ESSAY

Test

Designing

and

Constructing

in

Accordance

with

Current

Curriculum Demand
In our new curriculum (curriculum 2013) teachers are forced to develop
equivalency between religiosity, social, curiosity, creativity, and cooperation
by using their intellectual and psychomotor ability ( Peraturan Menteri
Pendidikan Nasional 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional). It

means that the teaching and learning objectives are focused on developing
students ability both cognitive and psychomotor aspects to build the
equivalency for all of those values. Therefore, in the end of English learning
is aimed to make the students have the ability to act locally and think
globally. Suherdi (2012a, p.67) agrees that the lack of character building,
education just like human without his backbone. The statement proves that
how important character in education includes English.
In supporting this objectives, our educational experts create four core
competences that have to be acquired by the students in the end of the
learning process include religiosity aspects, social aspects, knowledge
aspects, and skills aspects in our new curriculum. Based on these facts, the
way the teacher teach their students and the way of the teacher assess their
students must be based on these core competences. In line with that,
Suherdi (2012a, p.71) believes that the purpose of teaching and learning
process in Indonesia is to create human who have good characteristics in
thinking, feeling, doing, and understanding.
Taxonomy bloom comes as solution to help the teacher in assessing the
students to reach the objectives that related to these core competence.
Here, when students learn English, the whole aspects of the students are
assessed by the teacher. These aspects consist of cognitive, affective, and
psychomotor. The assessment also have to be authentic and integrated to
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help the teacher in assessing those whole aspects. Suherdi (2012a, p.269)
supports that statement, he believes that in teaching and assessing the
students, HAIA can create the successfulness in building students language
competences that related to our new curriculum.
As we know that assessment is related to test. It is very essential in teaching
and learning process. It will gives good or bad effect not only for the students
but also for the teacher depend on what kind of test that is used by the
teacher to assess their students. Hughes (2003, p.1) states that the effect of
testing and on teaching and learning is known as a backwash, it can be
harmful or beneficial. Therefore, designing and constructing a test is very
crucial since it can influence the learning result.
The most important thing that we have to consider in designing and
constructing test is using HAI as an alternative. Because, the test which is
built by using HAI as guidance will help the teacher to assess every aspects
which are with the objectives in curriculum 2013 (developing equivalency
between religiosity, social, curiosity, creativity, and cooperation by using
their intellectual and psychomotor ability). Suherdi (2012a, p.269) states that
language competence that refers to the real ability need authentic
assessment, in the other hand, its integration needs holistic and integrative
assessment.
For example, when the teacher want to assess students speaking ability
(imagine that the topic is invitation), he can use performance and group
discussion as a test. First, the teacher can give the expressions that can be
used by the students. Then the teacher can ask the students to come
forward and give example to their friends. When there is students who want
to come forward voluntary, teacher can assess their motivation, their
cognitive, and psychomotor aspect. After that the teacher can ask the
students to make groups to practice how to invite someone orally. In this
section, teacher will be able to assess how they interact with each other,
their attitudes, etc. after they finish practice in the group, teacher can ask
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the students to come forward again and perform what they have learn with
their groups. This time teacher can assess the whole aspects from that
student. The test also authentic because they are tested by performing their
ability to speak. And we can integrate this topic to other skills.
The second example is when the teacher want to assess students reading
ability (The topic is invitation so the test still integrates with the previous
test), we can give them invitation letters, then ask them to discuss the letter
with their friends. Here the teacher can assess students motivation and
social aspects. In assessing students reading ability and psychomotor
aspects, teacher can ask the students one by one to read aloud. The last,
when teacher wants to know how far they understand about the text, the
teacher can give students questions related to the text.
The third example is when teacher wants to assess students writing ability
(for example that the topic is narrative), teacher can star by telling the story.
Then they ask the students to retell the story. Although the main skill is
about writing, but ask the students to retell the story in oral form can make
them feel easier when they try to write. This activities also prove that writing
skills can integrate with speaking skill. In this activity teacher can assess
students motivation and creativity. After that, students are asked by the
teacher to discuss and retell the story in groups. This activity can help the
teacher to assess how students work with group and teacher also can assess
students cognitive aspects. After discussion section has finished, teacher
can asks the students to write down the story individually. By this authentic
test, teacher can assess the whole aspects of the students.
The last example is assessing students listening ability. Here, we can play an
English song to the students and give them the lyrics but there are blanks in
every five words. Students are asked to fill the blank which is related to the
song. Then while they listen to the song and fill the blank, we can assess
their motivation in learning, their attitude, etc. after they finish listening they

are asked to collect the paper. The last, based on the paper we can assess
students listening ability.]
The conclusion is in arranging and designing a test, teacher should be
considered to HAI if they want to reach the objectives of curriculum 2013.
The examples above show that the test arrange in the whole process of
teaching and learning. In line with that, Suherdi (2012a, p.316) states that
assessing have to be done in every students performance during the
process beside the assessment that is conducted after the process.

References

Hughes, Arthur. 2003. Testing for Language Teachers Second Edition: UK:
Cambridge University Press
Suherdi, D. (2012a). Rekondtrukdi Pendidikan Bahasa: Sebuah Keniscayaan
Bagi Keunggulan Bangsa. Bandung: Celtic Press
Departemen Pendidikan Nasional Republik Indonesia, Peraturan Menteri
Pendidikan Nasional 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional