TOS

TABLE OF
SPECIFICATIONS
(TOS)
IMELDA D. ESPIRITU
Significance and components of
a Table of Specification
 Kubiszyn & Borich, (2003) emphasized
the following significance and
components of TOS:
1. A Table of Specifications consists of a
two-way chart or grid relating
instructional objectives to the
instructional content.
The column of the chart lists the
objectives or "levels of skills" (Gredlcr,
1999) to be addressed;
The rows list the key concepts or
content the test is to measure.
2. A Table of Specifications identifies not
only the content areas covered in class,
it identifies the performance objectives
at each level of the cognitive domain of
Bloom's Taxonomy.
Teachers can be assured that they are measuring students'

learning across a wide range of content and readings as
well as cognitive processes requiring higher order
thinking.
3. A Table of Specifications is
developed before the test is written. In
fact it should be constructed
before the actual teaching
begins.
4. The purpose of a Table of
Specifications is to identify the
achievement domains being
measured and to ensure that a
fair and representative sample
of questions appear on the
test.
Some rules of thumb exist for how long it
takes most students to answer various
types of questions according to Linn &
Gronlund (2000):
1. A true-false test item takes 15
seconds to answer unless the
student is asked to provide
the correct answer for false
questions. Then the time
increases to 30-45 seconds.
2. A seven item matching

exercise takes 60-90 seconds.
3. A four response multiple choice
test item that asks for an answer
regarding a term, fact,
definition, rule or principle
(knowledge level item) takes 30
seconds. The same type of test item
that is at the application level
may take 60 seconds.
4. Any test item format that
requires solving a problem,
analyzing, synthesizing
information or evaluating
examples adds 30-60 seconds to a
question.
5. Short-answer test items take
30-45 seconds.
6. An essay test takes 60 seconds for

each point to be compared and
contrasted.
If an individual can perform the
most difficult aspects of the
objective, the teacher can
"assume" the lower levels can be
done.
However, if testing the lower
levels, the teacher cannot
"assume" the individual can
perform the higher levels.
A TOS is one tool that
teachers can use to support
their professional judgment
when creating or selecting test
for use with their students.
In order to understand how to best
modify a TOS to meet your needs, it is
important to understand the goal of this
strategy: improving validity of a teacher’s
evaluations based on a given assessment.
Validity is the degree to which the
evaluations or judgments we make as
teachers about our students can be
trusted based on the quality of evidence
we gathered (Wolming
& Wilkstrom, 2010).
How can the use of a Table of
Specifications benefit your
students, including those with
special needs?
A Table of Specifications benefits
students in two ways.
First, it improves the validity
of teacher-made tests.
Second, it can improve student
learning as well.
A Table of Specifications helps to
ensure that there is a match
between what is taught and what is
tested. Classroom assessment
should be driven by classroom
teaching which itself is driven by
course goals and objectives.
Tables of Specifications provide the

link between teaching and testing.
(University of Kansas, 2013)
Teachers can collaborate with students
, teachers or colleagues on the
construction of the Table of
Specifications:
 what are the main ideas and topics,
 what emphasis should be placed on each topic,
 what should be on the test?
Open discussion and negotiation of

these issues can encourage higher levels
of understanding while also modeling
good learning and study skills.
How to construct a TOS
1. Determine the desired number

of items. (Example: 60 items)
2. List the topics with the
corresponding allocation of
time
3. Determine the total number of items per
topic by using the formula:
Weight = 5/41=12.20%
No. of items per topic = 12.2% * 60 = 7.3 = 7 questions
Check the rounding off of numbers.
Notes:
 Pls take note how you round off
your numbers, because the result
may be more than or less than
the desired number of items, the
teacher will decide where she/he
will deduct to make it tally. But
as per observation if you will add
up the decimal number it will be
equivalent to the number of test
items. Pls check the excel file.
References:
 https://www.slideshare.net/sir
arnelPHhistory/table-of-
specifications-tos-and-test-
construction-review
 https://www.slideshare.net/Ro
naldQuileste/constructing-test-
questions-and-the-table-of-
specifications-tos
THANK YOU …..

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TABLE OF

Teachers can be assured that they are measuring students'

2. A seven item matching

6. An essay test takes 60 seconds for

Tables of Specifications provide the

Open discussion and negotiation of

1. Determine the desired number

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