Chapter II – DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF TESTS

Lesson 4- Planning a Written Test

How do we make a well-planned written test?

The setting of learning objectives for an assessment of a subject area and the
construction of a table of specifications for a classroom test require specific skills
and experience. To successfully perform in selecting the right assessment
objectives and designing a table of specifications for a written test, you should be
able to distinguish the different levels of cognitive behavior and identify the
appropriate assessment method for them. It is assumed that in this lesson, the
competencies for instruction that are cognitive in nature are the ones you can
identify as the targets in developing a written test, which should be reflected in the
test table of specifications that you will create.

To be able to learn or enhance your in planning for a good classroom test,

you need to review your knowledge on lesson plan development, constructive
alignment, and different test formats. It is suggested that you read books and other
references in print or online that could help you design a good written test.
Why do you need to define the test objectives or learning outcomes targeted
for assessment?
In designing a well-planned written test, first and foremost, you should be
able to identify the intended learning outcomes in a subject, where a written test is
an appropriate method to use. These learning outcomes are knowledge, skills,
attitudes, and values that every student should develop throughout the year. Clear
articulation of learning outcomes is a primary consideration in lesson planning
because it serves as the basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching and
learning process determined through testing or assessment. Learning objectives or
outcomes are measurable statements that articulate, at the beginning of the school
year, what students should know and be able to do or value as a result of taking
the subject. These learning goals provide the rationale for the curriculum and
instruction. They provide teachers the focus and direction on how the subject is to
be handled, particularly in terms subject content, instruction and assessment. On
the other hand, they provide the students with the reasons and motivation to study
and persevere. They give students the opportunities to be aware of what they need
to do to be successful in the subject, take control and ownership of their progress,
and focus on what they should be learning. Setting objectives for assessment is the
process of establishing direction to guide both the teacher in teaching and the
student in learning.
What are the objectives for testing?
In developing a written test, the cognitive behaviors of learning outcomes are
usually targeted. For the cognitive domain, it is important to identify the levels of
behavior expected from the students. Traditionally, Bloom’s Taxonomy was used to
classify learning objectives based on levels of complexity and specificity of the
cognitive behaviors. With knowledge at the base (i.e., lower order thinking skill), the
category progress to comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation. However, Anderson and Krathwohl, Bloom’s student and research
partner, respectively, came up with a revised taxonomy, in which the nouns used
to represent the levels of cognitive behavior were replaced by verbs, and the
synthesis and evaluation were switched. (Figure 4.1 presents the two taxonomies.)

Bloom (1956) Anderson and Krathwohl (2001)

Figure 4.1. Taxonomies of Instructional Objectives

In developing the cognitive domain of instructional objectives, key verbs can
be used. See Lesson 2 for the sample objectives in the RBT Framework.

What is a table of specifications?

A table of specifications (TOS) sometimes called a test blueprint, is a tool
used by teachers to design a test. It is a table that maps out test objectives,
contents, or topics covered by the test; the levels of cognitive behavior to be
measured; the distribution of items, number, placement, and weights of test items;
and the test format. It helps ensure that subject’s intended learning outcomes,
assessments, and instruction are aligned.
Generally, the TOS is prepared before a test is created. However, it is ideal to
prepare one even before the start of instruction. Teachers need to create TOS for
every test they intend to develop. The test TOS is important because it does the
following:
- Ensures that the instructional objectives and what the test captures match
- Ensures that the test developer will not overlook details that are considered
essential to a good test
- Makes developing a test easier and more efficient
- Ensures that the test will sample all important content areas and processes
- Is useful in planning and organizing
- Offers an opportunity for teachers and students to clarify achievement
expectations
What are the general steps in developing a table of specifications?
Learner assessment within the framework of classroom instruction requires
planning.
The following are the steps in developing a table of specifications:
1. Determine the objectives of the test. The first step is to identify the test
objectives. This should be based on the instructional objectives. In general,
the instructional objectives or the intended learning outcomes are identified
at the start, when the teacher creates the course syllabus. There are three
types of objectives: (1) cognitive, (2) affective, (3) and psychomotor. Cognitive
objectives are designed to increase an individual’s knowledge,
understanding, and awareness. On the other hand, affective objectives aim to
change an individual’s attitude into something desirable, while psychomotor
objectives, are designed to build physical or motor skills. When planning for
assessment, choose only the objectives that can be best captured by a written test.
For example, if you test the psychomotor domain, it is better to do a
performance-based assessment. There are also cognitive objectives that are
sometimes better assessed through performance-based assessment. Those that
require the demonstration or creation of something tangible like projects
would also be more appropriately measured by performance-based assessment.
For a written test, you can consider cognitive objectives, ranging from
remembering to creating of ideas, that could be measured using common
formats for testing, such as multiple-choice alternative response test, matching
type, and even essays or open-ended tests.
2. Determine the coverage of the test. The next step in creating the TOS is to
determine the contents of the test. Only topics or contents that have been
discussed in class and are relevant should be included in the test.
3. Calculate the weight for each topic. Once the test coverage is determined,
the weight of each topic covered in the test is determined. The weight
assigned per topic in the test is based on the relevance and the time spent to
cover each topic during instruction. The percentage of time for a topic in a test is
determined by dividing the time spent for that topic during instruction by
the total amount of time spent for all topics covered in the test. For example, for
a test on the Theories of Personality for General Psychology 101 class, the
teacher spent ¼ to 1½ hours class sessions. As such, the weight for each
topic is as follows:

Topic No. of Sessions Time Spent Percent of Time

 (Weight)
Theories and Concepts 0.5 class session 30 min 10.0
Psychoanalytic Theories 1.5 class sessions 90 min 30.0
Trait Theories 1 class session 60 min 20.0
Humanistic Theories 0.5 class session 30 min 10.0
Cognitive Theories 0.5 class session 30 min 10.0
Behavioral Theories 0.5 class session 30 min 10.0
Social Learning Theories 0.5 class session 30 min 10.0
TOTAL 5 class sessions 300 min or
100
3 hours

4. Determine the number of items for the whole test. To determine the
number of items to be included in the test, the amount of time needed to
answer the items are considered. As a general rule, students are given 30-
6- seconds for each item in test formats with choices. For a one-hour class,
this means that the test should not exceed 60 items. How ever, because you
need also to give time for test paper/booklet distribution and giving
instructions, the number of items should be less, maybe just 50 items.
5. Determine the number of items per topic. To determine the number of
items to be included in the test, the weights per topic are considered. Thus using
the examples above, for a 60-item final test, Theories & Concepts,
Humanistic Theories, Cognitive Theories, Behavioral Theories, and Social Learning
Theories will have 5 items, Trait Theories – 10 items, and Psychoanalytic
Theories – 15 items.

Percentage of Time
Topic No. of Items
(Weight)
Theories and Concepts
10.0 5
Psychoanalytic Theories
30.0 15
Trait Theories
20.0 10
Humanistic Theories
10.0 5
Cognitive Theories
10.0 5
Behavioral Theories
10.0 5
Social Learning Theories
10.0 5
TOTAL
100 50 items
What are the different formats of a test table of specifications?
 There are three (3) types of TOS: (1) one-way, (2) two-way, and (3) three-way.
1. One-Way TOS. A one-way TOS maps out the content or topic, test
objectives, number of hours spent, and format, number, and placement of items.
This type of TOS is easy to develop and use because it just works around the
objectives without considering the different levels of cognitive behaviors.
However, a one-way TOS cannot ensure that all levels of cognitive behaviors
that should have been developed by the subject are covered in the test.

No. of Format and No. and

Topic Test Objective Hours Placement Percent
Spent of Items of Items
Theories and Recognize important
Multiple
Concepts concepts in personality 5
0.5 Choice Item
theories (10.0%)
#s 1-5
Psychoanalyti Identify the different 1.5 Multiple 15
c Theories theories of personality Choice Item (30.0%)
under the Psychoanalytic #s 6-20
Model
etc.

TOTAL
50
5
(100%)

2. Two-Way TOS. A two-way TOS reflects not only the content, time spent, and
number of items but also the levels of cognitive behavior targeted per test content
based on the theory behind cognitive testing. For example, the common framework
for testing at present in the DepEd Classroom Assessment Policy is the Revised
Bloom’s Taxonomy (DepEd, 2015). One advantage of this format is that it allows
one to see the levels of cognitive skills and dimensions of knowledge that are
emphasized by the test. It also shows the framework of assessment used in the
development of the test. However, the format is more complex than the one-way
format.

No. & Level of Cognitive Behavior, Item

Time
Content Percent KD* Format, No. and Placement of Items
Spent
of Items R U AP AN E C
Theories and 1.3
Concepts F #1-
0.5 5 3
hours (10.0%) 1.2
C #4-
5
Psychoanalytic 1.5 15 1.2
Theories hours (30.0%) F #6-
7
C 1.2 1.2
#8- #10-
 9 11
1.2 1.2
P #12- #14-
13 15
1.3
II.1 II.1
M #16-
#41 #42
18
etc.
Scoring 1 point 2 points per 3 points
per item item per item
OVERALL 50
5 20 20 10
TOTAL (100.0%)
* Legend: KD =Knowledge Dimension (Factual Conceptual, Procedural, Metacognitive,
I – Multiple Choice; II – Open-Ended
3. Three-Way TOS. This type of TOS reflects the features of one-way and two-
way TOS. One advantage of this format is that it challenges the test writer to
classify objectives based on the theory behind the assessment. It also shows the
variability of thinking skills targeted by the test. However, it takes a much longer to
develop this type of TOS.

Level of Cognitive Behavior and

Knowledge Dimension*, Item
Learning Time No. of
Content Format, No. and Placement of
Objective Spent Items
Items
R U AP AN E C
Theories and Recognize 0.5 5 1.3 1.2
Concepts important hours (10.0%) #1- #4-
concepts in 3 5
personality (F) (C)
theory
Psychoanalytic Identify the 1.5 15 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 II.1 II.1
Theories different hours (30.0%) #6- #8- #10- #14- #41 #42
theories of 7 9 11 15 (M) (M)
personality (C) (P)
under 1.2 1.3
psychoanalytic #12- #15-
model 13 18
(P) (M)
etc.
Scoring 1 point 3 points 5 points
per item per item per item
OVERALL 50
20 20 10
TOTAL (100.0%)
* Legend: KD = Knowledge Dimension (Factual, Conceptual, Procedural,
Metacognitive) I – Multiple Choice; II – Open-Ended
PEC 8- ACTIVITY NO. 4

Answer the following questions:

1. When planning for a test, what should you do first?

2. Are all objectives of instruction measured by a pen-and-paper test?

3. When constructing a TOS where objectives are sent without classifying them
according to their cognitive behavior, what format do you use?

4. If you designed a two-way TOS for your test, what does this format have?

5. Why would one consider a three-way TOS than other formats?