Guidelines for Test Design and Construction
Step 1: Defining the constructs you want to measure and outline the proposed content of the Test
Aptitude tests for job applicants : First conduct a job analysis (task analysis) : listing the important components of the position you are trying to fill. The Job analysis will contain the critical incidents,
A list of work related behaviors which are essential for successful completion of the job. A well designed aptitude test will contain items which measure the entire cross-section of critical incidents. To paraphrase, a properly constructed test will measure a representative sample of most critical incidents.
Test Planners must consider a variety of issues :
1. What are the topics and materials to be tested ?
2. What Kind of Questions should be constructed ?
3. What item and test formats should be used ?
4. When, where, and how is the test to be given ?
5. How should the tests be scored ?
Answers to questions 1,2, and 3 covered in Chapter 2 Answers to questions 4 and 5 covered in Chapter 3
1. What are the topics and materials to be tested ?
For employment aptitude tests, this calls for the job analysis with special attention being paid to the critical incidents. For achievement tests, this calls for a content analysis in which the key subject areas are listed and the percentage of the test to be devoted to each individual subject area is decided. Content analysis for classroom achievement tests can be highly subjective if created by a single individual with no feedback by knowledgeable colleagues.
2.What Kind of questions should be constructed ? The answer to this question is partially dependent upon the Educational Objectives you want to include in the test. Since the 1950’s researchers have developed several taxonomies (or hierarchical categorization) of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor objectives to be
Aptitude tests for job applicants : First conduct a job analysis (task analysis) : listing the important components of the position you are trying to fill. The Job analysis will contain the critical incidents,
A list of work related behaviors which are essential for successful completion of the job. A well designed aptitude test will contain items which measure the entire cross-section of critical incidents. To paraphrase, a properly constructed test will measure a representative sample of most critical incidents.
Test Planners must consider a variety of issues :
1. What are the topics and materials to be tested ?
2. What Kind of Questions should be constructed ?
3. What item and test formats should be used ?
4. When, where, and how is the test to be given ?
5. How should the tests be scored ?
Answers to questions 1,2, and 3 covered in Chapter 2 Answers to questions 4 and 5 covered in Chapter 3
1. What are the topics and materials to be tested ?
For employment aptitude tests, this calls for the job analysis with special attention being paid to the critical incidents. For achievement tests, this calls for a content analysis in which the key subject areas are listed and the percentage of the test to be devoted to each individual subject area is decided. Content analysis for classroom achievement tests can be highly subjective if created by a single individual with no feedback by knowledgeable colleagues.
2.What Kind of questions should be constructed ? The answer to this question is partially dependent upon the Educational Objectives you want to include in the test. Since the 1950’s researchers have developed several taxonomies (or hierarchical categorization) of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor objectives to be