2. Standardized tests
Standardized testing began in 1880 in China to evaluate government job applicants based on Confucian
philosophy. During WWI, Robert Yerkes developed tests measuring mental ages for recruits, leading to the Army
Alpha and Beta tests for literate and illiterate examinees. These tests were pivotal in assessing human capital for
wartime and hiring purposes. Over time, standardized testing expanded its role, becoming vital for driver's
licenses, job advancements, and academic admissions. Today, it's considered a fitting measure of student,
teacher, and school performance, per Herman & Golan (1991).
3. Advantages and Disadvantages
Standardized testing ensures objectivity in assessing students'
knowledge, enabling comparability across diverse groups and
facilitating curricular improvements. However, it also highlights
social disparities and educational gaps among tested individuals,
necessitating targeted actions to address issues like disabilities
and economic inequalities in education.
4. Standardized tests often overlook student-related
factors like anxiety and test-taking skills, impacting
their reliability. The focus on test success creates a
"washback effect," undermining broader academic
achievements. Moreover, the inherent biases in test
design cater to privileged groups, reflecting
discrimination in scoring and question formulation,
ultimately influencing percentile rankings and
perpetuating systemic biases.
Disadvantages
Average student
5. Purpose of objective
of standardized tests
Facilitate comparisons among diverse student populations,
enabling evaluations across institutions and aiding teachers
in data-based strategies for student improvement. Norm-
referenced tests (NRTs) establish ranking among students,
aiding in percentile comparisons, while criterion-referenced
tests (CRTs) focus on assessing mastery within specific
knowledge areas, guiding teaching adjustments and
individual performance evaluations without comparative
ranking against other groups.
6. These specifications outline content, item
numbers, types, delivery methods, and
potential supplementary materials,
catering to both content-based and
process-based needs as required by the
test.
Test specifications
Test specifications serve as blueprints,
evolving iteratively to match the test's
purposes and objectives, aiming to create
multiple versions for various test-takers.
Standardized tests adhere to three key bases: representativeness across
a specific knowledge domain, reliance on specific formats and scoring, and
consistent test-taking conditions.
7. Designing test items, such as multiple-choice
exams and essay questions, holds value in
shaping classroom assessments, each type
having distinct strengths and weaknesses.
Multiple-choice tests facilitate faster grading
but are more suited for recall-based
assessments, whereas essays gauge critical
thinking and depth but pose challenges in
consistency when graded. Reporting formats,
like percentiles and z-scores, serve to
communicate assessment results effectively,
offering comparative measures to evaluate
student performance against their peers, with
each format catering to specific assessment
goals and audience needs.
Design, select and arrange
test items
8. For reading tests, assessing
comprehension involves diverse
sub-skills and linguistic
knowledge bases. Despite
variations in language reading
tests, tasks are designed to
serve a specific purpose for
assessment and consider
students' proficiency levels and
age. Indicators for reading tests
encompass various skills
distributed across test items.
Language use tests aim to
assess test-takers' language
abilities within a grammatical
framework, focusing on
sociocultural factors and
pragmatic language skills.
However, context limitations in
multiple-choice items pose
challenges for assessing
language use.
Designing classroom language
tests involves meticulous
attention to various aspects to
cater to students' needs and
evaluate their achievements
accurately. The test developer
must align the test's purpose
and objectives closely, ensuring
specifications and item
organization are coherent for
student understanding. Five
common types of language tests
—language aptitude,
proficiency, placement,
diagnostic, and achievement
tests—each serve distinct
assessment purposes.
9. Listening tests aim to evaluate listening competencies and can be
proficiency tests or large-scale standardized assessments like
TOEFL or IELTS. Challenges in testing listening skills involve
ensuring construct validity and defining expected competencies in
learners accurately.
Speaking tests demand evaluation across various aspects, including coherence, vocabulary suitability, time
management, and fluency. Standardized speaking tests, like Cambridge examinations, typically comprise four
parts, each with distinct assessment objectives.
Writing tests, part of proficiency or standardized tests, evaluate cognitive problem-solving and sociocultural
context in writing. Writing tests encompass varied formats like essays, reports, letters, and emails, considering
coherence, cohesion, and adherence to conventions. In large-scale standardized testing, descriptors cover a wide
range of topics and include a thorough scoring scale for each written piece.
