LESSON 5

Construction of
Written Tests
Construct various types of
traditional test formats to assess
learning
Learning Identify the appropriate test
format to measure learning
Outcomes outcomes

Apply the general guidelines

In this lesson,
in constructing test items for
you are expected different test formats.
to:
Classroom assessments are an integral part
of learner's learning. It informs the learners
of what needs to be learned to what extent
and how to learn them. It also provides the
parents with some feedback about their
child’s achievement of the desired learning
outcomes.
The schools can provide them with evidence-
based data that are useful for instructional
planning and decision-making. As such,
assessment tasks or tests must be meaningful and
further deep learning, as well as fulfill the criteria
and principles of test construction.
What are the general
guidelines in choosing the
appropriate test format?
Not every test is universally valid for every type of
learning outcome.

1. What are the objectives or desired learning outcomes

of the subject/unit/lesson being assessed?

Desired learning outcomes (DLOs) are statements of

what learners are expected to demonstrate as a result of
engaging in the learning process.
What are the general
guidelines in choosing the
appropriate test format?
2. What level of thinking is to be assessed (Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy)? Does
the cognitive level of the test question match your instructional objectives or
DLOs?
The level of thinking to be assessed is also an important factor to consider when
designing your test, as this will guide you in choosing the appropriate test format.
It is important that when constructing classroom assessment tools, all levels of
cognitive behavior are represented-from Remembering (R), Understanding (U),
Applying (Ap), Analyzing (An), Evaluating (E), and Creating (C)- and taking into
consideration the Knowledge Dimesions, i.e., Factual (F), Conceptual (C),
Procedural (P), and Metacognitive (M).
What are the general
guidelines in choosing the
appropriate test format?
3. Is the test matched or aligned with
the course's DLOs and the course
contents or learning activities?
It is important that you are clear about
what DLOs are to be addressed by your
testand what course of activities or tasks
are to be implemented to achieve the
DLOs.
What are the general
guidelines in choosing the
appropriate test format?

4. Are the test items realistic to the

students?
Test items should be meaningful and
realistic to the learners. They should be
relevant or related to their everyday
experiences.
What are the Major
Categories and Formats of
Traditional Tests?

1. Selected-Response Tests

2. Constructed -Response
Tests
What are the Major
Categories and Formats of
Traditional Tests?
1. Selected-Response Tests - the learners True-False or Alternative Response
choose the correct response from several Tests - It generally consists of a
choices. They are limited when assessing statement and deciding if the
learning outcomes that involve more statement is true (accurate/correct)
complex and higher-level thinking skills. or false (inaccurate/incorrect).

Multiple Choice Test - typically Matching-Type Test - it consists of

consists of a stem (problem), one two sets of items to be matched
correct or best alternative, three or with each other based on a specified
more incorrect or distractors. attribute.
What are the Major
Categories and Formats of
Traditional Tests?
Completion - consists of incomplete
2. Constructed-Response Tests - statements that require to fill in the
requires learners to supply answers to a blanks with correct word or phrase.
given question or problem. Identification - consists of statements
that require the learners to identify or
Short Answer Test - it consists of recall the terms/concepts, people,
open-ended questions or incomplete places, or events that are being
sentences that require learners to described.
create an answer for each item, which Enumeration - The learners are
is typically a single word or short required to list down all the possible
phrase. answers to the question.
What are the Major
Categories and Formats of
Traditional Tests?
Essay Test - it consists of questions that
require learners to compose or construct
written responses, usually long ones with
several paragraphs.

Problem-Solving Test - it consists of

questions that require learners to solve
problems in quantitative or non-quantitative
settings using knowledge and skills in
mathematical concepts and procedures,
and/or other high-order cognitive skills
What are the CONTENT:

guidelines in 01 Write items that reflect only one

specific content cognitive processing

writing skills.

Multiple-choice 02
Do not lift and use statements from
the textbook or other learning
test items? material as test questions.

WRITING MULTIPLE-CHOICE Keep the vocabulary simple and

ITEMS REQUIRES CONTENT
03 understandable based on the level of
MASTERY, WRITING SKILLS, AND learners/examinees.
TIME.
Edit and proofread the items for
04 grammatical and spelling before
administering to the learners.
What are the STEM:

guidelines in 01 Write the directions in the stem in a

clear and understandable manner.

writing Write stems that are consistent in

02
Multiple-choice form and structure, all items either
in question form or in descriptive or

test items? declarative form.

Word the stem positively and avoid

WRITING MULTIPLE-CHOICE
03 double negatives, such as NOT and
ITEMS REQUIRES CONTENT EXCEPT. If a negative word is
MASTERY, WRITING SKILLS, AND necessar, underline or capitalize the
TIME. words for emphasis.

Refrain from making the stem too wordy

04 or containing too much information
unless the problem/question requiresthe
facts presented to solve the problem.
What are the Major
Categories and Formats of
Traditional Tests?
OPTIONS:
1. Provide three (3) or five (5) options per 4. Place response randomly to avoid a
item, with only one being the correct discernable pattern to correct answers.
or best answer/alternative. 5. Use None-of-the-above carefully and
2. Write options that are similar in form only when there I'd one a bsolutely correct
and length to avoid giving clues about answer, such as in spelling or math items.
the correct answer. 6. Avoid All of the above as an option,
3. Place options in a logical order (e.g. especially if it is intended to be the correct
alphabetical, shortest to longest). answer.
What are the general
guidelines in writing
Matching-Type items?

The matching test item format

requires learners to match a word,
sentence, or phrase in one column
(i.e. premise) to a corresponding word,
sentence, or phrase in a second
column (i.e. response).
Matching-Type items
Guidelines in 01 Clearly state in the directions basis
for matching the stimuli with the
writing good & responses.

effective
02 Ensure the stimuli are longer and the
Matching-Type responses are shorter.

Tests: For each item, include only topics

03 that are related with one another and
share the same foundation of
Matching-Type test format is information.
generally used for simple
recall of information, you can
find ways to make it applicable 04 Make the response options short,
or useful in assessing higher homogeneous, and arranged in logical
order.
level of thinking such as
applying and analyzing.
 05 Include response options that are
Guidelines in reasonable and realistic and similar
in length and grammatical form.
writing good &
effective 06 Provide more response options than

Matching-Type the number of stimuli.

Tests:
What are the general
guidelines in writing
True or False items?
True or false items are best
used to measure learners'
ability to judge or evaluate is
one of the desired learning
outcomes of the course.
Different Variations of
True or False items
1. T-F Correction or Modified True-
False Question. The statement is e.g. The following are kinds of test.
presented with a keyword or phrase that Circle Yes if it is an authentic test and No
is underline, and the learner has to if not.
supply the correct word or phrase. (e.g. Multiple-choice Yes No
Multiple-Choice Test is authentic) Debates Yes No
End-of-theTerm Project Yes No
2. Yes-No Variation. The learner has to True or False Test Yes No
choose Yes or No, rather than true or
false.
Different Variations of
True or False items
3. A-B Variation. In this format, the Traditional Authentic
learner has to choose A or B, rather than
true or false. Multiple-choice A B
Debates A B
End-of-theTerm Project A B
e.g., Indicate which of the following are
True or False Test A B
traditional or authentic tests by circling A
if it is a traditional test and B if it is
authentic.
 01 Include statements that are
completely true or false.
Guidelines in Use simple and easy-to-
02
writing True understand statements.

or False
03 Refrain from using negatives
items: —especially double negatives.

04 Avoid using such as

"always " and "never".
 05 Express a single idea in
each test item.
Guidelines in Avoid the use of unfamiliar
06
writing True words or vocabulary.

or False
07 Avoid lifting statements from
items: the textbook and other
learning materials.
What are the
general guidelines 01 Omit only significant words
in writing Short- from the statement.
Answer Test
Do not omit too many words
items? 02 from the statement such that
the intended meaning is lost.
A short-answer test item
requires the learners to
answer a question or to 03 Avoid obvious clues to the
finish an incomplete correct response.
statement by filling in the
blank with the correct word
or phrase.
 04 Be sure that there is only
one correct response.
What are the
Avoid grammatical clues to
general 05 the correct response
guidelines in
writing Short- 06 If possible, but the blanket the
end of a statement rather than
Answer Test at the beginning.
items?
Two Types of Essay Test
1. Extended-Response
*much longer and complex
responses

2. Restricted-Response
*much more focused and
restrained
What are the general Clearly define the intended
guidelines in writing 01
learning outcome to be
Essay Tests? assessed by the essay Test

Refrain from using essay test for

Teachers generally choose 02 intended learning outcomes that
and employ essay Tests over are better assessed by other
other forms of assessment kinds of assessment.
because essay tests require
learners to create a Clearly define and situate the
response or measure 03 task within a problem situation
learner's high-order as well as the type of thinking
thinking skills, their ability required to answer the test.
to reason, analyze,
synthesize, & evaluate.
 Present tasks that are fair,
What are the 04 reasonable, and realistic to
the students.
general
guidelines in
writing Essay Be specific in the prompts about
05 the time allotment and criteria
Tests? for grading the response
What are the general
guidelines in writing
Problem-Solving test
items?
Problem-solving test items
present a problem situation or
task that will require learners
to demonstrate work
procedures or come up with
correct solution.
Different variations of the
quantitative problem-
solving items
1. One answer choice -
This type of question
contains four or five
options, and students
are required to choose
the best answer.
Different variations of the
quantitative problem-
solving items

2. All possible answer

choices -This type of
question has four or five
options, and students are
required to choose all of the
options that are correct.
Different variations of the
quantitative problem-
solving items
3. Type-In answer -This type of
question does not provide options
to choose from. Instead, the
learners are asked to supply the
correct answer. The teacher
should inform the learners at the
start how their answers will be
rated
 Minimize guessing by requiring
01 the students to provide an
original response rather than to
select from several alternatives.
Advantages
02 Easier to construct than multiple
in Problem- choice or matching items.
Solving Test Can most appropriately measure
03
items objectives which focus on the
ability to apply skills or knowledge
in the solution of problems.

Can measure an extensive

04
amount of content or objectives.
 Require an extensive amount
01 of instructor time to
Limitations in read/grade.

Problem-
Solving Test Subject to scorer bias when
partial credit is given.
02
items
Guidelines in Constructing
Good Problem-Solving
Test items

1. Identify
and explain
the problem
clearly
Guidelines in Constructing
Good Problem-Solving
Test items

2. Be specific
and clear of
the type of
response
from the
students.
Guidelines in Constructing Good
Problem-Solving Test items

3. Specify in
the directions
the bases for
grading
students'
answers/proce
dures.
 Guidelines in Constructing Good
Problem-Solving Test items

3. Specify in the
directions the
bases for grading
students'
answers/procedu
res.
THANK YOU!

I hope you learned something new.