TEST DEVELOPMENT

by
ENRIQUE B. MONTECALVO, Ph.D.
Associate Professor 5

Rueda Street, Calbayog City, Samar, Philippines | +63 (055) 533 9857 | main@[Link] | [Link]
It is a device used to obtain information. The information gathered
may be used in improving instruction, or for the students’ to
understanding themselves.

It is a technique of obtaining information needed for evaluation

purposes. TESTING

It is any test to determine ability, knowledge or fitness of an

individual. It is usually used as a tool to measure pupil’s
intelligence and achievements.
EXAMINATION
General Uses of Tests(Oriondo and Dallo-Antonio, 1989)

Instructional Administrative
uses uses

Guidance
uses
 Classification or Kinds of Examination
(Manarang & Manarang, 1983)
According to Manner of According to Method of According to Nature of
Response Preparation Response

Oral Examination Subjective or 1. Personality Test

Essay Type 2. Intelligence Test
3. Aptitude Test
Written Examination 4. Achievement Test
Objective 5. Socio-metric Test
Type 6. Diagnostic Test
Performance or Practical
7. Trade or Vocational Test
Examination 8. Others . . ..
STEPS IN TEST CONSTRUCTION
• Provide a construct definition
• Conduct a documentary analysis or pre-survey
• Formulate a Table of Specifications (TOS)
• Consultation with experts
• Item writing ‘-
• Item inspection
• Item revisions
• First try-out
• Item analysis
• Second try-out
• Evaluation of the test (validity and reliability) => leading to standardization

5 5
Steps in Preparing the Table
‘-
of Specifications
(TOS)

6
What is Table of Specifications(TOS)?
• It is a plan which form as basis for test construction.
• It is sometimes called “blueprint” of the test.
• It provides an assurance that the ‘-test will measure a
representative samples of the instructional objectives and the
contents included in the instruction.
• It is either a one-way table or a two-way table.
• It may contain the course content, behavior(skill), number of
items, test placements, and percentages.

7 7
1. Make a content outline of the subject matter which has been taught after a
definite period of time.

Content

1. Subtraction Concepts

2. Subtraction as the
Inverse of Addition
‘-
3. Subtraction Without
Regrouping
4. Subtraction with
Regrouping
5. Subtraction Involving
Zeros
6. Mental Computation
through Estimation

7. Problem Solving
Total
% 8
 2. Decide on the number of test items to be constructed.

No of Class No of
Content Sessions Items

1. Subtraction Concepts

2. Subtraction as the Inverse

of Addition
‘-
3. Subtraction Without
Regrouping
4. Subtraction with
Regrouping
5. Subtraction Involving
Zeros
6. Mental Computation
through Estimation

7. Problem Solving
Total 50
% -- --
9
3. Find the number of class sessions spent for each subject matter, unit,
chapter, etc., taught and the total number of class sessions
No of Class No of
Content Sessions Items

1. Subtraction Concepts 4

2. Subtraction as the Inverse 4

of Addition
‘-
3. Subtraction Without 8
Regrouping
4. Subtraction with 5
Regrouping
5. Subtraction Involving 8
Zeros
6. Mental Computation 4
through Estimation

7. Problem Solving 7
Total 40 50
% -- --
10
4. Find out the total number of items for each subject matter.

Nr
Tt = T
‘- d
Tr
Where:
Tt = Total No. of Items for Each Topic
Nr = No. of Recitations
Tr = Total No. of Recitations
Td = Total Number of Items Desired

11
4. Find out the total number of items for each subject matter.

No of Class No of
Content Sessions Items
4
= ----- x 50
1. Subtraction Concepts 4 5 40
2. Subtraction as the Inverse 4 5
of Addition
‘-
3. Subtraction Without 8 10
Regrouping
4. Subtraction with 5 6
Regrouping
5. Subtraction Involving 8 10
Zeros
6. Mental Computation 4 5
through Estimation

7. Problem Solving 7 9
Total 40 50
% -- --
12
5. Distribute the number of test items.

No of Class No of RBT Skills

Content Sessions Items R U Ap An E C
1. Subtraction Concepts 4 5 2 3 -- -- -- --

2. Subtraction as the 4 5 1 1 2 1 -- --
Inverse of Addition ‘-
3. Subtraction Without 8 10 1 2 4 1 2 --
Regrouping
4. Subtraction with 5 6 1 2 2 1 -- --
Regrouping
5. Subtraction Involving 8 10 2 3 3 1 1
Zeros
6. Mental Computation 4 5 2 3 -- -- --
through Estimation
7. Problem Solving 7 9 2 4 4 -- -- --
Total 40 50 9 17 17 4 3 -- 13
% -- -- 18 34 34 8 6 --
6. Construct the test items by observing the Principles of Test
Construction.
‘-

14
 TWO-WAY TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS IN
MATHEMATICS
No of Class No of RBT Skills Test
Content Sessions Items R U Ap An E C Total % Placements

1. Subtraction Concepts 4 5 2 3 -- -- -- -- 5 10 1-5

2. Subtraction as the 4 5 1 1 2 1 -- -- 5 10 6 - 10
Inverse of Addition ‘-
3. Subtraction Without 8 10 1 2 4 1 2 -- 10 20 11 - 20
Regrouping
4. Subtraction with 5 6 1 2 2 1 -- -- 6 12 21 - 26
Regrouping
5. Subtraction Involving 8 10 2 3 3 1 1 10 20 27 - 36
Zeros
6. Mental Computation 4 5 2 3 -- -- -- 5 10 37 - 41
through Estimation

7. Problem Solving 7 9 2 4 4 -- -- -- 9 18 42 – 50
Total 40 50 9 17 17 4 3 -- 50 -- 1 - 50
15
% -- -- 18 34 34 8 6 -- -- 100 --
 One-Way Table of Specifications
Contents/Competencies/Topics Number of Number of % Test
Class Items Placement
Sessions
1. Subtraction Concepts 4 5 10.00 1-5
2. Subtraction as the Inverse of 4 5 10.00 6-10
‘-
Addition
3. Subtraction without 8 10 20.00 11-20
Regrouping
4. Subtracting with Regrouping 5 6 12.00 21-26
5. Subtraction Involving Zeros 8 10 20.00 27-36
6. Mental Computation through 4 5 10.00 37-41
Estimation
7. Problem Solving 7 9 18.00 42-50
16 16
TOTAL 40 50 100.00 1-50
How do we construct test
‘- items?

17
What type of test to construct?
• Objective Type
(Short-Answer, Completion, or
‘-
Selection Type)

• Subjective or Essay Type

(Restricted Response or Extended Response)

18
Objective Type Test
It is called OBJECTIVE in the sense that:

‘-
• You can score them
• Elements of subjectivity and personal judgment is
eliminated
• You will get the same number of right or wrong answer,
no matter how many times you score it
19
Subjective Type Test

• usually called “Essay Type”

‘-
• there is subjectivity in scoring

20
 For Objective Test Type,
Test Type SKILLS measured based on RBT
• Short-answer items
> Identification Remember / Understand
> Enumeration Remember
‘-
• Completion items
> Filling the Blanks Remember
• Selection items
> Matching Type Remember
> True-False LOTS & HOTS
> Multiple-Choice LOTS & HOTS

21
TEST CONSTRUCTION PRINCIPLES
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SHORT-ANSWER ITEMS:

There are three varieties of short-answer items:

1. Question Variety
Example:
What is the capital of the Philippines?

2. Completion Variety
Example:
4 + 6/2 = ________

3. Identification or association Variety

Example:
On the blank next to the name of each chemical element, write the symbol sed for it.
Element Symbol
Barium ______
Calcium ______
Chlorine ______
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SHORT-ANSWER ITEMS:

1. Use the question form of the short-answer variety if possible.

Example:

What is the pen name of the author of Alice in Wonderland? _____

2. Word each item in specific terms with clear meanings so that the intended answer is the
only one possible and it is a single word, brief phrase or number.

Example:

What city is known for durian?

 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SHORT-ANSWER ITEMS:

3. Avoid copying verbatim from books or classroom materials.

4. State the precise, numerical units, or degree of specificity expected of the
answer.
Example:
If each item to be mailed weighs 1-3/4 oz., how much will ten items
weigh?
_______oz.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For COMPLETION ITEMS:
1. Word each item so that the blank or answer space is toward the end of the
sentence.
Example: The capital of Cebu is ___________.

2. Avoid indefinite statements.

Example:

Miriam Defensor-Santiago was born in ___________.

(The statement should indicate whether the response is to be the date or place
of birth.)

Improved form:

Miriam Defensor-Santiago was born in La Paz, Iloilo City on ____________.

 Guidelines for Test Construction
For COMPLETION ITEMS:
3. Avoid over-mutilated statements.
Example:

The _____________ is obtained by dividing the _________ by the _________.

(It is impossible for the example to tell whether the statement refers to an educational measurement
or to Mathematics.)

Improved form:
The __________ is obtained by dividing the ________ by the M.A.

4. Avoid giving students unwarranted clues to the desired responses.

There are several ways in which clues are often carelessly given. The following suggestions
may help to prevent common errors in constructing completion tests:
a. Avoid lifting statements directly from the book.

b. Omit only key words or phrases rather than trivial details.

c. Whenever possible, avoid “a” or “an” immediately before a blank. These words may give a clue of whether a
response is with a consonant or vowel.
d. Do not indicate the expected answer by varying lengths of blanks or by using a dot for each letter in the correct
word.

e. Guard against the possibility that one item or part of the test may suggest the correct response to another item.

f. Avoid giving grammatical clues to the answer expected.

Example:

The authors of the first performance test of intelligence were ___________.

Improved:
The first performance test of intelligence was prepared by ____________.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MATCHING TYPE:

This type consists of two columns in which the proper pairing relationship of
two things is strictly observed. For instance, Column A is to be matched with
Column B.

In the balanced form of matching tests, the number of items is equal

to the number of options. For instance, if there are15 items in column A, there
are also 15 options in column B. In other words, all options have pairs.

On the other hand, it is said to be an unbalanced matching type, if

there are unequal numbers in the two columns. For instance, Column A has
five items while Column B has seven options.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MATCHING TYPE:

1. Using heterogeneous materials must be avoided in matching exercises.

For instance, dates and terms, persons and events, measurements and
definitions, and many others must not be mixed with each other. Make a
matching exercise homogeneous.

2. All options, including distracters, must be plausible.

3. The item column must be placed at the left and the option column at the
right.

4. The option column must be arranged in alphabetical order and dates in

chronological order to facilitate selection of correct answers.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MATCHING TYPE:

5. There should only be one correct response for each item.

6. Be sure each item has a pair in the option column.

7. The ideal number of items is 5 to 10 and a maximum of 15.

8. All items must appear on one page to avoid waste of time and energy in
turning pages.

9. Avoid using incomplete sentences for premises.

 Guidelines for Test Construction
For TRUE-FALSE TEST:
1. Avoid the use of absolute modifiers such as all, none, no, always, never, nothing, only,
alone, more, and not, since they are more likely to be false unless they are a part of a fact
or truth.
Moreover, determiners such as may, some, seldom, sometimes, usually, often,
frequently, generally, as a rule, are more likely to be true, hence, the foregoing
determiners must be avoided because they give indirect suggestions to possible answers.

Examples: All athletes are strong. (false)

Some Filipinos are hardworking. (true)

2. The use of similar statements from a book must be avoided to minimize rote memorization.

3. The items are carefully constructed so that the language is within the level of
understanding of the students, hence, flowery statements are to be avoided.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For TRUE-FALSE TEST:

4. Statements which are partly right and partly wrong must be avoided. The
truth or falsity of a statement should depend upon the main idea and not
upon any minor element, word, phrase or clause.

Example:

Rizal, who wrote “Florante at Laura,” is a national hero.

(The main idea is “Rizal is our national hero” and it is wrong to insert the
clause, “who wrote Florante at Laura.”)

5. Ambiguous and double negative statements must be avoided.

6. True-false statements should be arranged at random to avoid any clues.

 Guidelines for Test Construction
For TRUE-FALSE TEST:

7. Correct responses should not follow a pattern, otherwise the students may
be able to give the right answer although they do not know the real
answers.

8. Do not use statements that cannot be answered by true or false or by yes

or no. A statement cannot be answered by true or false if it is too
abstract or too general.

Example: Filipinos are industrious.

 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:
The multiple choice test is regarded as one of the best forms of testing. This form is most
valuable and widely-used in standardized tests due to its flexibility and objectivity in scoring.

The multiple-choice item is considered somewhat more difficult to construct than the other
objective items. However, it is a much more effective item for measuring higher cognitive
processes.

Each item must be in the form of a complete sentence, question, incomplete statement, or a
stimulus word or phrase. This is called the STEM. The given responses from which only one
correct response is selected are called OPTIONS (also called CHOICES, RESPONSES, or
ALTERNATIVES).

Usually, one of the alternatives is the correct or best answer to the question or problem
posed. The remaining incorrect alternatives are called “distracters” or “foils”. Their
function is to appear as plausible answers or solutions to the problem for those examinees
who do not posses sufficient knowledge.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:

Parts of the Multiple-Choice Type

1. The degree to which a test measures a STEM

theoretical trait is called ____.
DISTRACTERS, serving as
a. content validity plausible answers to the
b. predictive validity question, for those lacking
knowledge
c. concurrent validity
CORRECT ALTERNATIVE,
d. construct validity OPTION, RESPONSE
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:

Advantages of multiple-choice items:

1. The multiple-choice item can be used to test a greater variety of

instructional objectives.
2. It does not require the examinee to write out and elaborate their
answers, minimizing the opportunity for less knowledgeable
examinees to “bluff” or “dress-up” their answers.
3. It focuses on reading and thinking.
4. There is less of a chance for an examinee to guess the correct
answer to a multiple-choice item.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:

Criticisms on multiple-choice items:

1. They require students to choose from among a fixed list of options,

rather than to create or express their own ideas or solutions.
2. Poorly-written multiple-choice items can be superficial, trivial,
and limited to factual knowledge.
3. Bright pupils may detect flaws in multiple-choice items due to
ambiguities of wording, divergent viewpoints, or additional knowledge
of the subject, but since usually only one option on an item is keyed
as correct, they may be penalized.
4. Multiple-choice items tend to be based on “standardized,”
“vulgarized,” or “approved” knowledge and give students the
impression that there is a single, correct answer.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:
A. Constructing/ Improving the Main Stem

1. Statements borrowed from textbooks or other reference materials must be avoided. Use familiar
phrasing to test the comprehension of students.

2. The main stem of the test item may be constructed in question form, completion form, or
direction form.

Question form:
What is the same as four hundred seventy?
a. b. c. d.

Completion form:
Four hundred seventy is the same as _______.
a. b. c. d.

Direction form:
Add 22 + 43
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:
A. Constructing/ Improving the Main Stem

3. Articles “an” and “a” must be avoided as last words in an incomplete sentence. These words
give clues to probable answers as to whether the best option starts with a consonant or vowel.

4. The main stem should be clear. Avoid awkward stems.

Example of an awkward stem:

If there are 9 chairs in the classroom and 16 children in the class, the
classroom lacks how many chairs?
a. 7 b. 8 c. 9 d. 10

Improved stem:

There are 16 children and 9 chairs in the classroom. How many more
chairs are needed?
a. 7 b. 8 c. 9 d. 10
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:
A. Constructing/ Improving the Main Stem

5. In items testing definitions, place the word or term in the stem and use definitions or
descriptions as alternatives.

6. Avoid negatively-worded items.

 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:
B. Constructing/ Improving the Alternatives

1. Alternatives should be as closely related to each other as possible.

2. Alternatives should be arranged according to length: from shortest to

longest or longest to shortest.

3. All options must be plausible with each other to attract the students to
choose distracters or incorrect responses where only those with high
intellectual levels can get the best option.

4. All options must be grammatically consistent. For instance, if the stem

is singular, the option are all singular.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE:
B. Constructing/ Improving the Alternatives

5. Four or more options must be provided in each item to minimize

guessing.

6. The order of correct answers in all items are randomly arranged rather
than following a regular pattern.

7. A uniform number of options in each item must be used. For instance,

if there are twenty items for this type and if item 1 starts with five
options, the rest of the items will have also five options.

8. Avoid using “not given”, “none of the above”, “all of the above”, etc. as
alternatives in best-answer types of items.
Illustration of a multiple-choice item that measures behavior
in the cognitive domain:
Remembering Level
Where is the mouth of the Connecticut River Valley located?
a. New Haven c. Saybrook
b. New London d. Essex

(Simple recall of information is all that is asked.)

Understanding Level
Which term most accurately describes the soil deposited at the base of a canyon.
a. volcanic rock b. alluvial
c. sedimentary deposit d. conglomerate

(Learners need to recall information about erosion and soil formation accurately and
understand how these phenomena build specific geographic formations.)
Illustration of a multiple-choice item that measures behavior
in the cognitive domain:
Applying Level
To help retain valuable farm lands along a river, man often builds:
a. Dikes c. waterfalls
b. underwater dams d. floodgates

(Learners must apply their knowledge and understanding of rivers and looding to know that dikes will
prevent rampaging floods from carrying the soil away.)

Analyzing Level
A river that flows between steep mountains for a hundred miles and hen suddenly into a broad
plain will require people who live in the plain to build dams:
a. at the end of the canyon c. two miles below the mouth of the canyon
b. at the mouth of the canyon d. at several points along the canyon

(In analyzing the flow of such a river, students should understand how water from the mountain streams
will swell the water level in the river and cause it to flow faster and in dangerous amounts. They should
conclude, if they can perform at this cognitive level, that a series of dams will likely afford the best
protection.)
Illustration of a multiple-choice item that measures behavior
in the cognitive domain:

Evaluating Level
Which of the following strategies would be the most equitable solution to the perennial
drought problems of a large population living in a plain below a well-watered upland
area?

a. divert the water from the upland lakes by aqueducts

b. change the course of a major river that serves the upland region
c. drill deep wells in the plains area
d. build a series of dams in the upland region to store water for the plains area

(Each response is plausible and each poses economic and emotional problems. Making a
thoughtful judgment in terms of available information is called for.)
 Exercise 1
Directions. In each of the following test items, check if the test construction principles were properly
observed. Write letter “D” if the item is “defective” and write “ND” if the item is “not defective”.
In case your answer is D (Defective), write the word/s or phrase/s that makes the test item
defective or state the test construction principle which was violated.

1. _____ is a word or group of words that expresses a complete thought or idea.

2. All boys are strong. True or False?

3. Which type of test can be used in testing a greater variety of instructional objectives?
[Link] c. true-false
[Link] d. completion

4. How many 30 centavos are in one peso?

5. What is the same as five hundred thirty?

 Exercise 1
Directions. In each of the following test items, check if the test construction principles were properly
observed. Write letter “D” if the item is “defective” and write “ND” if the item is “not defective”.
In case your answer is D (Defective), write the word/s or phrase/s that makes the test item
defective or state the test construction principle which was violated.

6. There are 10 children and 6 chairs in the classroom. How many more
chairs are needed?

7. Cory Aquino was born in the year _____.

8. What value of y will make the equation 3 – y = 5 true?

9. In the equation 4x + 2 = 10, what is the value of x?

10. The measure around a circle is called a _____.

 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SUBJECTIVE or ESSAY TYPE:

Essay examinations test a student’s ability to express his ideas

accurately and to think critically within a period of time. It consists of
questions to which the students respond in one or more sentences to a
specific question or problem.

Essay examinations afford students better opportunities to demonstrate

creative and innovative thinking and to arrive independently at alternative
solutions to problems.

In essay tests, a teacher should determine the intellectual process to be

evaluated.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SUBJECTIVE or ESSAY TYPE:

Guidelines for constructing effective essay tests:

1. It must be planned and constructed carefully in advance.

2. It must show major aspects of the lesson in framing questions, that is,
questions must be distributed evenly among the different topics.
3. Time limit on the coverage of each question should be reckoned so that
students have adequate time to answer.
4. Use essay tests particularly to measure higher-order mental processes.
5. Make the language in the questions clear. Avoid words or phrases that are
open to a variety of interpretations, and keep sentence structure clear and
simple.
6. Be sure that directions are clear and understandable.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SUBJECTIVE or ESSAY TYPE:

Advantages:

1. Easy to construct
2. Economical
3. Trains the core of organizing, expressing, and reasoning power
4. Minimize guessing
5. Develops critical thinking. Essay questions call for comparison, analysis,
reorganization of facts, for criticism, for defense of opinion, for decision
and other mental activity.
6. Minimizes cheating and memorizing.
7. Develops good study habits. Through essay tests, students study their
lessons with comprehension rather than rote memory.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SUBJECTIVE or ESSAY TYPE:

Disadvantages:

1. Low validity. It has limited sampling.

2. Low reliability. Due to its subjectivity of scoring, the tendency of some
teachers to react unfavorably to answers of students whom they consider
weak and to give favorable impressions to answers of bright students.
3. Low usability. Time-consuming to both teacher and student.
4. Encourages bluffing. The tendency of the students who does not know the
answer is to bluff.
5. Difficult to correct or score.
6. Disadvantageous to students with poor handwriting. Some teachers react
unfavorably to responses of students having poor handwriting and untidy
papers.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SUBJECTIVE or ESSAY TYPE:

Guidelines for correcting and scoring an essay exam:

1. Brush up on answers before scoring.

2. Quickly read through the papers on the basis of your opinion of their
worthiness and sort them into five groups: a.) very superior papers b.)
superior papers c.) average d.) inferior and, e.) very inferior
3. Read the responses simultaneously. If there are five questions, connect all
answers to the first one, then to the second and so on. Gear up for one
question and correct it.
4. Prepare a model answer on which to compare the student’s answers.
 Guidelines for Test Construction
For SUBJECTIVE or ESSAY TYPE:

Guidelines for correcting and scoring an essay exam:

5. Correct the answers on the basis of how their content relates to the model
answer. Handwriting, spelling and grammar can be dealt with separately
but such mechanical considerations should not influence judgments about
the quality of an answer.

6. Re-read the papers in each group and shift any that you feel is misplaced.

7. Avoid looking at the names of the papers you are scoring.

 Guidelines for Test Construction

Other considerations for constructing and evaluating essay

tests:

Should students have options on an essay exam such as

answering three out of five? This approach defeats the purpose
of testing. Since the essay measures and evaluates student’s
ability to attain instructional objectives, all students should answer
the same questions.
Illustration on essay items measuring behavior
at the higher cognitive domain:
Remembering
Mention five guidelines for effective essay questions.

Understanding
Name two major advantages of an essay test and describe how each
contributes to an effective essay item.

Applying
Construct two good essay questions.
Illustration on essay items measuring behavior
at the higher cognitive domain:
Analyzing
Explain how to score and correct an essay exam.

(The question calls for good memory, understanding and application skills.)

Evaluating
Discuss the effects of giving an essay exam to students (emotional and
intellectual).

(To do well on this questions, students will have to consider everything they have learned
about essay tests and their impact.)

Creating
Write three (3) essay items measuring behavior at the higher cognitive
level.