DEVELOPMENT OF ASSESSMENT TOOLS

KNOWLEDGE AND REASONING

Planning a Test and Construction of
Table of Specification (TOS)

Deciding on
Preparing a
Identifying the type of Constructing
Table of Try-out and
Test objective test the draft
Specification validation
Objectives to be items
(TOS)
prepared
Identifying Test Objectives
Comprehensive
Must cover the various levels of Blooms Taxonomy
Each Objective consists of a statement of what is to be achieved by the students.

Example: We want to construct a test on the topic: Subject-Verb Agreement in

English for Grade V Class.
 Knowledge/Remembering:
The students must be able to identify the subject
and the verb in a given sentence.
Comprehension/Understanding: The students
must be able to determine the appropriate form
of a verb to be used given the subject of a
sentence.
Application/Applying: The students must be
able to write sentences observing rules on
subject-verb agreement.
Analysis/Analyzing: The students must be able
to break down a given sentence into its subject
and predicate.
Evaluation/Evaluating: The students must be
able to evaluate whether or not a sentence
observes rules on subject-verb agreement.
Synthesis/Creating: The students must be able
to formulate rules to be followed regarding
subject-verb agreement.
 Deciding on the type of
objective test
Test Objectives guide the type of objective test that will be designed and constructed
by the teacher.
 True-false test
 Multiple Choice Test
 Matching Type
 Supply-Type or Constructed-Response Type
 Completion Type
 Essays

Example:
Four Levels: Remembering to Analysis: Multiple Choice
 Application and Judgment: Essay test
Preparing a Table of
Specification (TOS)
Serves as a Test Map that guides the teacher in constructing a test.
Ensures that there is balance to those that test lower order thinking skills and those
that test higher order thinking skills.
Ensures that each of the objective is well represented in the test.

Simplest type of TOS consist of (4) columns

 PROTOTYPE TOS
Level of Item Numbers
where such an
Objective to be
Statement of objective is
Tested being tested
Objective
 Constructing the Test Items
Actual Construction follows the TOS
As a general rule, it is advised that items to be constructed in the
draft should be doubled the desired number of items.

Example: If 5 knowledge items must be included in the final test

from then draft must be 10.
COMPLETION TYPE TEST
It is possible to construct supply type test that will test higher order thinking skills.

Example: Write an appropriate synonym for each of the following; each blank
corresponds to a letter:
Metamorphose - _ _ _ _ _ _
Flourish - _ _ _ _
Metamorphose - Change
Flourish – Grow
Why? These questions require not mere recall of words but also understanding of these
words.
Guideline in the formulation of a
Completion Type of Test
1.) Avoid over mutilated sentences. Give enough clue to the student.
Example: The _______ produced by the ________ is used by the green ________ to change the
________ and __________ into ________. This process is called ________.
2.) Avoid open-ended item. There should only be one acceptable answer.
Example: Ernest Hemingway wrote:_________.
3.) The blank should be at the end or near the end of the sentence. The question must be
asked before an answer is expected.
4.) Ask question on more significant item and not on trivial matter.
Example: Jose Rizal was born on June ______, 1861.
5.) The length of the blanks must not suggest the answer. So better to
make the blanks uniform in size.
Example:
A part of speech that names persons, places or things is _________.

A word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same

clause is called __________________.
 Advantages
Require students to demonstrate critical thinking
in organizing and producing an answer beyond rote recall and memory
Empower students to demonstrate their knowledge
within broad limits beyond the restraint of objective tests (true false, multiple choice)
Allows learners to demonstrate originality and creativity
Reduces preparation time in developing,
as well as distributing, a test, especially for small number of students
Presents more possibilities for diagnosis
 Disadvantages
Grading is often subjective and not consistent, colored by
preconceptions of student, prior performance, time of day, neatness and handwriting,
spelling and grammar, and where the actual test falls in
Can be a limited sampling of content
Good writing requires time to think, organize, write and revise
Time consuming to correct
Advantageous for students with good writing and verbal skills
as opposed to those who have alternative learning styles (visual and kinesthetic)
Essay questions are not always properly developed
to assess higher thinking skills (often only test for recall and style)
Advantageous for students who are quick,
as opposed to those who take time to develop an argument or may suffer from writers block
 Guidelines
1.) Phrase the direction in such a way that students are guided on the
key concepts to be included. Specify how students should respond.
2.) Inform the students on the criteria to be used fro grading their essays
Ex: Plant Photosynthesis : Graded: Coherence, accuracy of statements,
use of keywords, clarity and extra points for innovative presentation of
ideas.
3.) Put time limit on the essay test.
4.) Decide on your essay grading system prior to getting the essays of
your student.
5.) Evaluate all of the students answers to one question before
proceeding to the next question.
6.) Evaluate answers to essay questions without knowing identity of
the writer.
7.) Whenever possible, have two or more persons grade each answer.
8.) Do not provide optional questions.
9.) Provide information about the value/weight of the question and
how it will be scored.
10. Emphasize higher level thinking skills.