Qualities of Good Test in Tanzania | Examination Setting in The Improved Curriculum
Introduction
Teachers need to understand that assessment and evaluation are linked to the teaching and learning process. Adequate competences in constructing assessment tools can provide accurate data for students’ learning progress. Examination is-:
• A formal test of a persons’ knowledge or proficiency in a subject or skill
• An assessment intended to measure a person’s knowledge, skills, aptitude or physical fitness
• A test to show the knowledge and ability of a learner.
The functions of the examination in education context
Testing is an essential part of teaching. Every teacher at whatever level of teaching must test his/her students’ achievement. Teachers should take testing very seriously because tests have permanent effects on the future careers of the student.
Teachers should know when, why, and how to test and what use should be made of the scores obtained from tests.
The main purpose/ functions of the examination / test is
➥Motivation
➥Diagnosis of learners’ misconceptions
➥Evaluation of learners’ achievement
➥Selection and streaming
➥Certification
➥Prediction of future excellence
Testing is an essential part of teaching. Every teacher at whatever level of teaching must test his/her students’ achievement. Teachers should take testing very seriously because tests have permanent effects on the future careers of the student.
Teachers should know when, why, and how to test and what use should be made of the scores obtained from tests.
The main purpose/ functions of the examination / test is
➥Motivation
➥Diagnosis of learners’ misconceptions
➥Evaluation of learners’ achievement
➥Selection and streaming
➥Certification
➥Prediction of future excellence
➥Comparison
➥Reporting students’ progress
➥Instructional decision
Types of test/ examination items
i. Selection items (True and false, matching items, multiple choice)
ii. Rank order items (rearrange in a sequence order)
iii. Supply items (short answer, completion, essay)
Qualities of a Good Item in Test/ Examination
➥It should be testing the achievement of knowledge and skills outlined by the specific objectives
➥It should be within the cognitive ability of the learners, not too simple not too difficult
➥It should be valid; i.e. measure the expected academic achievement
➥It should be discriminative, separating the high and low achievers
➥It should not be ambiguity
➥Reporting students’ progress
➥Instructional decision
Types of test/ examination items
i. Selection items (True and false, matching items, multiple choice)
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iii. Supply items (short answer, completion, essay)
Qualities of a Good Item in Test/ Examination
➥It should be testing the achievement of knowledge and skills outlined by the specific objectives
➥It should be within the cognitive ability of the learners, not too simple not too difficult
➥It should be valid; i.e. measure the expected academic achievement
➥It should be discriminative, separating the high and low achievers
➥It should not be ambiguity
v e.g. Mwalimu Nyerere was born in…………
🔘The answer for this item may be year or place
➭It should have clear instructions
➭It should indicate the marks for each item
➭It should indicate the time limit
➭It should test the achievement of knowledge and skills outlined by the specific objectives
➭It should be valid; i.e. measure the expected academic achievement
➭It should be discriminative, separating the high and low achievers
➭It should not be too short or too long
➭It should be administered in reasonable time
➭It should be balanced
Factors affecting the quality of the examination/ test
(i) Ambiguity
(ii) Language difficult
(iii) Irrelevancy
(iv) Length of test
(v) Time limit
(vi) Clues and pattern of answers
(vii) Unclear instructions
TASK
Identify bad and poor items from the given items and for each give the reason to justify your answer
(i) An animal that eats the flesh of other animal is ……………….
(ii) Succinctly examine the impact of global warming on Africa’s development
(iii) Chlorine is …………………………………………
(iv) List down four elements of weather
(v) Describe the human activities which cause water pollution………….
(vi) Mention ten characteristics of living things ….
(vii) Discuss the effects of global warming to human life
(viii) Explain three natural causes of air pollution
(ix) Bad conductors of heat are used to make……………. devices
(x) Fish lives in………………………………………….
(xi) Define solar system………………………………….
(xii) Jadili vipengele vinne vya fani katika mashairi……………….
(xiii) Taja matumizi matatu ya fasihi simulizi katika maisha ya kila siku ya binadamu
(xiv) What is HIV?.....................................................................
(xv) State the Faraday’s law of electrolysis………………………………………
(xvi) Explain six effects of Ngoni migration in East Africa………………………….
(xvii) List down six scientific procedure……………………………………………
(xviii) Why water is important for human being……………………………………
(xix) Fuvu la binadamu wa kwanza liligunduliwa na………………………………
(xx) Give the meaning of solar eclipse ………………………………………….
Factors to Consider When Setting Examination
• The key elements to effective testing and examining is careful planning
• Planning ensures that the test or examination will measure relevant learning outcomes
• Test planning involves the identification and specification of what is to be tested.
Steps in the construction of the examination
a) Select the Objectives for Setting Examination
The list of objective describes the type of performance the learners are expected to demonstrate (i.e. learning outcomes). Therefore, should be stated in the terms of what we expect the learners are to be at the end of the instruction
🔘The answer for this item may be year or place
➭It should have clear instructions
➭It should indicate the marks for each item
➭It should indicate the time limit
➭It should test the achievement of knowledge and skills outlined by the specific objectives
➭It should be valid; i.e. measure the expected academic achievement
➭It should be discriminative, separating the high and low achievers
➭It should not be too short or too long
➭It should be administered in reasonable time
➭It should be balanced
Factors affecting the quality of the examination/ test
(i) Ambiguity
(ii) Language difficult
(iii) Irrelevancy
(iv) Length of test
(v) Time limit
(vi) Clues and pattern of answers
(vii) Unclear instructions
TASK
Identify bad and poor items from the given items and for each give the reason to justify your answer
(i) An animal that eats the flesh of other animal is ……………….
(ii) Succinctly examine the impact of global warming on Africa’s development
(iii) Chlorine is …………………………………………
(iv) List down four elements of weather
(v) Describe the human activities which cause water pollution………….
(vi) Mention ten characteristics of living things ….
(vii) Discuss the effects of global warming to human life
(viii) Explain three natural causes of air pollution
(ix) Bad conductors of heat are used to make……………. devices
(x) Fish lives in………………………………………….
(xi) Define solar system………………………………….
(xii) Jadili vipengele vinne vya fani katika mashairi……………….
(xiii) Taja matumizi matatu ya fasihi simulizi katika maisha ya kila siku ya binadamu
(xiv) What is HIV?.....................................................................
(xv) State the Faraday’s law of electrolysis………………………………………
(xvi) Explain six effects of Ngoni migration in East Africa………………………….
(xvii) List down six scientific procedure……………………………………………
(xviii) Why water is important for human being……………………………………
(xix) Fuvu la binadamu wa kwanza liligunduliwa na………………………………
(xx) Give the meaning of solar eclipse ………………………………………….
Factors to Consider When Setting Examination
• The key elements to effective testing and examining is careful planning
• Planning ensures that the test or examination will measure relevant learning outcomes
• Test planning involves the identification and specification of what is to be tested.
Steps in the construction of the examination
a) Select the Objectives for Setting Examination
The list of objective describes the type of performance the learners are expected to demonstrate (i.e. learning outcomes). Therefore, should be stated in the terms of what we expect the learners are to be at the end of the instruction
b) Prepare the Test Specification/Table of Specification
Test specification is a two-way chart. It ensures that the test/ examination will measure a representative sample of instructionally relevant task specified in the course of study. Building table of specifications is a necessary step in the construction of tests and examinations. However, experiences show that many teachers do not use it during test and examination construction.
Procedure for construction of a table of specification
Ø Prepare a list of instructional objective
Ø Outline the instructional content, e.g.
Test specification is a two-way chart. It ensures that the test/ examination will measure a representative sample of instructionally relevant task specified in the course of study. Building table of specifications is a necessary step in the construction of tests and examinations. However, experiences show that many teachers do not use it during test and examination construction.
Procedure for construction of a table of specification
Ø Prepare a list of instructional objective
Ø Outline the instructional content, e.g.
(i) Properties of acid and bases (identify natural sources of acids and bases, characteristics of base and acids)
(ii) Indicators (meaning of indicator, types of indicator)
(iii) Neutralization (definition of neutralization, application of neutralization)
Ø Prepare the two-way chart by listing the major content areas down the left side of the table
Ø Determine the proportion of the test items that should be devoted to each objective or competence
(ii) Indicators (meaning of indicator, types of indicator)
(iii) Neutralization (definition of neutralization, application of neutralization)
Ø Prepare the two-way chart by listing the major content areas down the left side of the table
Ø Determine the proportion of the test items that should be devoted to each objective or competence
Table: Example of proportional representation of questions based on time spent during instruction
c) Construct test/examination items
Factor to Consider When Building the Test Specification
(i) Topics to be included in the test/examination
(ii) Amount of time spent in each topic during instruction
(iii) Number of questions to be included in the examination
(iv) Number of questions /items per topic based on the time spent on the topic
(v) Distribution of items for each topic according to the competences / objectives and sub topics proportionally.
c) Construct test/examination items
Factor to Consider When Building the Test Specification
(i) Topics to be included in the test/examination
(ii) Amount of time spent in each topic during instruction
(iii) Number of questions to be included in the examination
(iv) Number of questions /items per topic based on the time spent on the topic
(v) Distribution of items for each topic according to the competences / objectives and sub topics proportionally.
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