Test Construction

Guidelines
Dr. Nieves M. Medina
Dean, Graduate School
St. Paul University Manila

Planning for the test:
Outline subject-matter content to be considered as the
basis for the test.
Identify learning outcomes to be measured by the test.
Prepare table of specifications.
Choose appropriate type(s) of test items for evaluation of
learning outcomes as summarized in the table of
specifications.
Preparing the test:
Write test items according to rules of
construction for the type(s) chosen.

Select the items to be included in the test
according to table of specifications.

Review and edit items according to
guidelines.
Preparing the test:
Arrange items: decide on a) grouping of items,
b) sequence of items within groups, c)sequence
of groupings.

Prepare directions for the test; if necessary,
prepare directions for individual items
(e.g.,matching type) or for sections (e.g.,
negative form of one-best response type).

Decide on method of scoring.

Analyzing and revising the
test:
Perform test analysis to determine
difficulty, discrimination and reliability.
Retain, edit as necessary, or discard
items on basis of analysis outcomes.
Revise the test as a whole if necessary.
TEST PREPARATION
The initial step in testing must be the
determination of what you are
attempting to measure.
When this decision is made and only after
it is made can you decide what type of
test to use.
Writing Directions
The directions for an achievement test
should be simple and concise and yet
contain
Information concerning each of the
following:
1. Purpose of the test.
2. Time allowed to complete the test.
3. How to record the answers.
4. Whether to guess when in doubt about
the answer.
Other considerations
Reproducing the test
Decisions need to be made regarding page
size, type size, page layout (length of line,
placing of items on page, provision for
response, page numbers, arrangement of
alternatives in multiple choice items),
preparation of copy, proofreading.

Administering and scoring the test.
Decisions need to be made regarding setting of
time limits, observation of time limits, physical
set-up, proctors distribution of test, scoring
sheets, scoring method (by hand/machine).
Assigning Grades
Decisions need to be made regarding
weighting of items according to table of
specifications.
Reporting Grades to students
Plans need to be made for each of the
following alternatives: posting by name,
posting by number or returning graded
tests to students.
Ground rules regarding students complaints
Decisions need to be made regarding
procedure for appeal by students as well
as method of dealing with appeals.

Types of Test
Multiple Choice
Matching Items
True or False
Arranging Items
Essay Type of Test


MULTIPLE CHOICE
QUESTIONS (MCQ)
Multiple choice items consist of two parts: a
stem and number of options or alternatives.
The stem is a question or statement that is
answered or completed by one of the
alternatives. All incorrect or less appropriate
alternatives are called destructors or foils and
the students task is to select the correct or
best alternative from all the options

Forms of MCQs
1. The correct answer form
2. The best answer form
3. The incomplete statement form
4. The negative form
5. The combined response form
6. Substitution form

Advantages of MCQ
They can measure complex level knowledge i.e.
understanding, judgement, ability to solve problems

A substantial amount of course content can be tested
because the examinees do not require much time for
writing the answer

Objectivity in scoring even a layman can score

They can check discrimination ability of
students

Reduce the effect of guessing

Can be easily adapted for machine
scoring

This format is helpful in item analysis

Limitations of MCQs
They require examinee to select the answer from a
fixed list and not permit to create or express and
organize their own ideas
Examinees who do not the correct answer can
succeed in guessing
Sometimes difficult to find four or five choices in
construction
Time consuming at teacher end

Suggestions for MCQ
Stem should introduce what is expected of the
examinee
Specific determiners should be avoided
Vocabulary according to the level of students
All the choices should be plausible
Test items should have defensible correct or
best answer
The correct choice should not be at the same
place in all or most of the items

The choice like NONE OF THE ABOVE ALL
THE ABOVE should be avoided
Each item should pose only one problem
Teacher should construct mcqs on daily basis

Matching Type

A test consisting of a two column format,
premises and responses that requires the
student to take a correspondence between
the two
Advantages
Simple to construct and score
Well suited to measure association
Reduce the effect of guessing
They can be used to evaluate examinees
understanding of concepts, principle, schemes
for classifying objects, ideas or events

Limitations
They generally provide clues
They are restricted to factual information which
encourages memorization
if the same number of items are written in both
the columns, the matching type is converted to
MCQs at late stage and in the end it is converted
to true and false category

Suggestions for Matching Type
Homogeneous items should be selected

No clue should be provided in both the
columns

Clear instruction to attempt

All the items should be printed on the
same page


Suggestions for Matching Type
Premise should be written in the left hand column
and be numbered, responses should be written in
the right hand column and be lettered

Responses should be more than the premises to
ensure that examinee has to think even up to last
premise

Clear directions

Incomplete sentences should not be used for
premise

True or False Questions

A true false item consists of a
statement or proposition which the
examinee must judge and mark as
either true or false
Advantages

It takes less time to construct true false items
High degree of objectivity
Teacher can examine students on more material

LIMITATIONS
High degree of guessing
Largely limited to learning outcomes in the
knowledge area
They expose students to error which is
psychologically undesirable
They may encourage students to study and
accept only oversimplified statements of truth
and factual learning

Suggestions
Balance between true and false items

Each statement should be unequivocally true or
false. It should not be partly true or partly false

Double negatives should be avoided

Long and complex statements should not be used
as they measure reading comprehension

Suggestions
Only one idea should be measured in one
statement

Explain which judgement is to be used
true/false, yes/no, correct/incorrect

Clues should be avoided

Statements should not be taken directly from
the textbook

Essay Type of Questions
It is an item format that requires the
student to structure a rather long written
response up to several paragraphs
-(WILLIAM AND STEPHAN )
Characteristics of an Essay
Generally essay tests contain more than
one question in the test
Essay tests are to be answered in writing
only
Essay test tests require completely long
answers
Essay tests are attempted on the basis of
recalling the memory


Type of Essay
SELECTIVE RECALL (BASIS GIVEN)
Evaluation Recall (Basis Given)
Comparison Of Two Things On A Single
Designated Basis
Comparison of Two Things In General

DECISIONS (FOR AND AGAINST)
Explanation of the use exact meaning of some
word, phrase or statement
Summary of some unit of the text or of some
article
Analysis
Illustrations or examples
Application of rules, laws, or principles to new
situations
Discussions
Criticism
Inferential thinking


Advantages
Can measure complex learning outcomes
Emphasize integration and application of
thinking and problem solving
Can be easily constructed
Examinee free to respond
No guessing as in objective item

Require less time for typing, duplicating or
printing, can be written on board
Can be used as device for measuring and
improving language and expression skills

Limitations
Lack of consistency in judgements even
among competent examiners
They have holo effect
Question to question carry effect
Examinee to examinee carry effect
Language mechanic effect
Limited Content Validity
Some examiners are too strict and some are
too linient
Difficult to score objectively
Time consuming
Legthy Enumeration Of Memorized Facts

Suggestion for Constructing an Essay
Question
ASK QUESTIONS THAT REQUIRE THE EXAMINEE
TO SHOW COMMAND OF ESSENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE
MAKE QUESTIONS AS EXPLICIT AS POSSIBLE
SHOULD BE NO CHOICE IN QUESTIONIN
QUESTION PAPER
TEST CONSTRUCTOR SHOULD PREPARE IDEAL
ANSWERS TO ALL QUESTIONS
INTIMATE THE EXAMINEE ABOUT DESIRED
LANGTH OF THE ANSWERS

The level of difficulty of an individual test item.

The extent to which the item succeeds in
discriminating between the more knowledgeable
and less knowledgeable students

The quality of the item in terms of its relevance
to education objectives of a particular course.
Criteria for Multiple-Choice Questions
Examples of Test Types
Multiple-Choice Questions

Good:
Question: The most effective prophylactic
agent for the prevention of recurrences of
rheumatic fever is:
a. acetylsalicyclic acid
b. para-aminobenzoic acid
c. adrenocortiocotropic hormone
d. *penicillin
e. cortisone
Better
Question: The most effective
prophylactic agent for the prevention of
recurrences of rheumatic fever is:
a. acetylsalicyclic acid
b. para-aminobenzoic acid
c. adrenocortiocotropic hormone
d. cortisone
e. * none of the above

Examples of Test Types
Multiple True-False Type

In one form of this type of item, the student
is directed to select A response if 1, 2 and
3 are correct; B if 1 and E are correct; C if
2 and 4 are correct; D if only 4 is correct; E
if all four are correct. In the following
example (1) and (3) are correct, the
response is therefore B.



Examples of Test Types
Question: A child is suffering from an acute
exacerbation of rheumatic fever usually has:
(1) an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate
(2) a prolonged P-R interval
(3) an elevated antistreptolysin 0 titer
(4) subcutaneous muscle

Better
It should be noted that the code to this
type of item is shown in the abbreviated
form at the top of every page where items
of this type appear


A
1,2,3 only

B
1, 3 only

C
2, 4 only
D
4 only
E
All are
correct
Matching type
Example 1:
Pick the phrase in column (B) that most
accurately defines each of the phrase in column
(A)
Examples of Test Types
Column A Column B
(B) 1. Long-standing silicosis A. Hypertrophy of the left ventricle
( E) 2. Constrictive pericarditis B. Cor pulmona
(C) 3. Rheumatic heart disease C. Mitral and aortic stenosis
(A) 4. Systemic Hypertension D. Subpulmonic stenosis
E. Congestive failure without
cardiac enlargement
Care must be taken to be sure that
association keypad as the correct
response is unquestionable correct and
that the numbered item could not be rightly
associated with any other choice
Examples of Test Types
Matching type
Example 2:
Select the A response if the word or phrase is associated
with A only, B if the word or phrase is associated with B
only, C if the word or phrase is associated with both A
and B or D if the word or phrase is associated neither A
nor B.
Cont. Matching type

(A) Plasmodium vivax malaria
(B) Plasmodium falciparum malaria
(C) Both
(D) Neither

1. A combination of primaquine and chloroquine is the treatment of
choice for an acute attack (A)

2. Clinical attacks are suppressed by ingestion of chloroquine once
a week while in an endemic area. (C)

3. Infection is prevented by ingestion of choloroquine once a week
(D)
Examples of Test Types