This document discusses criterion-referenced tests and their use in instructional design. It describes the different types of criterion-referenced tests (entry skills tests, pretests, practice tests, and posttests) and their purposes. It also outlines four categories for developing criterion-referenced tests (goal-centered, learner-centered, context-centered, and assessment-centered criteria), considerations for determining mastery levels, and guidelines for writing objective test items and developing alternative assessment instruments. The document stresses the importance of ensuring congruence between instructional goals, objectives, and assessments throughout the instructional design process.

2. BACKGROUND
• ACHIEVEMENT TESTING IS CURRENTLY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE SCHOOL-REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE
UNITED STATES, AND LEARNER-CENTERED ASSESSMENT PERMEATES THE SCHOOL-REFORM LITERATURE.
LEARNING-CENTERED ASSESSMENT TASKS ARE EXPECTED TO FUNCTION AS LEARNING EVENTS, AND IN
THIS MODEL, LEARNERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE IN SELF-ASSESSMENT ON THEIR PATH TO
ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE QUALITY OF THEIR OWN WORK.

3. OBJECTIVES
• DESCRIBE THE PURPOSE FOR CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS.
• DESCRIBE HOW ENTRY SKILLS TEST, PRETESTS, PRACTICE TESTS, AND POSTTEST ARE USED BY
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNERS.
• NAME FOUR CATEGORIES OF CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPING CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS AND LIST
SEVERAL CONSIDERATIONS WITHIN EACH CRITERION CATEGORY

4. OBJECTIVES CONT
• GIVEN A VARIETY OF OBJECTIVES, WRITE CRITERION-REFERENCED, OBJECTIVE-STYLE TEST ITEMS THAT
MEET QUALITY CRITERIA IN ALL FOUR CATEGORIES.
• DEVELOP INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, LIVE PERFORMANCE, AND ATTITUDE
ASSESSMENTS; DEVELOP RUBRICS FOR EVALUATING LEARNERS’ WORK.
• EVALUATE INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS, SUBORDINATE SKILLS, LEARNER AND CONTEXT ANALYSES,
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES, AND CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST ITEMS FOR CONGRUENCE.

5. THE FOUR TYPES OF CRITERION-
REFERENCED TESTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
• ENTRY SKILLS TESTS – IT IS THE FIRST TEST
TYPE. IT IS BASICALLY AN ENTRY SKILL TEST
THAT IS GIVEN TO LEARNERS BEFORE THEY BEGIN
THEIR INSTRUCTION
• PRETESTS – THE SECOND TEST TYPE. IT IS USED
TO SHOW IN PROGRESSION IN LEARNING AFTER
INSTRUCTION BY COMPARING THEM TO POST
TEST AND ALSO PROFILE THE LEARNERS INTO
CATEGORIES
• PRACTICE TEST – THE THIRD TEST EXAMPLE
WITH THE PURPOSE TO AID ACTIVE LEARNER
PARTICIPATION DURING INSTRUCTION
• POSTTEST – THE FINAL TEST EXAMPLE, WHICH
ARE GIVEN AFTER INSTRUCTION BUT THEY ARE
THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF PRETEST.

6. TEST DESIGN
• THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATIONS WHEN TRYING TO DEVELOP A
CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST. THE PRIMARY CONSIDERATION IS MATCHING THE LEARNING DOMAIN
WITH AN ITEM OR ASSIGNMENT TASK.

7. MASTERY LEVELS
• MASTERY LEVEL IS A CONCEPT THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF CRITERION. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IT IS
APPLIED TO A TEST FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE COURSE. INSTRUCTORS WHO WORK WITH MASTERY
LEARNING SYSTEM BELIEVE THAT MASTERY IS EQUIVALENT TO THE LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE NORMALLY
EXPECTED FROM ADVANCED LEARNERS,

8. TEST ITEM CRITERIA
• TEST ITEM CRITERIA INCLUDES GOAL-CENTERED CRITERIA, LEARNER-CENTERED CRITERIA, CONTEXT-
CENTERED CRITERIA, AND ASSESSMENT-CENTERED CRITERIA.

9. MASTERY CRITERIA
• A MAJOR QUESTION IS “HOW MANY QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ON A TEST TO DETERMINE MASTERY OF AN
OBJECTIVE?”
• HOW MANY QUESTIONS MUST LEARNERS ANSWER CORRECTLY TO BE DEEMED SUCCESSFUL?
• IT IS EASIER TO DETERMINE HOW MANY QUESTIONS BASED ON THE LEARNING DOMAIN OF THE OBJECTIVE

10. TEST ITEM FORMAT AND PERFORMANCE
OBJECTIVES
• CHANGES CAN BE MADE FROM THE BEST RESPONSE FORMAT TO ONE THAT WILL SAVE TEST TIME OR THE
SCORING AVERAGE TIME.
• TESTING ENVIRONMENT ALSO PLAYS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE ITEM FORMAT SYSTEM. THE
EQUIPMENT AND FACILITY ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE TEST ENVIRONMENT.

11. OBJECTIVE TEST
• OBJECTIVE TEST INVOLVES TEST ITEMS THAT ARE EASY FOR LEARNERS TO COMPLETE AND DESIGNERS TO
SCORE.
• ANSWERS ARE SHORT AND TYPICALLY SCORED AS CORRECT OR INCORRECT, AND JUDGING
CORRECTNESS OF AN ANSWER IS STRAIGHT FORWARD.

12. OBJECTIVE TEST
• OBJECTIVE FORMATS INCLUDE COMPLETION, SHORT ANSWER, TRUE/FALSE, MARCHING, AND MULTIPLE
CHOICE.
• TEST ITEMS SHOULD BE SCORED USING A CHECKLIST OR RUBRIC, INCLUDING ESSAY ITEMS, ARE NOT
CONSIDERED TO BE OBJECTIVE ITEMS, AND THEY ARE DESCRIBED IN THE NEXT SECTION ON ALTERNATIVE
ASSESSMENTS.

13. WRITING OBJECTIVE TEST ITEMS
• WHEN DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE OBJECTIVE TEST ITEMS IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE THE FOUR MAIN
CRITERIA THAT ARE CENTERED ON GOALS, LEARNERS, CONTEXTS, OR ASSESSMENTS.

14. ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS FOR
PERFORMANCES, PRODUCTS, AND ATTITUDES
• DEVELOPING ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS USED TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTS,
AND ATTITUDES THAT REQUIRES WRITING DIRECTIONS

15. DEVELOPING THE INSTRUMENT
1. IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS TO BE EVALUATED
2. PARAPHRASE EACH ELEMENT
3. SEQUENCE THE ELEMENTS ON THE INSTRUMENT
4. SELECT THE TYPE OF JUDGEMENT TO BE MADE BY THE EVALUATOR
5. DETERMINE HOW THE INSTRUMENT WILL BE SCORED

16. PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENTS
• PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT IS DEFINED AS THE PROCESS OF META-EVALUATING THE COLLECTION OF WORK
SAMPLES FOR OBSERVABLE CHANGE OR DEVELOPMENT.

17. CONGRUENCE IN THE DESIGN PROCESS
• ALL MUST BE CONSIDERED DURING THIS PART OF THE PROCESS
MATERIALS FOR EVALUATING THE DESIGN
PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATING THE DESIGN

18. LIFELONG LEARNER SUMMARY
• AS A LIFELONG LEARNER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND USE CRITERION-REFERENCED
TESTS TO DETERMINE AND HELP ATTAIN OBJECTS THAT ARE SET BY DIFFERENT STANDARDS, ESPECIALLY
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REACH LEVELS OF MASERY.

19. • KOBIE JONES
• KJONES3547@MYASU.ALASU.EDU