Achievement tests are designed to measure the knowledge and skills students learned in school or to determine the academic progress they have made over a period of time. The tests may also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a schools and teachers, or identify the appropriate academic placement for a student—i.e., what courses or programs may be deemed most suitable, or what forms of academic support they may need. Achievement tests are “backward-looking” in that they measure how well students have learned what they were expected to learn. “The type of ability test that describes what a person has learned to do is called an achievement test”. __ Thornike and Hagen (1969)

1. Achievement test
• B.Ed. 2nd Sem.
• Course- VII- (a- 1.2.7a), Unit- V
Biswajit Biswas
Asst. Professor
Pragati College of Education,
Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling
West Bengal

2. Different kinds of tests
• Intelligence tests.
• Personality tests.
• Aptitude tests.
• Performance tests.
• . Achievement tests.
• Comprehensive exams.
• Standardized tests.
• Teacher-made tests.
 Other categories of test:
• Placement , Diagnostic, Achievement, Proficiency, Criterion-referenced, Norm-
referenced, Formal & Informal.

3. CONCEPT & DEFINATION OF ACHIEVEMENT TEST
 Achievement tests are designed to measure the knowledge and skills students
learned in school or to determine the academic progress they have made over
a period of time. The tests may also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a
schools and teachers, or identify the appropriate academic placement for a
student—i.e., what courses or programs may be deemed most suitable, or
what forms of academic support they may need. Achievement tests are
“backward-looking” in that they measure how well students have learned what
they were expected to learn.
“The type of ability test that describes what a person has learned to do is
called an achievement test”.
__ Thornike and Hagen (1969)

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD ACHIEVEMENT
TEST
• Gronlund and Linn (1990) have identified the following characteristics,
1. A good achievement test is tried out and selected on the basis of a good its difficulty
level and discriminating power.
2. It should have a description of measured behaviour,
3. It should contain a sufficient number of test items for each measured behaviour.
4. It should be divided into different knowledge and skills according to behaviours to be
measured.
5. Its instructions in regard to its administering and scoring are so clear that they
become standardized for different users.
6. It is accompanied by norm which are developed at various levels and on various age
groups.
7. It provides equivalent and comparable forms of the test.
8. It carries with it a test manual for its administering and scoring.

5. Classification of Achievement Tests
 On the basis of form used,
(i) Oral Test
(ii) Written Test.
On the basis of various purposes such as:
(i) Prognostic Test
(ii) Diagnostic Test
(iii) Power Test
(iv) Speed Test
(v) Accuracy Test
(vi) Quality Test
(vii) Range Test.

6. On the basis of organization of tests,
(i) Essay Type
(ii) Objective Type Test.
On the basis of period of time limit which is as follows:
(i) Daily Test
(ii) Weekly Test
(iii) Monthly Test
(iv) Term Test
(v) Annual Test.
On the basis of method like:
(i) Standardized Test
(ii) Teacher Made Test

7. Uses of Achievement Tests
(i) To evaluate the extent to which the aims and objectives of education have
been achieved.
(ii) For evaluating and improving the curriculum meant for the students of
different grades.
(iv) Helpful for the purpose of identifying and classifying the students in the
various groups on the basis of their achievement merits.
(v) To give promotion to the students to the next higher classes or new courses
considering the obtained result.
(vi) To provide scholarships, awards or special award of merit to the students.
(vii) Useful in helping students to choose suitable subjects or courses according
to their achievement levels.
(viii) To enable the parents to know strength and weaknesses in the context of
their academic achievements as a result of which the parents can be able to
provide special help and guidance to their children.

8. Thank you