The difference between objective and subjective testing is between methods of evaluating a test.

Scoring is objective when no judgment on the part of the scorer is needed. Test items can be evaluated
objectively if there is only one right answer and scorers can mark a test by following an answer key.
Objective tests can be constructed by means of multiple choice questions, true or false questions or
matching. The advantage of an objective test is that test takers cannot create alternative, acceptable
answers. When there is the need for judgment on the part of the scorer, then scoring is subjective. In
that case, test takers might provide some acceptable, alternative responses that the teacher or test
developer did not predict. There are different degrees of subjectivity in test scoring. For example,
evaluating short answers is less subjective than evaluating a longer text.

A subjective test is evaluated by giving an opinion. It can be compared with an objective test,
which has right or wrong answers and so can be marked objectively. Subjective tests are more
challenging and expensive to prepare, administer and evaluate correctly, but they can be more
valid.

Example
Tests of writing ability are often subjective because they require an examiner to give an opinion
on the level of the writing.

Types of tests based on the categories

1. When to test?

 Summative vs formative

Summative assessment is used primarily to make decisions for grading or determine readiness
for progression. Typically summative assessment occurs at the end of an educational activity and
is designed to judge the learner’s overall performance. In addition to providing the basis for
grade assignment, summative assessment is used to communicate students’ abilities. For
example in Indonesia is national examination and semester final exam.

Formative assessment is designed to assist the learning process by providing feedback to the
learner, which can be used to identify strengths and weakness and hence improve future
performance. Formative assessment is most appropriate where the results are to be used
internally by those involved in the learning process (students, teachers, curriculum developers).

 Pre – test vs post – test

Pre – test is tests conducted before the end of the learning process.

Post – test is tests conducted after the end of the learning process.
  Placement

Placement test is designed to give students and teachers of English a quick way of assessing the
approximate level of a student’s knowledge of English grammar and usage.

 Aptitude

Measure student is probable performance. Reference forward but can be distinguished from
proficiency tests. Aptitude tests assess proficiency in language for language use (e.g. will S
experience difficulty in identifying sounds or the grammatical structure of a new language?)
while Proficiency tests measure adequacy of control in L2 for studying other things through the
medium of that language.

 Progress

Most classroom tests take this form. Assess progress students make in mastering material taught
in the classroom. Often give to motivate students. They also enable students to assess the degree
of success of teaching and learning and to identify areas of weakness & difficulty. Progress tests
can also be diagnostic to some degree.

 Achievement

An achievement test is related to directly to classroom lessons, units, or even a total curriculum.
Achievements tests are limited to particular material covered in a curriculum within a particular
time frame, and are offered after a course has covered the objectives in question. It is to
determine acquisition of course objectives at the end of a period of instruction.

1. How to score?

 Ø Objective vs subjective

Objective assessment is a form of questioning which has a single correct answer. It is also known
as Selected-Response Items. For example is multiple-choice.
Subjective assessment is a form of questioning which may have more than one correct answer
(or more than one way of expressing the correct answer). It is known as Constructed-Response
Items.

1. How real is the test situation?

 Ø Direct vs indirect

A test is said to be direct when the test actually requires the candidate to demonstrate ability in
the skill being sampled. It is a performance test. For example, if we wanted to find out if
someone could drive a car, we would test this most effectively by actually asking him to drive
the car.

An indirect test measures the ability or knowledge that underlies the skill we are trying to
sample in our test. An example from language learning might be to test the learners’
pronunciation ability by asking them to match words that rhymed with each other.

1. How and what are the students score compared to?

 Norm – referenced vs criterion – referenced

Norm-referenced tests compare an examinee’s performance to that of other examinees. The goal
is to rank the set of examinees so that decisions about their opportunity for success (e.g. college
entrance) can be made.

Criterion-referenced tests differ in that each examinee’s performance is compared to a pre-

defined set of criteria or a standard. The goal with these tests is to determine whether or not the
candidate has the demonstrated mastery of a certain skill or set of skills.

1. How much to test? One at a time or together?

 Discrete – point vs integrative test

Discrete-point testing assumes that language knowledge can be divided into a number of
independent facts: elements of grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation, pronunciation,
intonation and stress. These can be tested by pure items (usually multiple-choice recognition
tasks). Discrete-point testing risks ignoring the systematic relationship between language
elements; integrative testing risks ignoring accuracy of linguistic detail.
Integrative testing argues that any realistic language use requires the coordination of many kinds
of knowledge in one linguistic event, and so uses items which combine those kinds of
knowledge, like comprehension tasks, dictation, speaking and listening.