While it is true that test formats and content coverage are important ingredients in constructing paper-and-pencil tests, the conditions under which students shall take the test are equally essential.
This chapter is focused on how tests should be administered and scored.
Arranging Test Items
Before administering a teacher-made test, test items have to be reviewed. Once the review is completed, these items have to be assembled into a test. The following guidelines should be observed in assembling a test (Airasian, 1994; Jacobsen et al, 1993).
1. Similar items should be grouped together. For example, multiple choice items should be together and separated from the true-false items.
2. Arrange the test items logically. Test items have to be arranged from the easiest to the most difficult.
3. Selection items should be placed at the start of the test and supply items at the end.
4. Short-answer items should be placed before essay items.
5. Specify directions that student have to follow in responding to each set of grouped items.
6. Avoid cramming items too close to each other. Leave enough space for the students to write their answers.
7. Avoid splitting multiple-choice or matching items across two different pages.
8. Number test items consecutively.
Administering the Test
Test administration is concerned with the physical and psychological setting in which students take the test, for the students to do their best (Airisian, 1994). Some guidelines that teachers should observe in administering a test are discussed below.
· Provide a quiet and comfortable setting. This is essential as interruptions can affect student’s concentration and performance on their test.
· Anticipate questions that students may ask. This is also necessary as students’ questions can interrupt test-tasking. In order to avoid questions, teachers have to proofread their test questions before administering it to the class.
· Set a proper atmosphere for testing. This means that students have to know in advance that they will be given a test. In effect, such information can leave them to prepare for the test and reduce test anxiety.
· Discourage cheating. Students cheat for a variety of reasons. Some of these are pressures from parents and teachers, as well as intensive competition in the classroom. To prevent and discourage cheating, Airisian (1994) recommends the following strategies: strategies before testing; and strategies during testing.
Strategies Before Testing
· Teach well.
· Give students sufficient time to prepare for the test.
· Acquaint the students with the nature of the test and its coverage.
· Define to the students what is meant by cheating.
· Explain the discipline to be imposed when caught cheating.
Strategies During Testing
· Require students to remove unnecessary materials from teir desks.
· Have students seat in alternating seats.
· Go around the testing room and observe students during testing period.
· Prohibit the borrowing of materials like pen and erasers.
· Prepare alternate forms of the test.
· Implement established cheating rules.
· Help students keep track of time.
Scoring Tests
After the administration of the test the teacher needs to check the students’ test papers in order to summarize their performance on the test. The difficulty of checking a test differs with the kind of test items used. Selection items are the easiest to score followed by short answer response and completion items.
Scoring Objective Test. The following guidelines have to be considered by a teacher in scoring an objective test:
· Key to correction has to be prepared in advance for used in scoring the test papers
· Apply the same rules to all students in checking students’, responses to the test questions
· Score each part of the test to have a clear picture of how students fared in order to determine areas they failed to master
· Some up the scores for grading purposes.
Conducting Post-test Review
After scoring a test and recording results, teachers have to provide students information on their performance these can be done by writing comments on the test paper to indicate how students fared in the test answers to the item have to be reviewed in class for the students to know where they committed mistakes in so doing, students will become aware of the write answer and how test was scored and graded.
REFERENCES
Airisian, P. W. (1994). Classroom Assessment 2nd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Kubiszyn, T. & G. Borich (1990). Educational Testing and Measurement. Glenview, Illinois: Scott Foresman.
Hopkins, K.D. et al (1990). Educational and Psychological Measurement and Evaluation 7th Ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Jacobsen, D. et al (1993). Methods for Teaching: A Skill Approah. Boston:
Allyn & Bacon.
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