An achievement test measures a student's knowledge and skills in a particular subject area. It is designed to measure achievement based on a set of predetermined learning objectives. Achievement tests can be standardized tests developed by experts or teacher-made tests created by classroom teachers. Standardized achievement tests are widely used and allow comparisons across groups, while teacher-made tests are more specific but still useful for formative assessment. The results of achievement tests help teachers identify student strengths and weaknesses, guide instruction, and determine student placement and promotion to subsequent grades. Both standardized and teacher-made achievement tests play an important role in effective instruction and evaluation.

1. Achievement Test
Dr. Jisha Baby
Asst. Professor
St. Joseph’s Training College, Mannanam

2. Achievement Test
• A test of developed skill or
knowledge.
• A test designed to measure
the achievement in any
subject with regard to a set
of pre-determined
objectives.

3. Achievement Test- Definitions
N.M. Downie (1961)
Any test that measures the attainments or
accomplishments of an individual after a
period of training or learning.
Throndike and Hagen (1997)
The type of ability test that describes what
a person has learned.

4. Achievement Test- Purposes
• Measures the academic achievement of
students
• The results of the test would indicate the
extent or degree to which a student has
internalised the learning material
• Help in determining the relative position of a
student in a particular subject or area or
teaming.

5. Achievement Test- Purposes
• Measures the achievement of the students in
relation to a set of pre-defined instructional
objectives.
• Attempts to ascertain what the student
already knows.

6. Achievement Test- Uses
Conducted periodically to place students
into appropriate grade levels and skill
groupings
Regular administration of achievement
tests can facilitate learning
Gives feedback to teachers regarding the
effectiveness of their instruction

7. Achievement Test- Uses
• The results of such tests reveal the
strength, weaknesses, and gaps in the
learning process of individual students.
• Help teachers to adapt instruction
according to individual needs.
• Provide basis of promotion to the next
grade.

8. Achievement Tests
Standardised
Tests
Teacher made
Tests

9. Teacher made Test
• Prepared by a classroom
teacher to assess the
achievement of the students
• The specific use of the test
varies with respect to the
people, school and place

10. Teacher made Test
• More utility in formative
assessments
• Essential for making the
assessment continuous and
comprehensive

11. Standardised Test
• Prepared by a team of experts following
the principles of test construction
• The same test can be given at different
time, place and people

12. Standardised Test
• Developed to measure skills and
knowledge learned in a given grade level,
usually through planned instruction, such
as training or classroom instruction.

13. Standardized test Teacher-made test
•Wide application •Limited application
•Accurate generalization can be
drawn
•Accurate generalization
cannot be drawn
•Can be used at any time and
place of any population
•Used by teacher who made it
•Specific instructions,
standardized administration and
scoring procedure
•Usually no uniform direction
•Content determined by curricular
and subject matter experts
•Both content and sampling
are determined by classroom
teacher
•Preparation and construction by
a team of experts
•Prepared by the classroom
teacher

14. Standardized test Teacher-made test
•Best suited for measuring
broader curriculum objectives
•Best suited for measuring
particular objective set by the
teacher
•Scoring is objective, usually
machine-scored
•Scoring is subjective and
usually biased
•Mainly used in research,
guidance counseling and
selection purposes
•Useful to know students
progress
•To compare two or more groups •Cannot be used for comparison
•Test manual is prepared •No test manual

15. Standardized and teacher made
achievement tests are complementary
in many aspects
Both of them are required for
effective instruction and evaluation.

16. Review Questions
1. What is an achievement test?
2. State the purposes of achievement test?
3. Differentiate between standardized
achievement tests and teacher made
achievement tests?

17. Reference Texts
1. Essentials of Examination System: Evaluation Tests
and Measurement -J.C. Aggarwal (1997)
2. New approaches to Measurement and Evaluation-
K.S. Sidhu (2005)