Different Tests Designs for Reading

1. ASSESSING
READINGas a LANGUAGE
ARTS
JOVY D. ELIMANAO – MIHM,
MAEd

2. so,
what are
reading
tests?

3. Has a wide variety of
forms and evaluate a
broad spectrum of
reading activities.

4. ranges from pre-reading
concerns (alphabet)
and word attack
skills (syllables & short
words)

5. to reading
comprehension, to
translation, reading
aloud and reading
literature

6. reading
comprehension is
the heart of reading
evaluation

7. TYPES OF
READING
TESTS

8. LIMITED
RESPONSE

9. SENTENCE
COMPREHENSIO
N

10. PASSAGE
COMPREHENSIO
N

11. LIMITED
RESPONSE

12. •Intended for beginning
reading
•Informal techniques of
evaluation like exercises
and individual practice

13. • Early testing is limited to
reading sub-skills
•Vocabulary is the most
common focus
•Word attack skills also
need attention on the
beginning level

14. •The pupils need to rapidly
see the difference
between various letter
combination in English
words

15. TYPICAL TEST
FORMS
for limited response

16. 1. Same – different
technique
B D S D
sad sat S D
red red S D
meat meet S D

17. this can also be used with phrases
from the mayor S D
for the mayor
with her brother
with her brother S D

18. The pupil can also circle the
odd item
net net ten
naps span naps

19. A keyword can also be used
1. Pots
stop pods pots spot
2. Figure
figure finger fissure ringer

20. Considerations for
limited response
tests

21. • Directions for this kind of test
should be very simple.
• They can be read aloud by
the teacher
• This can even be given in
the native language

22. A sample instructions
• Each item has two words (phrases). In
some items, the words are the same, but
in some items the words are different.
When the two words are the same, draw a
circle around S. When the two words are
different, draw a circle around D. Work
quickly. You only have 10 minutes.

23. Alternate forms of
limited response
items

24. 1. Advanced odd items.
All different All the same
speak peaks seeks ___ ___
peace peace peace ___
___
into bed in the bed in the bed

25. 2. Keyword and odd option.
There is only one difference between this
alternate form and the original.
1. pleasure:
pleasing pleasure pleasure pleasure
2. want to go:
want to go want to go want to go won’t go

26. Advantages of limited-response
items
1. These are quite easy to
construct and score
2. Only the recognition of
letters is required, making
this a simple task for
beginning pupils.

27. Limitations of limited-response
items
1. This is not an integrative
skill involving actual reading
2. Overemphasis on this technique
could reduce reading
speed.

28. SENTENCE
COMPREHENSIO
N

29. • Must precede essay
comprehension
•Sentence – level
comprehension is good for
beginners
• Some questions simply ask for
the right picture to be circled

30. •Some questions simply ask
for one-word response
•Should focus on phrases
we read everyday

33. TYPICAL TEST FORMS
for
sentence
comprehension

34. 1. Picture cues
Will ask for questions that simply ask for
the right picture to be circled
The children are playing on
their new toy.

36. You can also make use of the True – False
items
The family watches TV. T F

37. Yes – No questions could also be asked.
The lady is reading the newspaper.
Yes No

38. You can also have multiple-choice questions on a single
picture.
The lady angry because _________.
a. The man is happy.
b. The man is sleeping.
c. The man is watching TV.
d. The man is sad.

39. 2. Phrase and sentence cues
Used for beginners to identify truths,
untruths, and impossibilities:
a. The sun sets in the east. T F
b. She is my brother. T F

40. 3. Teaching and testing the
recognition of signs can also be
interesting. You can match the sign
with the location.
a. park a. dangerous curves
b. home b. fasten seat belts
c. airplane c. don’t pick flowers
d. highway d. beware of dogs

41. 3. Paraphrase can be used for more
exact and detailed comprehension
and meaning of structures.
•“Please wait to be seated by the
hostess.”
a. Sit near the hostess
b. There are no seats for you at this time
c. The hostess will show you where to sit

42. •“She can come if she wants to.”
a. She wants to come
b. She will come
c. She has permission to come
•“Although my friend Paul is a man of
integrity, I find his proposal
unacceptable.”
a. The speaker found the bad proposal
b. The speaker like the honesty of his friend
c. The speaker doesn’t like the proposal

43. Cautions in preparing
sentence and phrase
items

44. 1. Don’t make the answer rely on the
knowledge of facts that have nothing
to do with the language skill.
2. Unless you are testing cultural facts,
don’t make the answer depend on
facts about a specific culture.
3. When preparing multiple choice items,
make the choice simple and
clear.

45. Instruction
preparation

46. 1. When the beginners use the same
language, instructions can be given in
the native language.
First, look at these pictures. Then
read the sentence. It describes
one of the pictures. Draw a circle
around that picture.

47. 2. For True – False statements, you can
use:
Read these sentences. Some say
strange things like, “He drank his
bicycle”. Some are false like, “The
rain falls up”. For these sentences,
circle F. For the other correct
sentences, circle T.

48. 3. For advanced students, these directions
could be used with sentence –
paraphrase items:
Three paraphrases follow each of the
following sentences. The
paraphrases may refer to just part of
the sentence or the entire sentence.
Circle the letter of the best
paraphrase.

49. Alternate forms of
sentence
comprehension
items

50. You can use true – false questions
without a picture. Instead, a multiple –
choice alternate form can be made:
The sun rises in the _____.
a. north
b. east
c. south

51. Advantages of sentence - comprehension
items
1. It is rather easy to write true –
false items on pictures
2. These are good for testing the
skills of near beginning students
3. This is a rapid way to test
reading comprehension.

52. Limitations of sentence - comprehension
items
1. Finding good pictures can be
rather time consuming
2. Not all reading skills are
covered in sentence –
comprehension questions

53. PASSAGE
COMPREHENSIO
N

54. • The most integrative and
challenging kind of reading test
type

55. Context Selection
• Besides the usual articles and stories, you
can also consider the following:
• Collect practical reading items from the
community
– Advertisements
– Wants ads
– Business and social letters
– Driver’s license
– Loan applications
– Bank statements
– Catalogs

56. Context Selection
• Other materials may also include texts from
other classes at school
• ESL reading instructions can also use school-
related materials such as
– tables and graphs
– blackboard summaries
– duplicated handouts
– Notes
– notices

57. Context Selection
• It is not necessary to restrict
materials to traditional essays.
• If students were exposed to
variety of written contexts, you
can use them, too.

58. • 75 Gremlin 6 cyl 2 dr 4 sp A-1
cond. 20 MPG city 8 trk AM/FM
P.S. P.B., auto/cruise bucket
seats. Terms 379-2671 after 5.
• This automobile has ___________.
• a. an automatic transmission
• b. a radio but no stereo
• c. cruise control
• d. air conditioning

59. Question techniques
for beginners
• True - false
• Matching techniques

60. True - false
• Among the American Negroes in the southern states, work
songs played an integral part in fashioning a folk music
which was later to become jazz. These had been part of the
West Africa’s musical experience at home. And now, they
were transported to a new environment. In America, they
were found to be of no little importance to the slaves’
output of work.
• Jazz is related to the work songs of American blacks.
T F
• Work songs were not helpful in getting more work
done. T F

61. Facts About True - false questions
• Easy to prepare and easier to answer
for beginners compared to multiple choice
items.
• Students might guess the right answer
• Right minus wrong is used to remedy
the challenge of guessing the answer.
(can also be used for timed multiple choice
tests)

62. Matching Technique
Considering the example used in the jazz
passage, a question that follows can be
used:
1. What played an integral part in the
fashioning folk music?
a. work songs
b. jazz
c. new environment
d. Americans

63. Matching Technique
2. ANN: “Mr. Martin never works in the
garage.”
KEN: “Yes, he does. He works in the
garage last Saturday.”
When was he working?
a. in the garage
b. Mr. Martin
c. last Saturday

64. Question techniques for
More Advanced
Students
• Standard Multiple Choice
– Paraphrase
– Synthesis
– Inference
• Multiple Choice Cloze

65. Standard Multiple Choice
• The best example is a reading passage
followed by multiple choice questions.
• Plan your questions in a way that
everyone has the equal chance to
succeed.
• Older students with varied interests
should be given more than one passage.

66. Standard Multiple Choice
• The number of passages and the length
depends on a particular test
• If the whole exam is reading, questions
can be taken from very short passages of
35 to 75 words each.
• Longer passages can be 100 to 300
words
• Use three to five sources so there will be
no one with special advantage

67. Standard Multiple Choice:
Paraphrase
• Karate is a science of unarmed self-
defense and counter attack. This is a
sort of “weapon in an empty hand.”
In many countries, thousands of
young people are developing their
minds as well as their bodies by
learning karate.

68. Standard Multiple Choice:
Paraphrase
In the passage, we learn that karate
_______.
a. Is being taught to many young people
b. Training for the mind is being taught
c. You can remove a weapon from
someone’s hand
d. It is used to start a fight

69. Standard Multiple Choice:
Synthesis
• Requires integration of
ideas from one or more
sentences – sometimes from the
entire selection.
• A simple story can be used to
test comprehension

70. Standard Multiple Choice:
Synthesis
A lady stops at a restaurant to eat. But, she looks
confused when it is time to pay her bill. Then,
she says, “I can’t pay the bill. My purse is
gone.”
The lady couldn’t pay the bill because
__________.
a. She is sick
b. She is lost
c. She lost her money
d. She is full

71. Standard Multiple Choice:
Inference
• Requires students to see implications in what they read.
• Should notask for words and phrases as they appear on
the passage
• They should avoid illogical distractors
• They shouldn’t be written in a way that they are
answerable from general knowledge.
• Have another class answer the test to see if
there are items that can be answered from logic
or general knowledge.

72. Standard Multiple Choice:
Inference
• Two men, Gerard and Denys, were
travelling in a forest. They had just been
forced to kill a large baby bear (in self-
defense). Then Gerard heard a sound
behind them. It was a strange sound, too,
like something heavy, but not hard, rushing
over dry leaves. It was a large bear, as big
as a horse, running after them a short
distance away. As soon as he saw it, Gerard
cried out in fear, “The baby bear’s mother.”

73. Standard Multiple Choice:
Inference
• The mother bear was probably running because
__________.
a. Was afraid of Gerard and Denys and wanted
to escape
b. Wanted to hurt those who killed its baby
c. Was chasing a horse, a short distance away
d. Enjoyed running, like horses and other
animals

74. Multiple-Choice Cloze
• Standard cloze measures over-all
proficiency
• Choices should test students’ word
recognition
• Should need several sentences to
build-up information that points to
specific slot needed to be filled.

75. Multiple-Choice Cloze
• Circle the correct word.
• Is your home safe? Do it/you/them/each
protect your family? Are you safe
of/for/with/from fire or failing? Do you
guard against
watching/knowing/eating/sending unsafe
food or drinking poison? It
perhaps/is/always/so important to keep
your home safe and/since/because/for
develop good safety habits.

76. Multiple-Choice Cloze
• The passage may also be a summary of a longer article.
• Andrew Mason began his work as a doctor at
Drineffy, a coal mining town in Wales. Here, he
became friends with a doctor named Phillip Denney.
They both wanted to stop the disease ___ (1) that
people could become well. ___ (2) fact, they even
blew up a ___ (3) one night to help ___ (4) people’s
health. In Drineffy, Andrew also met Christine
Barlow. She became his ___ (5) the day he began
working in a town called Aberalaw.
• 1. so 2. in 3. sewer 4. improve 5. wife

77. Objections to
multiple
choice tests

78. •It is passive
•Expose students to
errors
•Students can simply
guess from the choices

79. Alternate forms of
passage
comprehension
items

80. 1. Sentence – level items
Based on the passage about Andrew
Mason, you can ask for simple completion
(not allowing answers directly quoted):
The two doctors destroyed the sewer
because _____.

81. 1. Sentence – level items
Based on the passage about karate, you
can use open-ended items for sentence
explanation.
In just a sentence, explain what you
feel the main point of the passage is.

82. 2. Editing tests
• This is a kind of cloze test in reverse
• Instead of putting words out, we put words in.
• They must not be put in fixed intervals
•No more than one word is inserted per
clause
•Never ask for two words in succession
• Can evaluate comprehension and check
reading speed

83. 2. Editing tests
• The boy was called Abe. He lived read in a
cabin on a small farm. Abe lived with his
mother and father stores and sister. His
clothes were homemade. He didn’t even own
language a pair of good shoes. But spends
he never went hungry or cold. Abe had to
work hard on need the farm, but he was
happy because wild there was a lot of love in
his family.
• read / stores / language / spend / need / wild

84. Instruction
preparation

85. We have added words to this story.
They don’t make sense. Cross out any
you see. (For example: “The cow
over there is automobile eating
grass.” Here, you cross out the word
automobile.) Never cross out two
words together. There are 25 words
to cross out.

86. Advantages of passage comprehension
1. This is the most integrative of
reading test.
2. It is objective and easy to score
3. It can evaluate students at
every level of reading
development

87. Limitations of passage comprehension
1. It is more time – consuming to
take than other kinds of tests
2. One pitfall in this kind of test is
utilizing questions that deal with
trivial details
3. Those with trivial details deal
encourages word for word
reading

88. You may now design
your own test
