Test Construction

Presented to the teachers of

AP and ESP Department
San Guillermo National High School
San Marcelino, Zambales

Presented by:
EVELYN GRACE T. TADEO
Teacher II
OBJECTIVES
1.Enrich the teacher’s knowledge on the process
and skills in the preparation of test questions
in Social Studies,
2.Help the teachers apply their knowledge and
skills in the preparation of test questions and
make use of test results for the improvement
of instruction.

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What is Assessment?
Assessment of student learning provides
evidence so that sound educational
decisions can be made. This evidence
should help us to evaluate (or judge the
merit of) a teaching program or we may use
the evidence to make statements about
student competence or to make decisions
about the next aspect of teaching for
particular students.
-UNESCO
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What is testing?
◂ “A test is a sample of behavior, products, answers, or
performances from a particular domain” (Carrington,
1994)
◂ “A test will predict performance levels, and the learner
will somehow reconstruct its parts in meaningful
situations when necessary” (McCann, 2000)
◂ “ Testing is generally concerned with turning
performance into numbers.” (Baxter, 1997)
◂ Test [scores] can give parents useful information about
their children.

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Why Are Students Tested?

◂ They help teachers, principals, and administrators:

◂ evaluate and improve the school district
◂ evaluate and improve the individual school
◂ identify a child's academic strengths
◂ identify areas where a child may need to improve

◂ REMEMBER: Children are never measured on the basis of

ONE test alone.

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 “The evaluation of pupils’
progress is a major aspect
“ of the teacher’s job.“
Evaluating Educational Outcomes
(Oriondo & Antonio)

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 Are you the kind of
teacher who ask the
following questions?

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The poem “The Raven” ______
a. was written by Edgar Allan Poe
b. was written by Elizabeth Browning
c. was written by Omar Khayyan
d. was written by Jose Garcia Villa

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Is it NOT true that Magellan
discovered the Philippines?
True or False?

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When did the People Power Revolution
take in the Philippines?
A. February 23, 1986
B. after the Snap Election
C. March 1, 1986
D. after Valentines’ Day in 1986

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Identification. Who was the author of
the book quoted in the footnote of
Chapter 1 of the present textbook?

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If you answered “YES” to any of
the choices presented then you
have a BIG PROBLEM!

YOUR STUDENTS ARE

NOT LEARNING!!!!
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Why pay attention to test construction?
◂ Teachers who are trained on test construction and
analysis prepared tests that were more valid and
reliable (Magno, 2003)
◂ Studies have suggested that faulty test items
affect students’ comprehension and ability to
provide accurate answers to the items (Koksal,
2004; Leighton and Gokiert, 2005)

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 It is estimated that 90% of all
test questions asked in the US
“ are of “Low level” knowledge
and comprehension.

(Wilen, W.W., 1992)

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 “Low level” doesn’t mean easy:
◂ Write an essay explaining the decline and
fall of the Roman Empire incorporating at

“ least five of the seven causes discussed in

class from the writings of Gibbon and
Toynbee

“High level” doesn’t mean hard:

◂ Which movie did you like more, WALL-E or
Cars? Why?
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We do assess our students, but can we influence their
success merely by the test questions we write?

We most certainly can.

How are we going to design fair, yet challenging, exams that

accurately gauge student learning?

A notable concern of many teachers is that they frequently

have the task of constructing tests but have relatively little
training or information to rely on in this task.

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Common observation of students on test
questions
◂ Hindi kasama sa lessons.
◂ Masyadong mahaba ang question at mga
pagpipilian.
◂ Hindi maayos ang layout ng test, putol-putol
ang mga sentence.
◂ Nakakalito ang mga tanong. Minsan wala sa
pagpipiliaan ang sagot.

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Possible reasons for faulty test questions:
◂ Questions are copied verbatim from the book
or other resources.
◂ Not consulting the course outline.
◂ Much consideration is given to reduce printing
cost.
◂ No TOS or TOS was made after making the
test.

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Factors to consider in preparing test
questions (Oriondo & Antonio, 1984)
◂ Purpose of the test
◂ Time available to prepare, administer and
score the test.
◂ Number of students to be tested.
◂ Skill of the teacher in writing the test.
◂ Facilities available in reproducing the test.

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General Rules in Writing Test Questions

◂ Number test questions continuously.

◂ Keep your test question in each test group
uniform.
◂ Make your layout presentable.
◂ Do not put too many test questions in one test
group..

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Some additional guidelines to consider
when writing items are described below:
◂ Avoid humorous items. Classroom testing is very
important and humorous items may cause
students to either not take the exam seriously or
become confused or anxious.
◂ Items should measure only the construct of
interest, not one’s knowledge of the item context.
◂ Write items to measure what students know, not
what they do not know. (Cohen & Wallack)
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Characteristics of Good Tests
◂ Validity – the extent to which the test
measures what it intends to measure
◂ Reliability – the consistency with which a test
measures what it is supposed to measure
◂ Usability – the test can be administered with
ease, clarity and uniformity

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Other Things to Consider
◂ Scorability – easy to score
◂ Interpretability – test results can be properly
interpreted and is a major basis in making
sound educational decisions
◂ Economical – the test can be reused without
compromising the validity and reliability

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 “To be able to prepare a
GOOD TEST, one has to have
a mastery of the subject
“ matter, knowledge of the
pupils to be tested, skill in
verbal expression and the
use of the different test
format”
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THE LEVELS OF COGNITIVE DOMAIN
The levels are the guiding posts in constructing
test items. Regardless of what type of teacher-
made tests the teacher will prepare, the items
must follow the pattern set for evaluation.

The following items are features of levels with

regards to the objectives of the lessons.

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1. KNOWLEDGE (Remembering) – includes
those objectives that deal with recall, recognize
facts, terminology, etc.

Example:
Sino ang kauna-unahang bayani ng Pilipinas na
nakipaglaban sa mga Kastila?

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2. COMPREHENSION (Understanding) –
includes some level of understanding. It requires
the learners to change the form of
communication to see the connection or relations
among parts of a communication (interpretation)
or draw a conclusion (inference).

Example:
Bakit sa tabing dagat naninirahan ang mga
sinaunang Pilipino?
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3. APPLICATION (Applying) – it requires the
pupils to use previously acquired information in a
setting other than the one in which it was
learned.

Example:
Alin sa mga sumusunod ang uri ng pamumuhay
noong panahon ng Martial Law?

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4. ANALYSIS (Analysing) – It requires the
pupils to identify the logical errors (point out the
prediction or erroneous inference), differentiate
among facts, opinions, assumptions, hypothesis
or conclusions, draw relationships among ideas
or to compare and contrast.

Example: Alin sa mga sumusunod ang dapat

ginawa ng mga Pilipino upang makamit ang
inaasam na kalayaan laban sa mga Kastila?
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5. SYNTHESIS (Creating) – objectives at this
level require the pupils to [produce something
unique or original. Test questions at this level
require the pupils to solve unfamiliar problems or
combine parts to form a unique or novel whole.

Example:
Bilang mag-aaral, paano ka makakatulong sa
pagpapanatili ng kalinisan n gating kapaligiran?

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6. EVALUATION (Evaluating) – Under this
objective, the learners are required to form
judgments about the value of methods, ideas,
people or products that have a specific purpose.

Example:
Alin sa mga sumusunod ang higit na mabisang
paraan ng pagsugpo sa ipinagbabawal na
gamot?

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Multiple Choice
A standard multiple-choice test item consists
of two basic parts: a problem (stem) and a
list of suggested solutions (alternatives).
The stem may be in the form of either a
question or an incomplete statement, and
the list of alternatives contains one correct or
best alternative (answer) and a number
of incorrect or inferior alternatives
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Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice
Questions
1. The question should be written in the simplest,
clearest and unambiguous way, to avoid confusion.
The question should be meaningful without having to
read all the options first.
Poor Better:
Zambales is: The location of Zambales compared
to Pangasinan is :
a) north of Pangasinan a) North
b) south of Pangasinan b) South
c) east of Pangasinan c) East Test Construction
d) west of Pangasinan d) West 45
Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice
Questions

2. Where possible, state the stem in positive rather

than negative terms. Students often have difficulty
understanding items Better
with negative phrasing
Poor
(Rodriguez 1997). All the following are safe
Which one of the following is driving practices on icy
not a safe driving practice on roads EXCEPT:
icy roads? a) accelerating slowly
a) accelerating slowly b) jamming on the brakes
b) jamming on the brakes c) holding the wheel
c) holding the wheel firmly firmly
d) slowing down gradually d) slowing
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Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice
Questions

3. The stem should not contain irrelevant material. It

can decrease the reliability and the validity of the
test scores (Haldyna and Downing 1989).
4. Avoid giving clues to the correct response in the
stem.
Example
Saang
5. Thebansa sa Asya matatagpuan
alternatives should be ang Talampas and
plausible ng Deccan?
attractive
a. the
to India
uninformed.
b. Tibet
b. Pakistan
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c. China
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 Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice
Questions

6. Experts encourage multiple-choice items to be

prepared as questions (rather than incomplete
statements)
Poor
The capital of California is in
_________________

Better
In which of the following cities is the
capital of California?
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Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice
Questions

7. Keep option lengths similar. Avoid making your

correct answer the long or short answer.

8. Avoid clues to the correct answer. Avoid answering

one question in the test by giving the answer
somewhere else in the test.

9. The alternatives should be presented in a logical

order (e.g., alphabetical or numerical) to avoid a bias
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Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice
Questions

10. Give Clear Instructions.

Example:
Questions 1-10 are multiple-choice questions designed to
assess your ability to remember or recall basic and
foundational pieces of knowledge related to this course.
Please read each question carefully before reading the
answer options. When you have a clear idea of the question,
find your answer and mark your selection on the answer
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Multiple Choice Questions

Advantages
◂ A large number of ideas can be addressed in a short
period of response time.
◂ These questions are easily and quickly scored.
◂ Questions can elicit responses from all cognitive levels,
from knowledge to evaluation.
◂ Questions can be improved over time by analyzing them
in light of student performance.

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Multiple Choice Questions

Disadvantages
◂ It is time-consuming to write good items,
especially those at higher cognitive levels.
◂ Test-wise and English fluent students tend
to be favored.

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When students select and answer
from only two response
categories, they are completing a
binary-choice item or sometimes
called alternative response.

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 Binary Choice
It is constructed in a form of a propositional statement and
one of the two choices must be absolutely true or false,
correct or incorrect, and so on.
Examples of binary-choice items are:
• True or False
• Right or Wrong
• Correct or Incorrect
• Yes or No
• Agree or Disagree
• Fact or Opinion
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Strengths of Binary Choice

1. Students are familiar with the items because such

questions are similar to what is asked in class.

2. Short binary items provide for an extensive

sampling of knowledge because students are able
to answer many items in a short time.

3. Items can be written in short, easy-to-understand

sentences.

4. Scoring is objective and quick.

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Limitations of Binary Choice

1. It is susceptible to guessing.
2. It is difficult to write items beyond the
knowledge level that are free from ambiguity.
3. No diagnostic information is provided by the
incorrect answers.

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Guidelines in Constructing Binary Choice Test

1. Include only one central idea in each statement.

Poor
T F The true-false item, which is favored by test
experts, is also called an alternative-response item.

Improved
T F The true-false item is an alternative-response item.

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Guidelines in Constructing Binary Choice Test

2. Avoid specific determiners

Specific determiners that are most likely to be TRUE are:

May, Some, Possible, Seldom, Sometimes,
Usually, Often, Frequently, Generally

Specific determiners that are most likely to be FALSE are:

All, Always, None, Never, No,
Not and Nothing
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Guidelines in Constructing Binary Choice Test
Poor
T F Some objective tests are prone to guessing.

Improved
T F Objective test such as alternative-response
item is prone to guessing.

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Guidelines in Constructing Binary Choice Test

3. Use negative statement sparingly and avoid

double negatives.
Poor
T F Correction-for-guessing is not a practice
should never be used in testing.

Improved
T F Correction-for-guessing is a practice that
can be used in testing.
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Guidelines in Constructing Binary Choice Test

4. When cause-effect relationships are being

measured, use only true propositions (first part of
the sentence/premise).

Poor
T F The leaves of plants turn blue (false), due to
absence of oxygen.

Improved
T F The leaves of plants turn yellow (true), due to
absence of oxygen (false). Test Construction

T F The leaves of plants turn yellow (true), due to 62

Guidelines in Constructing Binary Choice Test

If the statement is to test for

the truthfulness or falsity of a
reason, the main clause
should be true and the reason
either true of false.
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Guidelines in Constructing Binary Choice Test
Poor
T F True-false items are classified as subjective
items because students must supply the answer.

Improved
T F True-false items are classified as objective
items because there are only two possible
answers.

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What to Look for on Matching Type Tests

◂ The list of responses should be relatively short.

◂ Response options should be arranged
alphabetically or numerically.
◂ Directions clearly indicate the basis for matching.
◂ Can responses be used more than once?
◂ Where will you place your answer?
◂ Can students infer relationships or are they
based on real word logic?

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What to Look for on Matching Type Tests
◂ Position of matches should be varied. Avoid using
patterns.
◂ The choices of each matching set should be on one
page
◂ There are more responses than premises in a
single set if responses cannot be used more than
once.
◂ The premises are homogeneous as well as the
responses and are grouped as one item.
Example:
◂ Set A: Provinces in Region I
◂ Set B: Provinces in CAR Test Construction

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If responses can be used more than once, it
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What to Look for on Sentence Completion
Tests
◂ Only significant words are omitted.
◂ When omitting words, enough clues are left so that the
student who knows the correct answer can supply the
correct response.
◂ Ensure that grammatical clues are avoided.
◂ Blanks are at the end of the statement.
◂ The length of the responses are limited to single words
or short phrases.
◂ Questions are not lifted as verbatim quotes from text.
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Examples:
1. An animal with six legs is called _________.

The item is so indefinite. It can be completed with

answers such as bee, mosquito or any other insect

Better:
1. Animals with six legs are called ___________.

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Examples:

1.The __________ is the answer in _____.

Too many key words are omitted. Lines are not in

equal length.

Better:
1. The product is the answers in _________.

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Essay Test
◂ Requires examinees to compose rather than select
their response.
◂ Elicits student responses that must consist of one
or more sentences.
◂ No single response or single response pattern is
correct.
◂ The accuracy and quality of students’ responses to
essays must be judged subjectively by a competent
specialist in the subject.
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Two Types of Essay Items:

1. Extended response type

The test may be answered by the examinee in
whatever manner he wants

Example:
Do you think teachers should be allowed to work
abroad as domestic helpers? Explain your answer.

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2. Restricted response type
The test limits the examinees response may
be answered by the examinee’s responses in
terms of length, content, style or organization.

Example:
Give and explain three reasons why the
government should or should not allow teachers
to work abroad as domestic helpers.

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What to Look for on Essay Tests
◂ The task is clearly defined. The students are
given an idea on the scope and direction you
intended for the answer to take. The question
starts with a description of the required
behavior to put them in the correct mind
frame.
◂ E.g. “Compare” or “Analyze”

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What to Look for on Essay Tests
◂ The questions are written in the linguistic level
appropriate to the students.
◂ Questions require a student to demonstrate command of
background information, not simply repeating
information.
◂ Questions regarding a student’s opinion on a certain
issue should focus not on the opinion but on the way it is
presented and argued.
◂ A larger number of shorter, more or specific questions
are better, than, one r two longer questions.

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Proposed Criteria in Grading Essay Test

◂ Ideas (20%)
◂ Weight of Evidence Presented (40%)
◂ Correct Usage (20%)
◂ Logical Conclusions drawn from the
◂ evidence (20%)

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Example: What is wrong with this question?

Describe asthma?

Better: (Clearly explain what is expected of the student.)

Describe asthma. Include in your answer :
a. the pathophysiologic features of asthma
b. the clinical manifestations associated with an asthma
episode
c. the management of an asthma episode.
(10 points)
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Example: What is wrong with this question?

Who is better, Rizal or Bonifacio?

Better: ( The students are given an idea on the

scope and direction you intended for the answer
to take.)
Compare and contrast the method used by Rizal
and Bonifacio in promoting nationalism. (5
points)
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Essay Test

When to Use Essay Questions

It is appropriate to use Essay questions for the following

purposes:

1. To assess students' understanding of subject-

matter content
2. To assess higher-order thinking skills that cannot
be adequately assessed by objectively scored test
items.
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3. To assess students' ability to construct rather 84
Proposed Arrangement of Test
Items
◂ True or False
◂ Multiple Choice
◂ Matching Type
◂ Sentence Completion
◂ Others (RRT/Analogy/CST)
◂ Essay

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POINTS TO PONDER…

A good lesson makes a good question

A good question makes a good
content
A good content makes a good test
A good test makes a good grade
A good grade makes a good student
A good student makes a good
COMMUNITY
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Jesus Ochave Ph.D.
VP Research Planning & Development 86
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