Administration and Conducting the Test

Administering the written test is perhaps the most important aspect of the examining
process. The atmosphere the test administrator creates in the test room and the attitude the
test administrator displays in performing his/her duties is extremely important.

Test administration is concerned with the physical and psychological setting in

which students take the test, for the students to do their best (Airisian, 1994).

The paramount guiding principle in administering any classroom test is that all
examinees should be given a fair chance to demonstrate their achievement of the
learning outcomes intended or planned. This implies physical and psychological
environment in which the examination is taking place has to be conducive for the examinee
to facilitate the achievement of the testing outcome. The factors that might interfere with
validity of the measurement also have to be controlled.
The test administrator's manner, bearing, and attitude may well inspire confidence in
competitors and put them at ease while participating in the testing process.

Test administration procedures are developed for an exam program in order to help
reduce measurement error and to increase the likelihood of fair, valid, and
reliable assessment. Specifically, appropriate standardized procedures improve
measurement by increasing consistency and test security. Consistent, standardized
administration of the exam allows you to make direct comparisons between examinees'
scores, despite the fact that the examinees may have taken their tests on different dates, at
different sites, and with different proctors.

A teacher's test administration procedures can have great impact on student test
performance. Certain examiner and situational variables also influences test performance.
The degree of preparedness, the personality, and the behavior of an examiner during the test
are examiner variables affecting examinee performance. Other situational variables affecting
test scores are the place, time, and environmental conditions.

Test administration is a skill, and testers must learn how to react to typical student comments
and questions.
Some guidelines that teachers should observe in administering a test (Before the test, During
the test & After the test) are discussed below.

Examiner’s Responsibilities Before the Test

Announcing the Test

Examinees should be informed beforehand:
 When and where the test will be administered,
 With what content it will deal
 What sort of test (objective, essay, oral)
Students deserve a chance to prepare themselves for tests, intellectually, emotionally, and
physically. For this reason, “pop quizzes” and other unannounced tests are usually
inadvisable.

Becoming Familiar with the Test

 If the test constructor and the examiner are the same person, there is no question of
the latter’s familiarity with the test material and administration procedure. But
because administrator of standardized test is rarely the same person who constructed
the test, the latter will need to study the accompanying manual carefully before
attempting to give the test.
 Direction of the administration must be understood.
 Content of the test should be familiar to the examiner.
 To attain familiarity, it is advised that the examiner should also take the test before
attempting to give the test.
 Directions and other procedures should be reviewed before the administration of the
test.

Ensuring Satisfactory Testing Conditions

 To make certain that seating, lighting, ventilation, temperature, noise level and other
physical conditions are appropriate. This is essential as interruptions can affects
student concentration and their performance in the test.
 Assign seats. Do not use a pattern. Do not allow friends to sit together. For example,
seat numbers could be added to the answer sheets in advance. The sheets could then
be arranged in random order and handed to students as they enter the room.
  Special provisions may be made for examinees who have physical handicaps or are
physically different from most other examinees.

Minimizing Cheating
 Comfortable seating that minimizes cheating should be arranged.
 Although preferred, it is not always possible to seat examinees one seat apart in such
a way that cheating is impossible.
 Preparing multiple forms (different items or different item arrangement)
 Several proctors should be employed whenever a large group of people are tested.
 Other procedures designed to guard against cheating must be taken quite seriously in
the administration of “secure” standardized tests (such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test
and the Graduate Record Examinations.) Test security consists of methods designed
to prevent cheating, as well as to protect the test items and content from being
exposed to future test-takers.

Examiner’s Responsibilities During the Test

Following the Test Directions

 Explain the test directions/instructions and procedures to demonstrate the test.
 Test instructions should include information about guessing, use of time, and marking
the answer sheets. It may be helpful to warn examinees to do their own work.
 Caution students to double check coding of Name and ID Number and Section
Number on each test.
 Examiner is asked to follow the directions for administration carefully even when
further explanation to examinees might clarify their task.
 Departures from the standard directions may present a different task to examiners than
the test designers had in mind.

Establishing Rapport
 Examiner must have a behavior that tends to create a condition of rapport, a
relationship between examiner and examinees that encourage the latter to do their
best.
 Establish rapport. Try to reduce anxiety level. Some humour may help.

Motivation
  Give all participants the same degree of motivation and encouragement.

Avoid Interruptions
 At times, an examinee will ask to have an ambiguous item clarified, and it may be
beneficial to explain the item to the entire group at the same time.
 All other distractions outside and inside the examination room should be eliminated,
where possible. The challenge, however, is that more often than not, the distractions
are beyond the test administrators’ reach!
Being Prepared for Special Problem
 A test situation creates a certain amount of tension in almost everyone, and
occasionally an examinee may become quite anxious, etc.
 The examiner must be alert, flexible, warm, and objective, as well as familiar with the
test material.
 Be sensitive to special needs that may make regular seating unsuitable, e.g. visual or
hearing impairment, body size, left handedness, etc. Allow special seating for these
cases.
 Certain measures coupled with sensitivity and patience on the part of the examiner
can provide better opportunity for the handicapped individuals and those with
problems to demonstrate their capabilities.

Observing Testing
 During testing, the administrator and proctors should move around the room to
observe the testing situation and to make certain that the students are following the
directions, working on the correct tests, and marking the responses correctly on the
answer sheet. This will discourage cheating and will provide immediate access to
students needing assistance.
 The test administrator and assistants should be visibly engaged in the testing by
observing all aspects of the process.
 If a student has trouble understanding what to do, the test administrator should try to
explain the instructions quickly and quietly. They should not be annoying but must
not assist the student with responding to any specific items. Moreover, students must
not help one another.

Proctors should watch for:

  Students with problems or questions.
 Students’ proper marking of the answer sheets.
 Students seated close together who are always on the same questions.
 Students who immediately before or after answering a question always change
position or make some kind of gesture or signal.
 Students looking up often and watching proctors.
 Students concealing crib notes on various parts of their bodies or clothing, particularly
under sleeves or pant legs.
 Make a careful record of irregular occurrences.

Examiner’s Responsibilities After the Test

Collecting Testing Materials

 At the end of a test sitting, test administrators should immediately collect all of the
test booklets, answer sheets, and other testing materials from the students. Doing so is
essential to maintaining the security of the testing materials.
 Moreover, this practice ensures that the testing materials for individual students are
kept together so that they can be more easily accounted for and checked after test
administration.

Orderliness & Security of the testing material

 Orderliness is needed for a successful testing process until all the test materials are
securely in the hands of the test administrators.
 All test materials and documents, both used and unused should be collected and
accounted for. They may be kept in a secure, confidential and lockable facility.

Conclusions
 All examinees should be accorded a fair chance through the provision of conducive
physical and psychological environment.
 Candidates involved in the examination should develop positive attitudes, adhere to
the rules, and therefore conduct themselves decently during the examination.
 The teachers’ roles must be recognized because they contribute to the success of
examination or test administration.
 To realize a smooth test administration exercise, the period before, during and after
the test should be carefully managed.
 To accurately evaluate our nation’s students—and thereby contribute to improving
our nation’s education systems—it is incumbent on test administrators to prepare for
each specific assessment that they administer and follow test administration
guidelines/practices to the best of their ability.