Test Construction

Question 1

What is the purpose of a test?

Answer 1

The purpose of a test is to measure students’ knowledge or skills and provide information on who performs better than others.

Question 2

How are the form and function of a test related?

Answer 2

Form and function are interrelated but not interdependent. Different forms of items can be used for various test purposes, but the function of the test may impose restrictions on item form (e.g., oral proficiency tests require different item formats).

Question 3

What are the steps in developing a test?

Answer 3

1.Determine the function and form of the test.
2.Plan the content of the test.
3.Prepare test items based on the specified content.
4.Review the items.
5.Pretest the items to assess their statistical characteristics.
6.Validate the test.

Question 4

Why are these steps in developing a test significant?

Answer 4

These steps ensure that a test is dependable and valid for decision-making purposes. Skipping any step may compromise the quality of the test.

Question 5

What factors influence the function of a test?

Answer 5

The characteristics of examinees, the specific purpose of the test, and the scope of the test.

Question 6

How do examinee characteristics impact test design?

Answer 6

Consider age, language background, and educational system. Adapt content and form accordingly.

Question 7

Why is determining the specific purpose important?

Answer 7

Different functions (e.g., proficiency, aptitude) require distinct content and form. Achievement tests differ from proficiency tests.

Question 8

How does the test scope affect development?

Answer 8

Consider whether the test is for a classroom, school, district, or country. Broader scope requires more care and resources.

Question 9

What is the purpose of testing?

Answer 9

The purpose of testing is to gather quantitative information about the degree of the examinees’ command in a particular area of knowledge.

Question 10

Why is it important to specify the content of a test?

Answer 10

It is crucial to precisely and carefully specify the content of a test. The test developer should not only clarify the content but also determine the relative importance of the elements to be included in the test.

Question 11

How does the form of a test influence its content? give examples

Answer 11

The form of a test (e.g., multiple-choice or production type) impacts the content. For instance:
A placement test focuses on materials covered in a specific course.
An aptitude test is unrelated to predetermined instructional materials.

Question 12

What is the first step in determining the content of a test?

Answer 12

The first step is to examine the instructional objectives. This involves outlining the course content and identifying major structural points covered during instruction.

Question 13

What is the purpose of a Table of Specifications?

Answer 13

A Table of Specifications ensures that the test includes a representative sample of materials covered in a specific course. It lists specific topics and subtopics according to instructional objectives and specifies the form and number of items for each topic.

Question 14

Why is specifying the nature of test items important?

Answer 14

Before creating test items, developers must determine the linguistic context within which identified elements should be tested. This step, known as preparing the items, ensures sound test construction and adherence to rules and regulations.

Question 15

What is essential for constructing reasonably acceptable test items?

Answer 15

Thorough knowledge of the principles of item preparation is essential for constructing reasonably acceptable test items.

Question 16

Is experience alone sufficient for creating defect-free test items?

Answer 16

No, even experienced teachers need to follow guidelines and principles for preparing various item types to avoid making defective items.

Question 17

What are true-false form items technically called?

Answer 17

True-false form items are technically called alternative-response items. Examinees are required to read a statement and mark it as true or false (T/F), right or wrong (R/W), correct or incorrect (C/I), yes or no (Y/N), or agree or disagree (A/D).

Question 18

What is the most common use of true-false items?

Answer 18

True-false items are primarily used to measure the ability of examinees to identify the accuracy of information provided through a statement. They assess simple learning outcomes, with comprehension being the major psychological process involved.

Question 19

How can true-false items be used in language testing?

Answer 19

Examples of using true-false items include:
*Listening comprehension through visual cues.
*Listening comprehension with aural cues.
*Reading comprehension: Examinees determine whether a given statement is true or false based on information provided in a passage.

Question 20

What are the limitations of true-false items?

Answer 20

True-false items depend on chance, as examinees have a 50% chance of guessing correctly without knowledge of the points being tested. Additionally, they are limited to measuring simple learning activities in language, making them less suitable for complex tasks.

Question 21

What are the advantages of using true-false items?

Answer 21

True-false items are easy to construct and score, and they allow test developers to include a large number of items in a given test.

Question 22

What precautions should test users take regarding true-false items?

Answer 22

*Avoid broad general statements: Statements that tend to be true may lead to guessing.
*Avoid trivial points: True-false items should not measure unimportant information.
*Avoid negative statements: Clearly indicate negative words (e.g., “not”) to prevent oversight.
*Avoid long and complex sentences: Complexity can hinder understanding.
*Balance true and false statements: Make them of similar length and difficulty.

Question 23

What is the recommendation for constructing matching items related to vocabulary knowledge?

Answer 23

Use homogeneous materials in a single matching item. For instance, limit the item to definitions, antonyms, or synonyms alone, avoiding a combination of these elements. Additionally, vocabulary items should not include grammatical structures.

Question 24

Why is it advisable to include an unequal number of items in each column of matching items?

Answer 24

Having an unequal number of items reduces predictability. If both columns have equal items, the last item can often be guessed based on previously answered ones. Varying the number of items decreases this possibility.

Question 25

What should be clarified regarding the way items are matched in matching items?

Answer 25

The instructions for matching items should specify whether the examinee should draw lines between corresponding items, number them, or use other forms of matching. Clear guidelines enhance consistency and fairness.

Question 26

What are the advantages of keeping a list brief and placing the shorter column on the right?

Answer 26

*For testees, it is convenient and easy to read.
*Long lists can lead to excessive concentration on one area, so brevity is beneficial.
*Typically, having seven items in each column strikes the right balance.
*Placing the shorter column on the right facilitates the testee’s job by allowing them to read the long column first and then move through the shorter column to find corresponding items.

Question 27

What should you ensure when constructing the stem of a multiple-choice item?

Answer 27

*The stem should be clear and unambiguous.
*Avoid stems that don’t specify the problem clearly, as they may lead to true-false interpretations.
*Shift relevant information into the stem to improve clarity

Question 28

Why is it beneficial to include as much of the item as possible in the stem?

Answer 28

*Common elements shared by all alternatives should be placed in the stem.
*Enhances readability and ensures consistency across options.

Question 29

What precautions should you take regarding negative statements in multiple-choice items?

Answer 29

*Avoid using negative statements whenever possible.
If unavoidable, capitalize or underline negative marks to draw attention.

Question 30

How should you handle grammatical consistency in multiple-choice items?

Answer 30

*Ensure all alternatives are grammatically correct by themselves.
*Distractors (incorrect alternatives) should be wrong when placed in the stem.
*Avoid using expressions that don’t exist in the language.

Question 31

What tends to be the correct response in a multiple-choice question?

Answer 31

A relatively long alternative tends to be the correct response. Naive test developers often struggle to construct concise correct alternatives, so longer responses are used to ensure clarity and correctness.

Question 32

Why is using “all of the above” or “none of the above” as alternatives not recommended?

Answer 32

These options are typically used when appropriate choices are lacking. “None of the above” can introduce incorrect responses.

Question 33

How should correct responses be distributed among alternatives?

Answer 33

Distribute correct responses randomly without a discernable pattern. Avoid bias toward specific positions.

Question 34

What should be eliminated from the stem to prevent unintentional guidance to the correct response?

Answer 34

Grammatical clues (such as articles or verb forms) should be removed from the stem.

Question 35

Why should the stem not start with a blank?

Answer 35

Starting the stem with known information follows the cognitive-code learning theory, ensuring that information flows from known to unknown.

Question 36

Why is it essential to have a test reviewed by an outsider during test development?

Answer 36

Reviewing by outsiders helps identify problems that the test developer might have missed. Their suggestions for modifications improve test quality, but this step alone is insufficient for creating a scientifically defensible test.

Question 37

How can a test be scientifically defensible?

Answer 37

A test should undergo objective scrutiny. The next stage, pretesting, allows for such examination, ensuring the test’s quality and validity.

Question 38

Why is pretesting important in test development?

Answer 38

Pretesting helps determine the characteristics of individual test items and ensures that they align with the target group. It also contributes to overall test quality.

Question 39

Who should participate in pretesting?

Answer 39

Pretesting involves administering the newly developed test to a group of examinees with characteristics similar to the intended target group. For example, if the test is for high school graduates, pretest it with a group of such graduates.

Question 40

What aspects of test items are assessed during pretesting?

Answer 40

Pretesting evaluates item facility (IF), item discrimination (ID), and choice distribution (CD) for each individual item.

Question 41

What does validation during pretesting determine?

Answer 41

alidation assesses the overall characteristics of the test as a whole, including reliability, validity, and practicality.

Question 42

What does item facility refer to?

Answer 42

Item facility measures the easiness of a test item. It is defined as the proportion of correct responses for that item.

Question 43

How is item facility calculated?

Answer 43

Divide the sum of correct responses by the total number of responses. The formula is: Item Facility (IF) = Sum of Correct Responses / Total Responses.

Question 44

What does an item facility of 1 indicate?

Answer 44

An item with a facility index of 1 means that all examinees answered it correctly, making it an easy item. A facility of 0 indicates that no one answered it correctly (a difficult item).

Question 45

How is item difficulty related to item facility?

Answer 45

Item difficulty can be calculated as 1 - Item Facility. It represents the proportion of wrong responses. Items with facility indexes beyond 0.63 are too easy, and those below 0.37 are too difficult.

Question 46

What is item discrimination?

Answer 46

Item discrimination refers to the extent to which a particular test item distinguishes between more knowledgeable examinees and less knowledgeable ones.

Question 47

Why does item discrimination matter in testing?

Answer 47

Item discrimination helps us understand how well an item separates high-performing students from low-performing ones. If an item is too easy or non-discriminating, it won’t provide useful information.

Question 48

What is the relationship between item facility and item discrimination?

Answer 48

Item facility (how easy or difficult an item is) affects item discrimination. Extremely high or low facility indices hinder discrimination power.

Question 49

How do we calculate item discrimination?

Answer 49

1.Rank total scores from highest to lowest.
2.Divide examinees into two equal groups (high and low).
3.The closer the discrimination index is to 1, the better the item discriminates.

Question 50

What’s an acceptable level for item discrimination

Answer 50

Ideally, a discrimination index of 1 indicates perfect separation. Realistically, values beyond 0.40 are considered acceptable.

Question 51

What is choice distribution in the context of testing?

Answer 51

Choice distribution refers to the frequency with which alternatives (choices) are selected by examinees. It helps us evaluate the efficiency of distractors (incorrect options) in a multiple-choice question.

Question 52

Why is choice distribution important?

Answer 52

While item facility and discrimination focus on overall item quality, choice distribution ensures that the distractors function effectively. Even if an item has acceptable facility and discrimination, poor choice distribution may render it less useful.

Question 53

How can poor choice distribution impact an item?

Answer 53

Consider an example: Suppose an item has acceptable facility and discrimination. However, if one distractor (let’s say Distractor D) is never selected by any examinee, it suggests that the item effectively functions as a three-choice item. In such cases, modifying or discarding the ineffective distractor is necessary for better test quality.

Question 54

When should test developers apply logic in item selection?

Answer 54

Test developers should apply logic when a reasonable item shows poor characteristics (facility and discrimination). If an item must be included despite its flaws, unknown factors (examinees’ nature, examination setting) may influence the decision.

Question 55

Why is statistical information suggestive rather than definitive in item inclusion/exclusion?

Answer 55

While indexes (facility, discrimination) guide decisions, logic plays a role. In rare cases, an item with poor characteristics may still be kept due to context. Statistical data should inform but not rigidly determine item selection.

Question 56

How does the interpretation of scores impact item decisions?

Answer 56

Norm-Referenced Testing: Compares student performances and ranks scores. Easy or difficult items won’t significantly affect ranks.
Criterion-Referenced Testing: Items with all correct or all incorrect responses provide valuable information about instruction success. Theoretical assumptions guide item inclusion or exclusion.