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A TOS, sometimes called a test blueprint, is a table that helps teachers align objectives, instruction, and assessment
(e.g., Notar, Zuelke, Wilson, & Yunker, 2004).
This strategy can be used for a variety of assessment methods but is most commonly associated with constructing
traditional summative tests.
(TOS) 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
In making a document called table of specification make sure that the coverage of your exam is something that you
have satisfactorily taught in class. Select the topics that you wish to test in the exam. It is possible that you will not be
able to cover all these topics as it might create a test that is too long and will not be realistic for your students in the
given time. So select only the most important topics.
In this step, you will need to be familiar with bloom’s taxonomy of thinking skills. Bloom has identified the hierarchy of
learning objectives, from the lower thinking skills of remembering and understanding to the higher thinking skills of
evaluating and creating.
Bloom’s Taxonomy has six categories: (starting from lower level to highest) - (1) Remembering, (2) Understanding, (3)
Applying, (4) Analyzing, (5) Evaluating and (6) Creating
Bloom’s Taxonomy has six categories: (starting from lower level to highest) - (1) Remembering, (2) Understanding, (3)
Applying, (4) Analyzing, (5) Evaluating and (6) Creating
So for each content area that you wish to test, you will have to determine how you will test each area. Will you test
simply their recall of knowledge? Or will you be testing their comprehension of the matter? Or perhaps you will be
challenging them to analyze and compare and contrast something. Again, this would depend on your instructional
objectives in the classroom. Did you teach them lower thinking skills or did you challenge them by making them think
critically?
The next step in making the table of specifications is to write down how long you spent teaching a particular topic. This
is important because it will determine how many points you should devote for each topic.
Logically, the longer time you spent on teaching a material, then the more questions should be devoted for that area.
Example :
Now that you have created your table of specifications for your test by aligning your objectives to bloom’s taxonomy, it’s
time to determine the test types that will accomplish your testing objectives. For example, remembering questions can
be accomplished easily through multiple choice questions or matching type exams.
After your initial draft of the table of specifications, it’s time to polish it. Make sure that you have covered in your terms
of specification the important topics that you wish to test. The number of items for your test should be sufficient for the
time allotted for the test. You should seek your academic coordinator and have them comment on your table of
specification. They will be able to give good feedback on how you can improve or modify it.
Item analysis and validation
The teacher normally prepares a draft of the test. Such a draft is subjected to item analysis and validation in order to ensure
that the final version of the test would be useful and functional.
First, the teacher tries out the draft test to a group of students of similar characteristics as the intended test takers (try-out
phase).
From the try-out group, each item will be analyzed in terms of its ability to discriminate between those who know and those
who do not know and also its level of difficulty (item analysis phase).
The item analysis will provide information that will allow the teacher to decide whether to revise or replace an item (item
revision phase).
Then, finally, the final draft of the test is subjected to validation if the intent is to make use of the test as a standard test for
the particular unit or grading period.
TWO IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ITEM
(a) item difficulty, and
(b) discrimination index.
Difficulty Index=50 %
Right difficulty
Retain