test the student’s reading stem (where the question is packed) must
comprehension rather than knowledge of be in the first column.
subject matter. 4. Ask questions on more significant item not
14. Avoid use non-relevant sources of on a trivial matter.
difficulty such as requiring a complex 5. The length of the blanks must not suggest
calculation when only knowledge of a the answer. So better make the blanks
principle is being tested. uniform in size.
15. Pack the question in the stem. Here is an
example of a question which has no
question. Avoid it by all means.
