Test Construction and Use of

Table of Specification
Dr. Nieves M. Medina
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At the end of the session the following are
expected:
1.To be familiar with the different types of tests
and how to construct said tests correctly.
2.To formulate table of specifications attuned
to the type and quality of tests to be
constructed.
3.Prized insights gained through the
application of the concepts and procedures
shared.
Objectives
A test is an instrument or systematic
procedure for measuring a sample of
behavior. How well does the student
perform either in comparison with
others or in comparison with a domain
of performance task? (De Guzman,
2010)
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A test is valid when it measures
what it is supposed to measure.
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Characteristics of a Good Test
1.Valid a test is valid if it measures what it
intends to measure.
2.Reliable a test is reliable if consistency
of scores is obtained by the same person
given the same test on different occasions.
3.Useful a test has usefulness if it is
functional-meaning it serves its purpose or
the reason why the teacher gives the test.
How to Construct Test Items
1.Keep the sentence structure as simple and
understandable as it can be.
2.Use appropriate vocabulary.
3.Keep the question short and simple.
4. Be sure that there is only one correct
answer for every item or question.
5.Avoid confusion. Questions or test items
should follow the hierarchy /order of
difficulties
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Suggestions for Writing Test Items
1.Use Table of Specifications as your guide in
constructing test items.
2.Prepare many test items to choose from.
3.Have ready test items for inclusion in the
test.
4.Each test item should describe the intended
learning outcome.
5. Each test item should clearly define what are
expected from students.
6.Write each item at an appropriate reading
level.
7.Write each test item so that it does not
provide help in answering other items in the
test.


8.Write each test item so that the answer is one
that would be agreed upon by experts.
9.Write each test item so that it is at the proper
level of difficulty.
10.Whenever a test is revised, recheck its
relevance.
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Tests are valuable for measuring achievement,
diagnosing difficulties, and obtaining information on
students interest and personal adjustment.
Instruments used for these purposes can be oral
tests, performance tests, or paper-and-pencil test
with objective or essay questions.


And because the teacher will be constructing
numerous tests, she should become
acquainted with the different types of tests:

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1. The Objective Test
A good objective test contains questions which, if
properly understood -have only one correct
answer. The teacher, therefore cannot make a
subjective evaluation of the students answer.
Some objective tests contains identifications,
matching, multiple-choice, or true-false
questions which require the student to select
the correct answer from a number of
alternatives. Others contain completion or
short-answer questions which require the
student to supply a word or phrase.

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2. Essay Test
In an essay test, the student organizes his
information and writes his own response instead
of a given response or selecting supplying a word
or phase. The student may be asked to describe,
list, compare, evaluate, outline, analyze, or
explain.
In an Essay test students may also be requested
to give examples or reasons apply principles,
predict outcomes, or support or refute a
position. The teacher might direct the
students to write their answers in the form of
a skit.

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Depending upon the type of essay examination, the
student may encounter either highly structured
questions which limit the type of response
possible or broad questions which give him
considerable freedom in selecting and organizing
his response. Unfortunately, the questions in a
poorly constructed essay test may be so
ambiguously stated that the student does not
know what type of response to make.
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The essay test is a valuable means of evaluating
the students ability to select and restrict the use
of essay questions to those learning outcomes
that cannot be satisfactorily measured by
objective items.
Formulate questions that will call forth the
behavior specified in the learning outcomes.
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Sample Essay Questions
A. College of Criminology:
1.Discuss in length police brutality. Cite three
cases of police brutality. Your discussion should
observe the following procedure: character; case;
incidence of brutality; theories/ policies; argument
and synthesis. (30 points)
B. College of Nursing
2. Explain in length Nursing care is from womb to
tomb.(25 points)


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Oral/Verbal Test
In an oral test, the teacher asks questions which
require the student to think, analyze, and interpret
information as he prepares his verbal response.
The student may be asked to discuss a topic, or
refute or support a particular statement or
position, or draw a conclusion on the basis of
evidence presented and defend the logic behind
his conclusion.
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During the test, you can request the student to
provide more information on certain items, ask
questions which demonstrate to the student that
he appears to be contradicting himself, or probe
further in those areas where the student appears
to be weak.
The verbal/oral test is an effective means of
evaluating students who, due to some physical
disability, cannot write. Whatever the purpose
of the test, the student must know the criteria
used as a basis of evaluating and must have
the opportunity to discuss to what extent he
meets these criteria.

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The Performance Test
Performance test measure a students proficiency
in a particular skill. In typing classes, for example,
timed tests and can measure a students speed
and accuracy. But, here again, you as the teacher
must have established specific criteria for the
outcomes you are measuring. In an archery class,
you must check a students form and accuracy in
reference to standards you have already
established.
The Open-Book Test/Text-Research Activity
The open-book test permits students to consult
the text and open their reference books, and their
notes during the test period. Students are
required to locate needed information quickly, to
pick out pertinent details, and then to recognize
the information to answer the question. This type
of test may be given in Social Studies or History
classes.
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Take-Home Test
The take-home test encourages students to think
about a question, to consult numerous sources
inside and outside the school, and may also
require to do field work. Generally, you should
give the students about a week to complete the
test. The teacher must inform students of the
maximum length for the response and the criteria
for grading and scoring the test. Information now
a days are accessible via web sites and resource
links.
Constructing Short Answer Tests
Short-answer test construction involves the following
steps:
1. Draw up an outline or table of specifications, indicating
in terms of subject matter and mental process focused
on in the achievement of the instructional objectives.
2. Construct the individual items or questions so that
they correspond to specific items in the table of
specifications.
3. Arrange these items in proper order and form, prepare
directions for the students taking the test, prepare the
scoring key, and arrange other mechanics of the test.
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Specific Suggestions for Short-Answer Items
1.Word the item/s so that the required answer is
both brief and specific.
2.Do not take statements directly from textbooks
to use as a basis for short term items.
3.A direct questions is generally more desirable
than an incomplete statement.
4.If the answers should be equal in length and in
a column to the right of the question.
5.When completion items are used, do not
use/include too many blanks
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True-False or Alternative Response Items
1.Avoid broad general statements if they are to be
judged true or false.
2.Avoid trivial statements.
3.Avoid the use of negative statements, especially
double negatives.
4.Avoid long, complex sentences.
5.Avoid including two ideas in one statement,
unless cause-effect relationships are being
measured.
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6.If opinion is used, attribute it to some source
unless the ability to identify opinion is being
specifically measured.
7.True statements and false statements should be
approximately equal in length.
8. The number of true statements and false
statements should be approximately equal.
Matching Type Exercises
1. Use only homogenous material in a single matching
exercises.
2. Include an unequal number of responses and
premises, and instruct the pupil that responses may
be used once, more than once, not at all.
3. Keep the list of items to be matched brief, and place
the shorter responses on the right.
4. Arrange the list of responses in logical order.
5. Indicate in the directions the basis for matching the
responses and premises.
6. Place all of the items for one matching exercises on
the same page.
Multiple Choice
1.The stem of the item should be meaningful by
itself and should present a definite problem.
2.The item stem should include as much of the
item as possible and should be free or irrelevant
material.
3.Use a negatively stated item stem only when
significant learning outcomes require it.
4.All of the alternatives should be grammatically
consistent with the stem of the item.
5.An item should contain only one correct or clearly
best answer.
6.Items used to measure understanding should
contain novelty, but beware of too much.
7.All distracters should be plausible.
8.Verbal associations between the stem and the
correct answer should be avoided.
9.The relative length of the alternatives should not
be provide a clue to the answer.
10.The correct answer should appear in each of the
alternative positions and approximately equal
number of times but in random order.
11.Use of special alternatives such as none of the
above or all of the above should be done
sparingly.
12.Do not use multiple choice items when other
items types are more appropriate.
13.Break any of these rules when you have a good
reason of doing so.
The Use of the Table of Specifications (TOS)

A major step in ability test construction is the
preparation of a table of specification. It is two-
way or one-way table with one axis to represent
the subject matter content and another the type
of behavior or mental ability the test intends to
elicit.

Each of these broad categories deals with the
complexity of the objectives and depends partly
upon the degree of detail which the examiner
wishes to perceive in his test. In other words, it is
a test indicating the terms of the subject matter
and the mental processes suggested/indicated in
the instructional objectives whose achievement is
to be evaluated.
Figure in Levels Questioning
Steps in Constructing a Table of
Specifications
1.List the subject matter which have been taught
after a definite period of time in terms of units,
problems, area, etc.
2.Determine the objectives, specific knowledge, or
skills to be evaluated.
3.Find out the number of recitation days spent for
each subject matter, units, are, etc., taught and
total number of teaching days as well.
4.Find out the number of test items desired to be
administered. This depends largely on the nature
of the test and the length of time spent in
teaching the subject matter or discipline.
5.Find out the total number of items for each
subject matter as well as the objectives, by
dividing the total number of recitation and the
questions multiplied by the number of items on
the test.
6.Distribute the number of items for each subject
matter among the different objectives cognitive,
psychomotor, and affective.

7.Construct the test, observing the principles of test
construction. Take care of grouping together
questions belonging to a specific instructional
objective.
Steps in the Construction of Objective
Test Prior to TOS Construction
1.Draw up a table of specification.
2.Decide on the scope of the test.
3.Draft the items in preliminary form.
4.Edit and select the final items.
5.Rate the items in for terms of difficulty.
6. Break the items into alternative forms when
necessary
7. Arrange the items in an accelerating order of
difficulty.
8.Prepare clear and simple instructions for the
different sections of the test.
9. Make the answer key.
10.Decide upon the values for scoring.
Identification of Objectives
Guide in identifying the objectives and in
preparing the table of specifications:
1.Each objective should be written in terms of
observable and measurable aspects of human
behavior.
2.Objectives of the test should require the pupils to
do several kinds of tasks as follows:
a.Recall the most important pieces of the
specific information the learner is expected to
commit to memory.
b. Generalize and draw conclusions both from
the information provided for.
c. Apply newly learned generalizations to new
and familiar situations.
d. Discover and reveal relationship between
newly-learned information and information
previously learned.
3.Prepare the table of specifications
indicating the objectives for the areas of
instruction the teacher decides to
evaluate. The one-way or two-way table of
specifications should be prepared
depending upon the subjects to be tested
or the particular response to be taught.
4.The rationale behind the table of specifications
can be stated as:
a.It serves as an examination guide.
b.It indicates content validity.
c. It shows comprehension reporting of pupils
strengths and weaknesses about the test.
d.It guides the teacher on how to administer and
test specifically the number of items to be
placed under certain objectives of instruction.

A good test is a well-planned test based on the Table of Specification
(TOS). Example of TOS are herein provided.
Distribution of a 40-Item Reading Test by Skills Competence and Comprehension Level
SKILL COMPETENCE COMPREHENSION LEVEL TOTAL
Factual Interpretative Application
f % f % f % f %

NOTING DETAILS No. of Hrs
a. Identifying 3 1 6 7 17.5
b. Comparing 1 1 1 2.50
c. Classifying 1.5 3 3 7.50
UNDERSTANDING SEQUENCE 3 6 6 15
UNDERSTANDING CAUSE AND EFFECT 4 1 5 12.50
PICKING OUT THE MAIN IDEA 2 4 4 10
PREDICTING OUTCOME

1 2 2 5
MAKING INFERENCE
a. Paraphrasing 4 8 8 20
b. Inferring Meaning 2 4 4 10
Total 17.5 1 33 6 40 100
Note: the longer the time you teach the subject the more questions there should be.
B. Example No. 2
Knowledge Comprehension Application No. of item Test %
Vocabulary Devt. 4 1 0 5 25
Reading
Comprehension
2 5 3 10 50
Sentence
construction
0 0 5 5 25
TOTAL 6 6 8 20 100
Note: The number of questions depend on the particular skill the teacher
would like to stress
C. Example No. 3
One-way Table of Specifications in Health Promotion College of Nursing
Area / Contents Number of Recitation Number of Items Test Placements
1. Definition of Terms 7 8 1-8
2. Health
a. Illness
b. Symptoms and Cure
c. Preventive Measures

3
4
3

3
5
3

9-11
12-16
17-19
3. Health Promotion
a. Health Care
b. Health Habits

5
5

6
6

20-25
26-31
4. Case Analysis
a. Identification
b. Analysis / Complaints
c. Synthesis / Assessment


4
3
6


4
3
7


32-35
36-38
38-45
40 45 1-45
Note: To get the placement, study the formula below
Test Placement= No. of recitation x total no. of items
Total recitation days
D. Example No. 4
Two-way Table of specifications (A Course in Hotel and Restaurant Management)
Computation
Test Placement= No. of recitation x total no. of items
Total recitation days
Educational Objectives Disposal of
Garden
products
Care and
Fertilization
Related
Activities
Total Test
Placement
15 10 15 40
A. Cognitive
1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis and
synthesis
B. Affective
Change in attitude
Appreciation or
valuing

4
3
4
3



5


3
2
2
2



3

4
3
4
4



4

11
8
10
9



12

1-11
12-19
20-29
30-38



1-50
Total 19 12 19 50 39-40
Another Table
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