Christine Jean A.

Brillantes
Alwyn U. Sacandal

Week 4
TOS and Test draft construction
OBJECTIVE
At the end of the week, the
pre- service teacher (PST)
should be able to:

construct a test draft

of a quarter
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
TOS
TABLE OF SPECIFICATION

A two way chart that relates the learning outcomes

to the course content.
It enables the teacher to prepare a test containing a
representative sample of student knowledge in each
of the areas tested.
 Used to ensure that

THE PRIMARY it measures the

content and thinking

PURPOSE skills

Used for large-scale

test construction

Used to provide
response process
validity
CONSTRUCTING Determine the topics to be
included in the test
THE TABLE OF
SPECIFICATIONS Determine the number of session
allotted (or you spent) for each
topic.

Determine the total number of test

items.
CONSTRUCTING
THE TABLE OF
Determine the percent or weight
SPECIFICATIONS per content area.

Determine the number of items

per or content area.
 No. of sessions per content
PERCENT:
Total no. of sessions 1
= 0.022 or 2.2 %
45 ≈ 2%
NO. OF Total no. of items X
Percent/ Weight
ITEMS:
40 X 0.02 = 0.8 ≈ 1
 Determine the number of items
CONSTRUCTING for each topic per level of
difficulty.
THE TABLE OF
SPECIFICATIONS Make sure the vertical and
horizontal sum of the items are
correct.

Write the item placement for

each number of items.
 R/U: Total no. items X 60%
40 X .6 = 24

APPLYING: Total no. items X 30%

40 X .3 = 12

ANALYZING, Total no. items X 10%

40 X .1 = 4
EVALUATING,
CREATING:
CONSTRUCTING
Complete the table of
THE TABLE OF specifications, making sure

SPECIFICATIONS everything is in place.

Always have your TOS side by

side your examination draft.
S A M P L E

S A M P L E
S A M P L E

S A M P L E
T I P S

Don’t make it overly detailed.

Use a cognitive taxonomy that is most
appropriate to your discipline.
Weigh the appropriateness of the distribution of
checks against the students' level, the importance
of the test, the amount of time available.
 Let us know how further
you've understood the
presented topic

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 TEST CONSTRUCTION

A test or examination (informally, exam or

evaluation) is an educational assessment
intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge,
skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification
in many other topics (e.g., beliefs).
GENERAL RULES
IN WRITING TEST Make sure you have

QUESTIONS followed the:

number of items

levels of difficulty

levels in the blooms taxonomy as

basis for your test construction

Additional guidelines to
consider when writing items
1. Number test questions continuously.

2. Keep your test question in each test

group uniform.

3. Make your layout presentable.

4. Do not put too many test questions

in one test group. General Rules in
T or F: 10 – 15 questions
Multiple Choice: max. of 30 questions Writing Test
Questions
Matching type: 5 questions per test
group
Others: 5 – 10 questions
Some additional Avoid humorous items.

guidelines to Items should measure one’s

consider when knowledge
writing items Write items to measure what
students know
OBJECTIVE TYPE TESTS

defined as one for which the scoring rules are so exhaustive and
specific
do not allow scorers to make subjective inferences or judgements;
thereby, any scorer that marks an item following the rules will
assign the same test score.
Multiple-choice

Problem-solving
Multiple-choice Items

Multiple choice item is a form of an objective

assessment in which students are asked to
select only correct answers from the choices
offered as a list.
 Multiple-choice Items

The psychologist who formulated the theory of Classical

Conditioning is _______________.

A. B.F. Skinner STEM

B. Erik Erikson
C. Ivan Pavlov ANSWER
D. Jean Piaget

DISTRACTERS
 Base each item on an
educational or instructional
objective of the course, not
trivial information

Try to write items in which

there is one and only one
Things to reminder in correct answer.
making a multiple-
choice items The phrase that introduces the
item(stem) should clear state the
problem.
Problem-solving items

This kind of test item is classified as a

subjective type of item due to the procedures
used to score item responses.

You can assign full or partial credit to either

correct or incorrect solutions depending on
the quality and kind of work procedures
presented.
 Problem-solving items
Problem-solving items Advantages:

Can most appropriately measure learning

objectives which focus on the ability to apply
skills or knowledge in the solution of
problems.

Can measure an extensive amount of content

or a large number of learning objectives.
 Problem-solving items
Problem-solving items Limitation:

Generally provide low test and low scorer

reliability.

Require an extensive amount of instructor time to

read and grade.

Generally do not provide an objective measure of

student achievement or ability (subject to bias on
the part of the grader when partial credit is given).
SUGGESTIONS FOR
WRITING PROBEM-
SOLVING ITEMS
Clearly identify and explain the problem

Undesirable: During a car crash, the car slows

down at the rate of 490 m/sec2. What is the
magnitude and direction of the force acting
on a 100-kg driver?

Desirable: During a car crash, the car slows

down at the rate of 490 m/sec2. Using the car
as a frame of reference, what is the
magnitude and direction of the gram force
acting on a 100-kg driver?
Provide directions which clearly inform the
student of the type of response called for

Undesirable: An American tourist in Paris

finds that he weighs 70 kilograms. When he
left the United States he weighed 144
pounds. What was his net change in weight?

Desirable: An American tourist in Paris finds

that he weighs 70 kilograms. When he left
the United States he weighed 144 pounds.
What was his net weight change in pounds?
3
State in the directions whether or not the
student must show his/her work procedures for
full or partial credit

Undesirable: A double concave lens is made

of glass with n = 1.50. If the radii of curvature
of the two lens surfaces are both 30.0 cm,
what is the focal length of the lens?

Desirable: A double concave lens is made of

glass with n = 1.50. If the radii of curvature of
the two lens surfaces are both 30.0 cm, what
is the focal length of the lens? Show your
work to receive full or partial credit.
Clearly separate item parts and indicate their
point values. Decide in advance how incorrect
answers in earlier steps of a problem will
affect the score on later steps

A man leaves his home and drives to a convention

at an average rate of 50 miles per hour. Upon
arrival, he finds a telegram advising him to return
at once. He catches a plane that takes him back at
an average rate of 300 miles per hour.

Undesirable: If the total traveling time was 1 3/4

hours, how long did it take him to fly back? How
far from his home was the convention?
Clearly separate item parts and indicate their
point values. Decide in advance how incorrect
answers in earlier steps of a problem will
affect the score on later steps

A man leaves his home and drives to a convention

at an average rate of 50 miles per hour. Upon
arrival, he finds a telegram advising him to return
at once. He catches a plane that takes him back at
an average rate of 300 miles per hour.

Desirable: If the total traveling time was 1 3/4 hours:

How long did it take him to fly back? (1 pt.)
How far from his home was the convention? (1 pt.)
Show your work for full or partial credit.
 Use figures, conditions and situations which

5
create a realistic problem

Undesirable: An automobile weighing 2,840

N (about 640 pounds) is traveling at a speed
of 300 miles per hour. What is the car's
kinetic energy? Show your work. (2 pts.)

Desirable: An automobile weighing 14,200 N

(about 3200 pounds) is traveling at a speed
of 12m/sec. What is the car's kinetic energy?
Show your work. (2 pts.)
 Ask
Ask questions
questions that
that elicit
elicit
responses
responses on
on which
which
experts
experts could
could agree
agree that
that
one
one solution
solution and
and one
one or
or
more
more work
work procedures
procedures areare
better
better than
than others
others
 Work through each
problem before classroom
administration to double-
check accuracy
 Let us know how further
you've understood the
presented topic

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