Measurement and Evaluation in Education (PDE 105)

UNIT THREE: TYPES OF TESTS, CHARACTERISTICS OF

GOOD TESTS AND TEST CONSTRUCTION

INTRODUCTION
In unit 1, you were taught what a test is and why you should conduct tests. In this unit, you
will learn types of tests. The unit is based on the premise that there are different kinds of
tests that a teacher can use. There are also various reasons why tests are conducted. The
purpose of testing determines the kind of test. Each test also has its own peculiar
characteristics.

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
a. list different kinds of tests;
b. describe each type of test and construct each type of tests to be treated in the unit;
c. identify different characteristics of a good test;
d. describe each characteristics as full as possible; and
e. apply the characteristics to writing a test of your own.

TYPES OF TESTS
Types of tests can be determined from different perspectives. You can look at types of tests
in terms of whether they are discrete or integrative. Discrete point tests are expected to test
one item or skills at a time, while integrative tests combine various items, structures, skills
into one single test.

ACTIVITY I
1. What is a discrete point test?
2. What is an integrative test?

DISCRETE POINT TESTS

As we have defined above, a discrete point test, measures or tests or one item, structure, skill,
or idea, at a time. There are many examples of a discrete point test. For language tests, a
discrete point test may be testing the meaning of a particular word, a grammatical item, the
production of a sound, e.g. long or short vowels, filling in a gap with a particular item, and so
on. In a mathematics test, it may be testing the knowledge of a particular multiplication
table. Let’s give some concrete examples.
From the words lettered A-D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one
represented by the letters underlined.

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Milk
a. quarry
b. exhibit
c. excellent
d. oblique
Of course, the answer is (d.) because it is only the sound /i/ in the word oblique that has the
same sound as “i” in milk.
As you can see in this test, only one item or sound is tested at a time. Such a test is a discrete
point test.
Let’s have another example in English.
Fill in the gap with the correct verb.
John __________________ to the market yesterday.
Indeed, only one item can fill the gap at a time. This may be went, hurried, strolled, etc. The
gap can only be filled with one item.
In mathematics, when a teacher asks the pupil to fill in the blank space with the correct
answer, the teacher is testing a discrete item. For example:
Fill the box with the correct answer of the multiplication stated below:
2*7 =
Only one item and that is ‘14’ can fill the box. This is a discrete point test. All tests
involving fill in blanks, matching, completion, etc are often discrete point tests.

INTEGRATIVE TESTS
As you have learnt earlier on, tests can be integrative, that is, testing many items together in
an integrative manner. In integrative tests, various items, structures, discourse types,
pragmatic forms, construction types, skills and so on, are tested simultaneously. Popular
examples of integrative tests are essay tests, close tests, reading comprehension tests,
working of a mathematical problem that requires the application of many skills, or
construction types that require different skills and competencies.
A popular integrative test is the close test which deletes a particular nth word. By nth word
we mean the fourth, (4th word of a passage), fifth word (5th word of a passage) or any number
deleted in a regular or systematic fashion. For example, I may require you to fill in the words
deleted in this passage.
Firstly, he has to understand the _______ as the speaker says _____________. He must not
stop the _________ in order to look up a _________ or an unfamiliar sentence.
The tests requires many skills of the candidate to be able to fill in the gaps. The candidate
needs to be able to read the passage, comprehend it, think of the appropriate vocabulary items

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that will fill in the blanks, learn the grammatical forms, tense and aspects in which the
passage is written. When you test these many skills at once, you are testing integratively.

ACTIVITY II
Fill in the gaps in the passage given as an example of a close integrative test.
What nth words was deleted in each case throughout the passage?

Other integrative tests are:

Essay Questions
Give five main characteristics of traditional grammar. Illustrate each characteristic with
specific examples.

Reading Comprehension Test

Read the passage below and answer the following questions: (A passage on strike)
Answer the following questions:
a. Which sentence in the passage suggests that the author supports strikes?
b. Why is the refusal of students to attend lectures not regarded as strikes according to
the passage?
In answering the above questions very well, you will observe that the reading comprehension
questions above require the candidates’ reading skills, comprehension skills, writing skills
and grammatical skills in order for them to answer the questions.
The second perspective for identifying different kinds of tests is by the aim and objectives of
the test. For example, if the test is for recording the continuous progress of the candidate, it
is referred to as a continuous assessment test. Some of the tests that are for specific purposes
are listed below. The purpose for which the test is constructed is also indicated.
i. Placement test: for placing students at a particular level, school, or college.
ii. Achievement tests: for measuring the achievement of a candidate in a particular
course either during or at the end of the course.
iii. Diagnostic tests: for determining the problems of a student in a particular area, task,
course, or programme. Diagnostic tests also bring out areas of difficulty of a student
for the purpose of remediation.
iv. Aptitude tests: are designed to determine the aptitude of a student for a particular
task, course, programme, job, etc.
v. Predictive tests: designed to be able to predict the learning outcomes of the
candidate. A predictive test is able to predict or forecast that if the candidate is able to
pass a particular test, he/she will be able to carry out a particular task, skill, course,
action, or programme.

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vi. Standardized tests: are any of the above mentioned tests that have been tried out
with large groups of individuals, whose scores provide standard norms or reference
points for interpreting any scores that anybody who writes the tests has attained.
Standardized tests are to be administered in a standard manner under uniform
positions. They are tested and re-tested and have been proved to produce valid or
reliable scores.
vii. Continuous assessment tests are designed to measure the progress of students in a
continuous manner. Such tests are taken intermittently and students’ progress
measured regularly. The cumulative scores of students in continuous assessment
often form part of the overall assessment of the students in the course or subject.
viii. Teacher-made tests are tests produced by teachers for a particular classroom use.
Such tests may not be used far-and-wide but are often designed to meet the particular
learning needs of the students.

ACTIVITY III
Which type of test, out of the ones described in this unit are stated below:
i. end of term examination;
ii. test before the beginning of a course;
iii. test during the end of a programme;
iv. school certificate examination;
v. common entrance examination;
vi. tests for pilots to quality to fly;
vii. joint admissions matriculation examination;
viii. TOEEL test; and
ix. IETS test.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TEST

A test is not something that is done in a careless or haphazard manner. There are some
qualities that are observed and analyzed in a good test. Some of these are discussed under the
various headings in this section. Indeed, whether the test is diagnostic or achievement test,
the characteristic features described here are basically the same.
i. A good test should be valid: by this we mean it should measure what it is supposed
to measure or be suitable for the purpose for which it is intended. Test validity will be
discussed fully in unit 5.
ii. A good test should be reliable: reliability simply means measuring what it purports
to measure consistently. On a reliable test, you can be confident that someone will
get more or less the same score on different occasions or when it is used by different
people. Again unit 5 devoted to test reliability.
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iii. A good test must be capable of accurate measurement of the academic ability of the
learner: a good test should give a true picture of the learner. It should point out
clearly areas that are learnt and areas not learnt. All being equal, a good test should
isolate the good from the bad. A good student should not fail a good test, while a
poor student passes with flying colours.

ACTIVITY IV
Think of what can make a good student to fail a test that a poor student passes with flying
colours.

iv. A good test should combine both discrete point and integrative test procedures for
a fuller representation of teaching-learning points. The test should focus on both
discrete points of the subject area as well as the integrative aspects. A good test
should integrate all various learners’ needs, range of teaching-learning situations,
objective and subjective items
v. A good test must represent teaching-learning objectives and goals: the test should
be conscious of the objectives of learning and objectives of testing. For example, if
the objective of learning is to master a particular skill and apply the skill, testing
should be directed towards the mastery and application of the skill.

ACTIVITY V
List three objectives of testing school certificate students in mathematics. Are these
objectives always followed in the ‘O’ level mathematics examinations?

vi. Test materials must be properly and systematically selected: the test materials
must be selected in such a way that they cover the syllabus, teaching course outlines
or the subject area. The materials should be of mixed difficulty levels (not too easy or
too difficult) which represent the specific targeted learners’ needs that were identified
at the beginning of the course.
vii. Variety is also a characteristic of a good test. This includes a variety of test type:
multiple choice tests, subjective tests and so on. It also includes variety of tasks and
so on. It also includes variety of tasks within each test: writing, reading, speaking,
listening, re-writing, transcoding, solving, organizing and presenting extended
information, interpreting, black filling, matching, extracting points, distinguishing,
identifying, constructing, producing, designing, etc. In most cases, both the tasks and
the materials to be used in the tests should be real to the life situation of what the
learner is being trained for.

ACTIVITY VI
Why do you think variety should be major characteristics of a test?

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Crosscheck your answer with the following. Do not read my own reasons until you have
attempted the activity. Variety in testing is crucial because:
• it allows tests to cover a large area;
• it makes tests authentic;
• variety brings out the total knowledge of the learner; and
• with a variety of tasks, the performance of the learner can be better assessed.

SUMMARY
In this unit, you have studied:
• Discrete point tests and integrative tests. Discrete point tests focus on just one item or
skill, concept etc, while integrative tests focus on many items, skills and tasks.
• Different types of tests that are determined by the purpose or aim of the test
construction. Some of the tests studied are placement achievement, diagnostic,
aptitude, predictive, standardized and continuous assessment tests.

ASSIGNMENT
a. You are requested to construct a good test in your field. Your test must be reliable,
valid and full of a variety of test procedure and test types or
b. Assess a particular test available to you in terms of how good and effective the test is.
What areas of the test that you have assessed, you think improvements are most
needed? Supply the necessary improvements.
c. “Test types are determined by the purpose and aim for which the test hopes to
achieve?. Discuss this statement in the light of tests that are taught in this unit.

REFERENCES
Davis, A. (1984) – Validating Three Tests of English Proficiency, Language Testing 1 (1) 50
– 69

Hughes, A and D. Porter (eds) (1983) Current Developments in Language Testing. London:
Academic Press.

Oller, J. w. Jr (1979) Language Tests at School. London: Longman.

Pophan, W. J. (1975). Evaluation in Education: Longman.

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