| 1. The purpose
of a test is not
to trick a
student but to
determine
competency.
A good
test gives an indication of what
they have learned or not learned
thus the teacher knows what to
correct, stress and or strengthen. |
| 2. All questions
should be direct
and complete. |
| 3. Avoid trivial questions and
answers. |
| 4. Avoid questions that ask
for value judgments. |
| 5. Darken, underline or
italicize
qualifiers such as "not", "except" or "only".
|
| 6. Make questions grammatically
correct.
|
| 7. Use the same format for all
distracters and answers in multiple choice questions. Don't mix names with
phrases etc. |
| 8. Place all correct answers
randomly, through out the test.
|
| 9. Make the distracters plausible. |
| 10. Answers that are true, but
not for the question are a good form of distractions.
|
| 11. Test their skills by using
a visual (maps, graphs, charts, reading, time lines etc.) in every test.
|
| 12. When testing skills make
sure the correct answer is in the visual, otherwise the student can become
confused.
|
| 13. Questions should present
a definite problem and have internal meaning.
|
| 14. Avoid irrelevant materials
in a question. Keep it simple.
|
| 15. A negative question is less
confusing if you use except instead of not. Some experts
such as Dr. Edward Yarosz suggest that they should only be used " when
significant learning requires it."
He states that by stating the
negative you measure a less
significant outcome |
| 16. Try having the student explain
why a true or false statement is false. They must therefore think
through their answers and not just guess. I usually have them rewrite the
statement without putting in words like not, didn't, can not etc. It also
gives them a chance to practice their writing skills.
|
| 17. Give them clear and concise
directions at the beginning of the test.
|
The method by which students are analyzed to judge
the performance and achievements of any student as
an individual or as a group. Educators often refer
to what psychologist call
