Chapter 13

Question 1

Test items must always be based on specific learning objectives.

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Question 2

Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation guide an instructor in determining whether a student has learned necessary material.

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Question 3

Both students’ and instructors’ work is easier when test sheets have proper formatting and layout.

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Question 4

Test items should evaluate the student’s ability at the level within the taxonomy that corresponds to the learning objective being evaluated.

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Question 5

The actual determination of test difficulty is the responsibility of a level III instructor.

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Question 6

In terms of time requirements, benchmarks for answering certain types of questions are as follows:
True-false - 15 seconds for true answers
Seven-item matching - 60-90 seconds
Multiple-choice - 30-60 seconds

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Question 7

Tests should be an appropriate length to address the learning objectives that the test is intended to evaluate.

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Question 8

When time is a restrictive factor, tests can emphasize the most critical learning objectives and include a sampling of less important objectives. This method of test construction is called sampling.

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Question 9

In the fire and emergency services, bias is generally limited to use of jargon and differences in terminology.

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Question 10

Written tests measure students’ understanding and retention of technical information and evaluate their accomplishment of the cognitive learning objectives.

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Question 11

An objective test item is a question for which there is only one correct answer.

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Question 12

Objective items measure cognitive learning but typically only at the lower levels of remembering and understanding.

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Question 13

There are three main types of objective questions:
Multiple choice questions
True or false
Matching

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Question 14

A subjective test item has no single correct answer.

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Question 15

Subjective items are an effective way of measuring higher cognitive levels because they allow students the freedom to organize, analyze, revise, redesign, or evaluate a problem.

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Question 16

Questions that are published in study guides, test preparation guides, textbooks, and manuals should not be used for certification or summative tests.

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Question 17

A multiple-choice test item consists of either a question or an incomplete statement, called the stem, plus a list of several possible responses, which are referred to as choices or alternatives.

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Question 18

Distractors are used to discriminate between students who understand the subject matter well and those who are uncertain of the correct answer.

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Question 19

One limitation of true-false questions is that students tend to remember the false items on the test as being true, a phenomenon known as the negative suggestion effect.

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Question 20

Instructors should be advised that matching test items may be more effectively and efficiently written as a series of multiple-choice questions.

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Question 21

The interpretive exercise is another subjective test item that measures higher level cognitive process.

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Question 22

When the purpose of the test is to determine knowledge, the questions should be closed, requiring only a single brief answer.

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Question 23

When the purpose is to determine how a student responds under pressure, the question should judge both accuracy and presentation.

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Question 24

Even though scoring is subjective and testing conditions may cause anxiety, an oral test is the most valid and reliable way to test a student’s ability to verbally communicate ideas, concepts, and processes.

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Question 25

A performance or skills test measures a student’s proficiency in performing any task that involves a psychomotor objective.

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Question 26

Assessment is based on either a speed standard such as timed performance, a quality standard, such as minimum acceptable performance, or both.

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Question 27

Performance tests require students to demonstrate psychomotor proficiency after appropriate practice or drill sessions.

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Question 28

Validity - A performance test is the only valid method of measuring a student’s ability to perform manipulative skills.

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Question 29

Reliability - A properly constructed performance test using specific criteria is a reliable measure of performance when coupled with an appropriate rating scale.

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Question 30

Using checklists for evaluation helps to ensure that students are rated against a standard and not against one another.

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Question 31

Test items are not normally written to evaluate the affective domain because affective objectives are often difficult to measure.

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Question 32

Learning objectives that include a change in affective behavior can be evaluated based on instructor observations during training.

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Question 33

Compare performance against appropriate minimum standards.

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Criterion-referenced tests

Question 34

Rate student performance compared to other students.

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Norm-referenced tests

Question 35

Norm-referenced tests are very effective for promotional examinations when ranking applicants is desirable.

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Question 36

Norm-referenced tests should never be used as end-of-course or certification tests.

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Question 37

Given at the beginning of instruction to establish a student’s current level of knowledge.

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Prescriptive

Question 38

Quizzes, pop tests, or question/answer periods in class that are given throughout the course or unit of instruction, typically measure improvement and give the instructor and students feedback on learning progress.

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Formative

Question 39

Measure student achievement in an entire area on a number of topics covered over a long period of time such as semester or other major segment of a course.

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Summative

Question 40

After determining the purpose and classification of the test, the instructor must identify the learning objectives the test will evaluate.

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Question 41

Learning objectives reflect the course outcomes, which are broad statements explaining what students should have learned at the completion of a course.

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Question 42

The appropriate number of items for any test depends on the following factors:
Purpose of the test
Types of test items or performance items
Desired level of reliability

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Question 43

An objective that took 30 minutes to teach in a 120- minute course would be addressed by 25 percent of the test items.

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Question 44

Usability is an important factor to consider when developing a test, or when selecting a test that another organization developed.

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Question 45

The two most important characteristics of a well-designed test are validity and reliability.

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Question 46

Validity is the extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure.

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Question 47

One way to ensure validity is to include an ample number of test items for each learning level and content area.

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Question 48

Reliability is the extent to which a test provides consistent, accurate measurements of student achievement.

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Question 49

The final step in creating a test instrument is determining how to score it, which includes establishing the criteria for passing and failing.

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Question 50

There are three main types of subjective test items:
Short answer or completion
Essay
Interpretive exercise

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Question 51

The most common test types are written, oral, and performance.

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