Background of Testing

Teachers are taught to prepare instructional objectives for

each subject they teach. Their instructional objectives

are essentially what they hope to teach. To ensure that

their objectives are met, the develop tests.

In a test you are asked to demonstrate your proficiency.

A test item calls for a single response or a set of responses.

In general, measurement is on the basis of correct answers.

The measurement is then evaluated.

There are two kinds of evaluation processes: norm-

referenced and criterion-referenced. Norm-referenced

is where you are compared to other students. The entire

class measurement is grouped into a bell curve and the

grades depend on where your score is on the curve.

Criterion-referenced is grading a student to an objective

standard. For example: 90% and above is an A, 80% to

90% is a B, etc.

In trying to determine that the instructional objectives

were met, teachers use criterion item questions designed

to test your proficiency. If the class doesn’t seem to be

learning (usually discovered by poor test grades), teachers

may develop a diagnostic test. A diagnostic test is designed

to see why a certain criterion has not been achieved.

The diagnostic test determines what material the teacher

needs to concentrate on. Some teachers combine both

criterion-based and diagnostic questions in a single test.

When taking a test, it may help to be able to tell which

questions are criterion based and which are diagnostic.

Diagnostic questions would usually have answers which

represent a fragment of the material taught rather than

the whole lesson.

Fuzzy concepts are not very useful and most us would

like them to be better defined. Yet many concepts remain

fuzzy either because of their changing nature, because

you do not completely understand them, or because you

cannot communicate clearly what you mean by it. Nonetheless,

there would be no means of understanding the world without

the ability to conceptualize.

To teach us to conceptualize, instruction starts with facts

and then develops concepts. Concepts utilize procedures

and rules to help understand the world situation or subject studied.

Using Concepts, Procedures, and Rules

In actually taking a test, it is useful to identify a group of

problems which require similar or the same procedure(s).

Solve the entire group before going on to other questions. This

allows your mind to concentrate and get into a pattern of

applying the procedure.

In taking Remember-level tests, try to answer the questions

that relate to a single subject as a group. Remember-level testing

is created by producing a question (called a stem) which has an

answer (called a root). It usually covers material taught during

the last three months.

Teachers try to avoid using direct quotes from the material

studied, as this would reward short term memory. Instead,

they paraphrase the material.

1. What is the purpose of this test?
2. What time constraints have to be considered?
3. What learning processes are to be evaluated?
4. What emphasis should each topic and level of learning be given?
5. What types of items are best for this testing situation?

be suspicious of the questions that seem very easy.

They are probably the reverse of your first thought.

If the test seems easy, then go with your first answer

throughout the exam.

Some words will tip off the answer. Any question

tend to be true.

How to Take a Multiple Choice Test

Standardized tests are used for evaluating large groups

of students. This discussion of standardized tests Is not

necessarily related to a multiple-choice test that a single

teacher writes. It is meant to reflect a large database

exam, such as the SAT, ELM, GRE etc. Your score can make

the difference between getting a scholarship or university

acceptance or rejection. Unfortunately, standardized

tests are usually multiple-choice tests. As the recent

controversy over SAT scores has demonstrated, multiple

choice tests do not measure a student’s actual knowledge

or ability. Rather a multiple choice test evaluates a

students’ ability to take multiple choice tests.

There are some techniques that can help you improve

your ability to take standardized tests.

Be aware that all of the answers provided to a question

are considered the correct student by some student. For

instance, in the California Entrance Level Mathematics Exam

for college, if an answer is not chosen by at least 5% of the

students taking the exam, the question is either rewritten

or a better distracter (wrong answer) is developed.

This means all of the possible answers look right to some

students. Test makers accomplish this in one of two ways.

Either the question is manipulated into frequently chosen

wrong answers, or the answers are all true with only one

being the best.

The question asked is the single largest clue to work with.

The correct understanding of what is asked is crucial.

Always try to answer questions that are in the same

understand what is required.

Second, read the questions. As you read each one, write

margin notes about the answer as ideas occur to you. Do not

write extensively. Just jot down key ideas. If nothing

occurs to you (you draw a complete black), go on to the

next question. Do not spend more than a couple of minutes

studying any one question. Continue making margin notes

next to each question until you have complete all the questions.

Examine the entire test. For example, a one-hour test has

12 questions and 100 points possible. One question is worth

20 points, five questions are worth ten points, and six

questions are worth 5 points. Where should you start?

Here are four suggestions you can use to proceed:

1. Decide what your strongest areas are based on your

   margin notes. Wherever your notes appear to be the best

   is a good place to start.

2. Start with the five-point answers. Remember the time

   limit as you write. Do as many of the five-point questions

   that you feel good about answering. Do not spend time on weak

   answers. Go on to the ten-point questions and work the same

   way. Continue with the ten-point questions until only

   fifteen minutes remain in the exam time, then go to the

   20-point question.

3. Base the length of your answers on their point value,

   so if you wrote one page for a five-point question, write two

   pages for the ten-point questions, and four pages for the

   20-point question.

4. Consider whether the instructions limit you to one blue book,

two blue books, or leave it up to you. Most instructors do not

want to read really long answers. They have to read all the

exams, not just yours. If a length is set, do not exceed it. If

the number of pages for the entire exam is restricted, then

use the same kind of ratio as above. Try to utilize as much of

the allowed length as you can without rambling.

When you start the 20-point question, take some time and

reexamine it is terms of all your other answers. Do you still

feel comfortable with your margin notes? You should

you have a question which you can answer. In other

words, deliberately restate the question, changing it from

what it was asking into a question you can answer. Many

instructors will assume you gave it your best shot and give

you partial credit for you answer.

Test Anxiety

Believe it or not, most of you work better under pressure.

The pressure of a testing environment usually produces your

best effort. However, you have all either frozen or know

someone who has during an important test. The most common

example of this is stage fright. The worst cases of stage fright

produce a paralysis of thought and body which, if continued,

can result in life-changing embarrassment.

Severe test anxiety is like stage fright and can limit you ability

not only to pass the test, but even to attempt the subject again.

There are some special classes which help people with severe

anxiety. Here we will deal with anxiety that is not disabling.

It really helps if you come into the test prepared. Confidence

is the best cure for anxiety. Second, if you feel your heartbeat

increasing and anxiety rising, try to take three deep, slow

breaths. Remind yourself it is only a test, that there are more

important things in life.

Try to go to a different part of the test and start over. It helps

to look over the entire test and start with the are you consider

easy or known. This builds confidence and reduces anxiety.

Sometime during the test, stop and take a minute to relax and

consider where you are and what time remains. Prepare a

strategy to deal with the rest of the test. If the test is divided

into sections, use each break as your strategy session. Otherwise,

create your own.

Very few people can concentrate well for even a single hour.

So probably sometime during the test you will find your thoughts

wandering. When this happens your test taking ability is greatly

reduced. So stop and deal with your wandering thoughts. One of

the techniques is to speed the thoughts along to their normal end

and then get back to the test.