Standardized tests are procedures used to measure students' performance and compare competencies between groups. They have advantages like objectivity and identifying differences, but also disadvantages like emotional stress and not considering individual access to information. There are two main types: norm-referenced tests which compare achievement between groups, and criterion-referenced tests which track student performance against learning standards. Effective tests have consistent conditions, sample items to assess skills like critical thinking, and report results using measures like percentiles, z-scores, and scaled scores. They evaluate skills like reading, writing, listening, and speaking to assess language proficiency and inform further development.

1. Standardized Tests
By: Melanie Victoria Abril Lobanova

2. What are they?
They are procedures to measure a student’s
performance.
OBJECTIVE:
Compare the competences and
aptitudes among specific
groups or individuals.

3. Advantages and disadvantages
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• Empowers objectivity as a
whole outlook.
• Gives the opportunity to do
curricular enhancement.
• Differences and tendencies
can be identified.
• Focus on critical aspects.
• Emotional disbalance while
preparing and/or taking the
test.
• The Washback effect.
• Intentions of discrimination
(not evevryone has the
same access to
information)

4. Types of standarized tests
Norm-referenced tests
Designed to highlight
achievement
differences.
Produce a rank (high to
low between groups).
NRTs
Criterion-referenced
tests
Track the performance
(passing scores) of
students.
The score is directly
related to the learning
capacity.
CRTs

5. Overall bases
Subjected to a
representativeness
across knowledge
domain.
The format along with
the scoring are the
benchmarks.
The conditions in which
the test is conducted
are to be consistent.

6. “Must haves” in the test
1 2 3 4
General
description
(GD)
Prompt
attribute (PA)
Sample item
(SI)
Response
attribute (RA)
5
Specification
supplement
(SS)

7. Test Items
Ease in grading.
Multiple choice exams
Turn to assess the critical
thinking capacity of
students.
Essay questions
More suitable to assess
recall of information.
Display an overarching
domain of a particular
topic.

8. Results’ Reports
Aggroup and
compare with others.
Percentiles
Scale range from -4
to 4.
Z - scores
Scale from 10 to 90.
Uses intervals.
T - scores
Scale range from 1 to
9.
Stanine
score
Combines all the
scores obtained
from the subtests.
Scaled
scores

9. Language Tests
They are:
● Aptitude tests
● Proficiency tests
● Placement tests
● Diagnostic tests
● Achievement tests

10. Skills assessment
Evaluates level and
competences to be
developed.
Reading
Measures context-
related completing
exercises.
Use of language
Evaluates the listening
competence construct
in learners.
Listening
Evaluates coherence,
suitability of vocabulary,
timing, and fluency.
Speaking
Evaluates cognitive
problem-solving
process.
Writing

11. Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas
ESPE (2023). Theme 2: Standarized Tests.
Assessment and Evaluation, pages 1-18,
evirtual.
References