Training-Workshop on

Table of Specifications relative

to Constructing Test Questions

Mr. Khevin F. Liza

Lecturer/ Discussant
 What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?

• Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification of

thinking organized by levels of complexity.
It gives teachers and students an
opportunity to learn and practice a range
of thinking and provides a simple structure
for many different kinds of questions.
What is REVISED BLOOM’S TAXONOMY?
The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy provides the
measurement tool for thinking. The changes
in RBT occur in three broad categories.
• Terminologies
• Structure
• Emphasis
A.Visual Comparison of Two Taxonomies
(Terminology Changes)

Evaluation Creating
Synthesis Evaluating
Analysis Analyzing
Application Applying
Comprehension Understanding
Knowledge Remembering

1956 2001

(Based on Pohl, 2000, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p.8)

 LEVEL ONE : REMEMBERING
THE LEARNER IS ABLE TO RECALL, RESTATE AND
REMEMBER LEARNED INFORMATION.
- RECOGNIZING
- LISTING
- DESCRIBING
- IDENTIFYING
- RETRIEVING
- NAMING
- LOCATING
- FINDING
CAN YOU RECALL INFORMATION?
Sample Questions for Remembering
• What is _____________?
• Where is __________?
• How did it happen ____________?
• Why did __________ ?
• When did ___________?
• How would you show _______?
• Who were the main ________ ?
• Which one ________ ?
• How is __________?
 LEVEL TWO : UNDERSTANDING
THE LEARNER GRASPS THE MEANING OF INFORMATION BY
INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATING WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED.
- INTERPRETING
- EXEMPLIFYING
- SUMMARIZING
- INFERRING
- PARAPHRASING
- CLASSIFYING
- COMPARING
- EXPLAINING
CAN YOU EXPLAIN IDEAS OR CONCEPTS?
Sample Questions for Understanding
• State in your own words…
• Which are facts? Opinions?
• What does this means…?
• Is this the same as …?
• Giving an example
• Select the best definition
Questions with what, where, why
and how questions answers could
be taken between the lines of the
text through organizing,
comparing, translating,
interpreting, extrapolating,
classifying, summarizing and
stating main ideas fall under
understanding.
•Condense this paragraph
•What would happen if … ?
•What part doesn’t fit?
•How would compare? Contrast?
•What is the main idea of … ?
•How would summarized … ?
 LEVEL THREE : APPLYING
THE LEARNER MAKES USE OF INFORMATION IN A CONTEXT
DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE IN WHICH IT WAS LEARNED.
- IMPLEMENTING
- CARRYING OUT
- USING
- EXECUTING
CAN YOU USE THE INFORMATION IN ANOTHER FAMILIAR
SITUATION?
Sample Questions for Applying

• How would you organize _______ to show ________?

• How would you show your understanding of _______ ?
• What facts would you select to show what ________?
• What elements would you change __________ ?
• What other way would you plan to __________?
• What questions would you ask in an interview
with_______?
• How would you apply what you learned to
develop_________ ?
• How would you solve ___________ using what you
have learned?
 LEVEL FOUR : ANALYZING
THE LEARNER BREAKS LEARNED INFORMATION INTO ITS PARTS
TO BEST UNDERSTAND THAT INFORMATION.
- COMPARING
- ORGANIZING
- DECONSTRUCTING
- ATTRIBUTING OUTLINING
- FINDING
- STRUCTURING
- INTEGRATING
CAN YOU BREAK INFORMATION INTO PARTS TO EXPLORE
UNDERSTANDINGS AND RELATIONSHIPS?
Sample Questions for Analyzing
• Which statement is relevant?
• What is the conclusion?
• What does the author believe? Assume?
• Make a distinction between _________
• What ideas justify the conclusion?
• Which is the least essential statement?
• What literacy form is used?
 LEVEL FIVE : EVALUATING
THE LEARNER MAKES DECISIONS BASED ON IN-DEPTH
REFLECTION, CRITICISM AND ASSESSMENT.
- CHECKING
- HYPOTHESIZING
- CRITIQUING
- EXPERIMENTING
- JUDGING
- TESTING
- DETECTING
- MONITORING
CAN YOU JUSTIFY A DECISION OR COURSE OF ACTION?
Sample Questions for Evaluating
• What fallacies, consistencies,
inconsistencies appear __________?
• Which is more important ___________ ?
• Do you agree _________ ?
• What information would you use
____________ ?
• Do you agree with the ___________ ?
• How would you evaluate _________ ?
 LEVEL SIX : CREATING
THE LEARNER CREATES NEW IDEAS AND INFORMATION USING
WHAT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY LEARNED.
- DESIGNING
- CONSTRUCTING
- PLANNING
- PRODUCING
- INVENTING
- DEVISING
- MAKING
CAN YOU GENERATE NEW PRODUCTS, IDEAS, OR WAYS OF
VIEWING THINGS?
Sample Questions for Creating

• Can you design a _____________?

• What possible solution to _________ ?
• How many ways can you __________ ?
• Can you create a proposal which
would_________ ?
The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy takes the form of
Two-dimensional table. The Knowledge Dimension or
the kind of knowledge to be learned and second is the
Cognitive Process Dimension or the process used to
learn.

The Cognitive Process Dimensions

The
Knowledge
Dimensions Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating

Factual

Conceptual

Procedural

Metacognitive
How to Construct Table of
Specification
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 1 1 1 3.33 3
2. 4 1 1 1 1 4.44 4
3. 1 2 1.11 1+1
4. 6 2 1 2 1 1 6.66 7
5. 8 3 2 2 2 8.88 9
6. 5 2 2 2 5.55 6
7. 8 3 2 2 2 8.88 9
8. 2 1 1 2.22 2
9. 4 1 2 1 4.44 4
10. 4 1 1 1 1 4.44 4
49.95 49
TOTAL 45 15 10 10 5 5 5
50
How to Construct Table of Specification

1.Determine the desired number of

test items.
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

TOTAL
50
How to Construct Table of Specification

2. List the topics with the

corresponding allocation of time

• The reference is the budgeted lesson.

 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3
2. 4
3. 1
4. 6
5. 8
6. 5
7. 8
8. 2
9. 4
10. 4
45
TOTAL
50
 How to Construct Table of Specification
3. Determine the total number of items per topic by using the formula:
Time Spent / Frequency per topic divided by the total number of
frequency in the grading period times total number of items.

Time Spent / Frequency per Topic Total Number of items

Total Frequency in the grading period

Example:

3 50 = 3.33
45
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 3.33
2. 4 4.44
3. 1 1.11
4. 6 6.66
5. 8 8.88
6. 5 5.55
7. 8 8.88
8. 2 2.22
9. 4 4.44
10. 4 4.44
45 49.95
TOTAL
50
How to Construct Table of Specification

4. Round off the value to become

whole numbers.
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 3.33 3
2. 4 4.44 4
3. 1 1.11 1
4. 6 6.66 7
5. 8 8.88 9
6. 5 5.55 6
7. 8 8.88 9
8. 2 2.22 2
9. 4 4.44 4
10. 4 4.44 4
45 49.95 49
TOTAL
50
How to Construct Table of Specification

5. Adjust or Balance by either

adding or subtracting (any of the
topic totals) so that the sum will
amount to the desired number of
test items.
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 3.33 3
2. 4 4.44 4
3. 1 1.11 1+1
4. 6 6.66 7
5. 8 8.88 9
6. 5 5.55 6
7. 8 8.88 9
8. 2 2.22 2
9. 4 4.44 4
10. 4 4.44 4
45 49.95 49
TOTAL
50
How to Construct Table of Specification

6. Scatter the items per topic per domain

• Determine the number of items per

complexity / level of cognitive domain.
In this case, we have already a
pre-computed value of 30-20-20-30
(10-10-10)
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 3.33 3
2. 4 4.44 4
3. 1 1.11 1+1
4. 6 6.66 7
5. 8 8.88 9
6. 5 5.55 6
7. 8 8.88 9
8. 2 2.22 2
9. 4 4.44 4
10. 4 4.44 4
45 15 10 10 5 5 5 49.95 49
TOTAL
30% 20% 20% 30% ( Higher-order Thinking) 50
 How to Construct Table of Specification
7. On the basis of your experience / analysis start allocating the
items with respect to the total number of items per domain and the
total number of items per topic beginning with the higher-order
thinking domains down to remembering. It is suggested that the
order of complexity from creating to remembering is not altered.

• Review the topics, reflect on previous experiences, and imagine

the teaching learning processes (TLP) that can go with the
topics. You may use teaching guides and other similar materials.

• Be mindful of the total points per topic.

 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 3.33 3
2. 4 4.44 4
3. 1 1.11 1+1
4. 6 1 6.66 7
5. 8 2 8.88 9
6. 5 5.55 6
7. 8 2 8.88 9
8. 2 2.22 2
9. 4 4.44 4
10. 4 4.44 4
45 15 10 10 5 5 5 49.95 49
TOTAL
50
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 3.33 3
2. 4 1 4.44 4
3. 1 1.11 1+1
4. 6 1 1 6.66 7
5. 8 2 8.88 9
6. 5 2 5.55 6
7. 8 2 8.88 9
8. 2 2.22 2
9. 4 1 4.44 4
10. 4 4.44 4
45 15 10 10 5 5 5 49.95 49
TOTAL
50
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 1 3.33 3
2. 4 1 1 4.44 4
3. 1 1.11 1+1
4. 6 1 1 6.66 7
5. 8 2 2 8.88 9
6. 5 2 5.55 6
7. 8 2 8.88 9
8. 2 2.22 2
9. 4 1 4.44 4
10. 4 1 4.44 4
45 15 10 10 5 5 5 49.95 49
TOTAL
50
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 1 1 3.33 3
2. 4 1 1 1 4.44 4
3. 1 1.11 1+1
4. 6 2 1 1 6.66 7
5. 8 2 2 8.88 9
6. 5 2 5.55 6
7. 8 2 2 8.88 9
8. 2 1 2.22 2
9. 4 2 1 4.44 4
10. 4 1 1 4.44 4
45 15 10 10 5 5 5 49.95 49
TOTAL
50
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 1 1 3.33 3
2. 4 1 1 1 4.44 4
3. 1 1 1.11 1+1
4. 6 2 2 1 1 6.66 7
5. 8 2 2 2 8.88 9
6. 5 2 2 5.55 6
7. 8 2 2 2 8.88 9
8. 2 1 2.22 2
9. 4 2 1 4.44 4
10. 4 1 1 1 4.44 4
45 15 10 10 5 5 5 49.95 49
TOTAL
50
 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Subject Grade Grading period School Year
DOMAINS
Total Number
Time Of Test items
Topic Spent/
Frequency Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Actual Adjusted

1. 3 1 1 1 3.33 3
2. 4 1 1 1 1 4.44 4
3. 1 2 1.11 1+1
4. 6 2 1 2 1 1 6.66 7
5. 8 3 2 2 2 8.88 9
6. 5 2 2 2 5.55 6
7. 8 3 2 2 2 8.88 9
8. 2 1 1 2.22 2
9. 4 1 2 1 4.44 4
10. 4 1 1 1 1 4.44 4
49.95 49
TOTAL 45 15 10 10 5 5 5
50
 Item Placement

A. Items 1-15 (Type of Question is to measure remembering

which cut across all topics within the grading period.)

B. Items 16-25 (Type of Question is to measure

understanding…)

C. Items 26-35 (Type of Question is to measure applying…)

D. Items 36-40 (Type of Question is to measure analyzing..)

E. Items 41-45 (Type of Question is to measure evaluating…)

F. Items 46-50 (Type of Question is to measure creating…)

 Benefits
Benefitsof
ofthe
theTable
Tableof
ofSpecification
Specification
1. Test Items are proportionally distributed to all topics in the grading
period (Number of time spent in the topic is proportional to the
number of items from the topic which means that the more time that
the teacher spend in the topic, the more test questions should be
constructed from that topic)
a. This ensures that the techer has to cover all topics listed/
budgeted in the grading period.
b. There is therefore sense or urgency.

c. Remediation becomes spontaneous.

d. Assures high “Time on task” rate.

 Benefits of the Table of Specification

2. Items are significantly scattered along Bloom’s Taxonomy

(Complexity) / cognitive domain with respect to a desired percentage
which may adhere to the Psychology of learning and evaluation.

a. Assures that all levels of complexity (R-C) are given emphasis.

b. Assures varied learning activities inside the classrooms.

c. Ensures that Higher-order Thinking skills are developed across all

levels
 Benefits of the Table of Specification

3. It is easier to construct a test question because the TOS serves as

a blueprint.

• In fact the teacher, (provided she has mastery of her lesson and
with the aid of the TOS), she can construct test questions without
using any textbooks and there is assurance that test questions are
constructed in her own words and therefore the test questions
appeal or relate better to the pupils/ students.