Evaluation, different types of

test items

Shilna V
Evaluation
 Evaluation

Is a process wherein the parts, processes, or

outcomes of a programme are examined to see
whether they are satisfactory, particulary with
reference to the programmes stated objectives, or
some of the standard of excellence
 Purpose of evaluation (N.M. Downie)

1. Providing information for grading, promoting

students and reporting to parents
2. Evaluating the effectiveness of a teaching method
3. Motivating the students
4. Selecting the students
5. Evaluating the entire educational institution and to
show various aspects of it could be improved
6. Collecting information for effective educational and
vocational counseling
 Types of evaluation

Placement evaluation
Diagnostic evaluation
Formative evaluation
Summative evaluation
 Formative evaluation

Used to monitor the progress made during

instruction
To provide continuous feedback to both teacher
and student
 Summative evaluation

To determine the extent to which the

instructional objectives have been achieved
Used to assign grades and certificates to students
Provide information for judging the
appropriateness of the course objectives and the
effectiveness of the instruction
 Distinction between formative and summative
evaluation
To determine the degree To assess larger and
of mastery of a given task more general outcomes
Tests given regularly of learning
during the course Tests at the end of the
Limited to check the course
ability to apply a given Asses the ability to apply
principle to a new a skill in a variety of
situation situations
Limited to a selected Number of items larger
situations Validity, reliability are
established
Types of test items
 Test items

Evaluation tools
Construction of a good test item is challenging
Good test item needs subject knowledge along with
techniques of writing test items
 Preparation of test items

Measure what students know, not what they do not

know
Simple, precise and easily comprehensible items
Item should demand specific answers
Give clear directions
Use simple language
 Criterion Referenced Test (CRT) and
Norm Referenced Test (NRT)
1. CRT determine whether 1. NRT rank each student
each student has with respect to the
achieved specific skills achievement of others
or concepts in broad areas of
2. To find out how many knowledge
students know before 2. Discriminate between
instruction begins and high and low achievers
after it has finished 3. Measures broad skill
3. Measures specific skills areas sampled from a
which make up a variety of text books
designed curriculum and syllabi
 Criterion Referenced Test (CRT) and
Norm Referenced Test (NRT)
4. Parallel difficulty 4. Items vary in difficulty
5. Each student is 5. Each student is
compared with a preset compared with other
standard for acceptable examinees and assigned
achievement a score
6. Score in percentage 6. Score in percentile
7. Each skill is tested by at 7. Each skill is tested by
least four items less than four items
8. Help to eliminate 8. Useful for student
competition and placement and
improve cooperation advancement
Two types of achievement test

Teacher made test

Oral test
Written test

Practical test

Standardized test
Types of written test items

Objective type
Short answer type
Essay type
 Objective type

Response is objective
Fixed response item
Respondent cannot deviate from a definite
answer
 Types of objective type items

Two types
Supply type test item (Recall type)
Simplerecall type
Completion type

Selectiontype test item (Recognition type)

Alternate response type
Multiple choice test item
Matching type test items
 Short answer type questions

Question based on a few value points on a

particular aspect or concept
Reduces the subjectivity through indicating the
expected direction of answer
Eg: Write three advantages of planning lesson.
 Merits of short answer type
Easy to prepare
Suitable to all types of content including
diagram, graph, and sketches
No scope for guessing
Can make more objective by fixing the value
points

Demerits of short answer type

Higher mental abilities cannot be evaluated
Much emphasis on rote learning
 Essay type

Essential component of higher education

Descriptive answering
To measure the memory, communication skill,
subject mastery and analytical ability of students
Evaluation of higher order thinking is possible
Two forms- question form and statement form
 Merits of essay type items

Promote critical evaluation

Enhances the organizational skill, ability to justify,
and substantiate
Proves the presentation of arguments
Easy to prepare and administer

Demerits of essay type

Suitable for selective contents only
Requires elaborate value points
 Standardized test

Comprises carefully selected items having being

given to a number of sample or groups under
standard conditions for which norms have been
established after careful evaluation
A standardized test is standardized in terms of
Form and construction
In the way of administration

In the use of norms

 Difference between teacher made test and
standardized test
Teacher made test Standardized test
Based on content and Based on content and objectives
objectives specific to the common to many schools over a
class wide area
May deal either with a Deals with large segments of
specific limited topic or knowledge or skill, usually only
skill or with large with a few items appraising any
segments of knowledge one skill or topic
and skill Develop with the help of
Developed by a single experts
teacher Has high reliability
Has fair reliability Provides norms for various
Limited usually to the groups that are broadly
class or school representative of performance
throughout the country