Principle 4: Validity

Validity – is the degree to which the assessment instrument measures what it intends to
measure. It is also refers to the usefulness of the instrument for a given
purpose. It is the most important criterion of a good assessment
instrument.
Ways in Establishing Validity

1. Face Validity – is done by examining the physical appearance of the instrument to

make it readable and understandable.

2. Content Validity – is done through a careful and critical examination of the objectives
of assessment to reflect the curricular objectives
3. Criterion-related Validity- is established statistically such that a set of scores
revealed by the measuring instrument is correlated with the scores obtained in
another external predictor or measure. It has two purposes: concurrent and
predictive.

a. Concurrent Validity – describes the present status of the individual by correlating

the sets of scores obtained from two measures given at a longer time interval.

b.Predictive Validity – describes the future performance of an individual by

correlating the sets of scores obtained from two measures given at a longer time
interval.

4. Construct Validity – is established statistically by comparing psychological traits or

factors that theoretically influence scores in a test.
Factors Affecting the Validity of an Assessment Instrument

1.Unclear directions
2.Reading vocabulary and sentence structure are too difficult
3.Ambiguity
4.Inadequate time limits
5.Overemphasis of easy at the expense of hard but important
questions
6.Test items inappropriate for the outcomes being measured
7.Poorly-constructed test items
8.Test too short
9.Improper arrangement of items
10.Identifiable pattern of answer
Principle 5: Reliability

Reliability – It refers to the consistency of scores obtained by the same person when
retested using the same or equivalent instrument.

Method Type of Reliability Procedure Statistical

Measure Measure
Test-Retest Measure of Stability Give a test twice to the Pearson r
same learners with any
time interval between
tests from several
minutes to several years.

Equivalent Forms Measure of Equivalence Give parallel forms of Pearson r

tests with close time
interval between forms.
 Test-retest with Measure of stability Give parallel forms of Pearson r
Equivalent Forms and equivalence tests with increased
time interval between
forms.
Split Half Measure of Internal Give a test once to Pearson r &
Consistency obtain scores for Spearman Brown
equivalent halves of formula
the test e.g. odd- and
even-numbered
items.
Kuder-Richardson Measure of Internal Give the test once Kuder-Richardson
Consistency then correlate the Formula 20 and 21
proportion/percentag
e of the students
passing and not
passing a given item.
Factors Affecting the Reliability of an Assessment Instrument

1. Test length. In general, a longer test is more reliable than a shorter one because
longer tests sample the instructional objectives more adequately.
2. Spread of scores. Type of students taking the test can affect reliability since students
with heterogenous ability will produce a larger spread of test scores than a group with
homogenous ability.

3. Item difficulty. Items of moderate or average difficulty (0.30 to 0.70) will have more
influence on reliability than those composed primarily of easy or very difficult items.
Item discrimination. Tests composed of more discriminating items will have greater
reliability than those composed of less discriminating items.

4. Time limits. Adding a time factor adds criterion to the test, thus, improve reliability.
The teacher, however, should not arbitrarily impose a time limit. For higher level
cognitive test items, the imposition of time limit may defeat the intended purpose of the
items.