Different Classifications of Assessment

LESSON 3 / CHAPTER 1

Balagtas, M.U., David, A.P., Golla, E.F., Magno, C.P., & Valladolid, V.C. (2019). Assessment in
Learning 1: Outcomes-based Workstext. Quezon City: Rex Book Store, Inc.
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 Classifications of Tests
Classification Description Type Example
Purpose The purpose Educational Different forms of assessment used in
of assessment the school setting in order to help
determines students progress and mark their
how the performance for grade promotion.
results are use Psychological Tests and scales used to measure
to make cognitive and affective characteristics
decisions for of individuals to diagnose difficulties,
students deficiencies, strengths, attitudes, and
dispositions. Results are used to inform
intervention.

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 Classifications of Tests

Classification Description Type Example

Form The form of assessment Paper-and-Pencil Test types that
provides the medium on includes true or
how it is delivered and false,
the kind of information identification,
sought. matching type
and multiple
choice
Performance-based Tasks that
students need to
demonstrate

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 Classifications of Tests
Function The function of Teacher-made Quizzes, long tests, and
assessment tells the quarterly tests created by the
basis on the teacher
contents of the Standardized Developed by organizations
assessment, the way that have a well-defined
it is developed and system of administering,
administered, and scoring, and interpreting.
the information it
provides.

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 Classifications of Tests

Kind of learning The kind of learning Achievement Determines what the students
sought will vary such have learned at the end of
as when given at the instruction.
end of instruction or
Aptitude Determines the potential of
to determine the
students on a specific program
potential of students
even before
instruction.

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 Classifications of Tests
Ability The kind of ability Speed Consists of easy
sought will require a items and time in
different kind of answering is
assessment to determine limited.
how many items are Power Consists of items
answered and how of varying levels
many difficult items are of difficult with
answered correctly. ample time for
answering.

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 Classifications of Tests

Interpretation of The interpretation of Norm- Score is

Scores assessment results would referenced compared relative
vary depending on the kind to a group
of reference used such as performance
comparing one’s score to a Criterion- Score is
group or to a set of referenced interpreted based
standards. on a fixed set of
criteria

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When do we use educational and psychological assessment?
 
Educational assessments are used in the school setting for the purpose of tracking the
growth of students and marking their performance.
• This assessment in the educational setting comes in the form of formative and summative
assessment.
• Formative assessment is a continuous process of gathering information about student
learning at the beginning, during , and after a specific instruction so that teachers can
decide on how to improve their instruction until students are able to meet the learning
targets.
• Summative assessment aims is to determine and record what the students have learned.  

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 Psychological assessments are measures such as tests and scales that
determine students cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics that are
not attributed solely to instruction.
• Examples of cognitive test are those that measure ability, aptitude,
intelligence, and critical thinking.
• Affective measures are for personality, motivation, attitude, interest,
and disposition.
• The results of these assessments are used by the guidance counselor in
the school to make intervention on the students’ academic, career, and
social and emotional development.

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When do we use paper and pencil and performance-based type of assessment?
 
Paper and pencil type of assessment are those tasks that are cognitive and requires a single correct
answer. They usually come in the form of test types such as the binary (true or false), short answer
(identification), matching type, and multiple choice. Usually the items would pertain to a specific
cognitive skill such as recalling, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating.

Performance-based type of assessment requires students to do tasks such as demonstrations, arrive

at a product, show strategies, and present information. The skills performed are usually complex and
requires integrated skills in order to arrive at the target response. Examples are writing an essay,
reporting in front of the class, reciting a poem, demonstrating how a problem was solved, creating a
word problem, reporting the results of an experiment, dance and song performance, painting and
drawing, playing a musical instrument, etc. Performance-based tasks are usually open-ended and each
student arrives with varied possible responses.

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 Examples of Learning Targets for Paper-and-Pencil Test

∙ Identify the parts of the plants

∙ Label the parts of the microscope
∙ Compute the compound interest
∙ Classify the phase of a given matter
∙ Provide the appropriate verb in the sentence
∙ Identify the type of sentence

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 Examples of Learning Targets for Performance-based Assessment

∙ Varnish a wooden cabinet

∙ Draw a landscape using paintbrush in the computer
∙ Write a word problem involving multiplication of polynomials
∙ Deliver a speech convincing your classmates that you are a good
candidate for the student council
∙ Write an essay explaining how humans and plants benefit from
each other.
∙ Mount a plant specimen in the glass slide
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 How to distinguish teacher-made and standardized tests?
 
Standardized tests have fixed directions for scoring and
administering. They can be purchased with test manuals, booklets,
and answer sheets. When these tests were developed, the items
were sampled to a large number of target group called the norm.
The norm group’s performance is used to compare the results of
those who took the test.

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 Sample Standardized Tests
Category Specific Sxample Visit the site for their description
Intelligence Wechsler Adult Intelligence https://wechslertest.com/
test Scale
Achievement Metropolitan Achievement https://www.tests.com/MAT-8-Testing
test Test
Aptitude test Raven’s Progressive Matrices http://www.pearsonclinical.co.uk/Psychology/
AdultCognitionNeuropsychologyandLanguage/
AdultGeneralAbilities/Ravens-Progressive-
Matrices/Ravens-Progressive-Matrices.aspx
Critical Watson Glaser Critical https://www.assessmentday.co.uk/watson-glaser-
thinking test Thinking Appraisal critical-thinking.htm
Interest test RIASEC Markers Scale https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/RIASEC/
Personality NEOPersonality Inventory https://www.hogrefe.co.uk/neopir.html
test

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 Non-Standardized or teacher-made tests are usually intended
for classroom assessment. They are used for classroom purposes
such as determining whether students have reached the learning
target. They intend to measure the behavior (such as learning) inline
with the objectives of the course.

Examples are Quiz, Long Test, Exams, etc. Formative and

summative assessments are usually teacher-made tests.
 

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What information is sought from achievement and aptitude?
 
Achievement tests measure what students have learned after instruction or after going through
a specific curricular program.

• Achievement test provides information of what students can do and have acquired after training
and instruction.
• Achievement is a measure of what a person has learned within or up to a given time (Yaremko et
al. 1982).
• It is a measure of the accomplished skills and indicates what a person can do at the present
(Atkinson 1995).
• Achievement can be measured in a variety of means.
• Achievement can be reflected in the final grades of the students within a quarter.
• The quarterly test composed of several learning targets are also good ways of determining
achievement of students.

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 Aptitudes Tests are the characteristics that influence a person’s behavior that aids
goal attainment in a particular situation( Lohgman, 2005) .
• Aptitude refers to the degree of readiness to learn and to perform well in a particular
situation or domain (Corno et. al., 2002).
• Examples include the ability to comprehend instructions, to manage one’s time, to use
previously acquired knowledge appropriately, to make good inferences and
generalizations, and to manage one’s emotions.
• Aptitude can now go beyond cognitive abilities.
• Magno (2009) created a taxonomy of aptitude test to include 12 classifications
categorized under verbal and nonverbal. The schemes in the verbal are verbal analogy,
syllogism, and number or letter series, while the nonverbal is composed of topology,
visual discrimination, progressive series, visualization, orientation, figure ground
perception, surface development, object assembly, and picture completion.

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 What is speed and power tests?
 
Speed Test consists of easy items but time is limited. An example of a
speed test is a typing test. The examinees need to type correctly as many
words possible given a limited amount of time.

Power Test consists of items with increasing level of difficulty where

time of answer is ample enough to cover all items. The National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics developed a power test for mathematics. It
consists of the ability of the examinees to utilize data to reason and
become creative, formulate, solve, and reflect critically on problems
provided.

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 How to use norm- and criterion-referenced tests?
 
There are two ways of interpreting scores: Norm-referenced and Criterion-
referenced.

Criterion-referenced Test requires interpretation of test scores based on a given

set of standards. The scores are then compared on the given criterion. For example, in
a 50 item test: 40-50 is high, 31-39 is average, 21-30 is poor, 0-20 is low. One
approach in a criterion-referenced interpretation is that the score is compared to a
particular cut off. An example would be the grading in schools where 98-100 is
proficient, 93-97 is competent, 90-92 is basic level, 80 to 89 is approaching standards,
75 to 79 is improving, and 74 and below are beginners.

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 The Norm-referenced Test uses the distribution of scores of a sample group in
interpreting scores. The mean and standard deviations are computed from the
group. The standing of individuals in a norm-referenced test is based on how far
they are from the mean and standard deviation of the sample. Standardized tests
commonly interpret scores using norm-referenced way where they have established
a large standardized sample.

Having an established norm for a test means obtaining a normal or average

performance in the distribution of scores. A normal distribution is obtained by
increasing the sample size. A norm is a standard and it is based on a very large
group of samples. Norms are reported in the manual of standardized tests.

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