Achievement

tests
 Achievement tests
An achievement test is a test of developed skill or
knowledge. The most common type of
achievement test is a standardized test developed
to measure skills and knowledge learned in a given
grade level, usually through planned instruction,
such as training or classroom instruction.
 Achievement tests are often contrasted with tests
that measure aptitude, a more general and
stable cognitive trait.
 Conti….
• Achievement test scores are often used in an educational
system to determine the level of instruction for which a
student is prepared.
• High achievement scores usually indicate a mastery of
grade-level material, and the readiness for advanced
instruction.
• Low achievement scores can indicate the need for
remediation or repeating a course grade.
• Under No Child Left Behind, achievement tests have taken
on an additional role of assessing ability of students.
 Types of Achievement test
• Achievement test may be of different types on the basis of
the purpose for which it is administered. They are
• diagnostic tests,
• accuracy test,
• power test etc.
• Achievement tests can be administered in different period
of time. When it is based on time or period factor, the test is
summative test, daily test, weekly test, fortnightly test,
monthly test, half yearly test, annual test or final
examination at the end of course of study of an academic
year.
 Types conti…
• On the basis of content or subject matter, achievement tests are
categorized as
• language test,
• reading test,
• spelling test,
• history test,
• geography test,
• mathematic test,
• science test etc.
Broadly speaking, all these achievement tests can be divided into two
on the basis of quality that is standardized test and teacher made test.
Here let us have a discussion on the objective type of achievement test.
 Functions of achievement test
 Provides basis for promotion to next
grade.
 Find out where each student stands in

various academic areas.

 Motivate the students before a new

assignment has taken up.

 Expose pupil’s difficulties which the

teacher can help them to solve

CHARACTERISTICS OF ACHIEVEMENT TESTS

• 1. The content of these tests is as per the

students’ level, abilities, interests and aptitudes.
• 2. The test items in these tests are objective, so
there is no question of awarding partial marks.
• 3. These tests are discriminating besides being
reliable and valid.
• 4. These tests are very economical from the
standpoint of money, time and energy.
• 5. The purpose of these tests is predetermined.
 Conti…
• 6. These tests are useful from the practical viewpoint.
• 7. These tests have a wide content.
• 8. These tests possess all characteristics of standardized
tests, such as scoring key, manual of
instructions, norms etc. All these are prepared in
advance and are got printed in the form of a
booklet.
• 9. These tests are made separately for different classes.
• 10. The scoring, time limit etc of these tests are
determined before their administration.
 Conti….
• 11. The number of questions in these tests is
large, so there is no question of chance factor.
• 12. The results of these tests provide such
material to a teacher by which he can
construct his entire
instructional plan.
 Types of test items
• Types of test items Tests are structured in serval
distinct ways. Each type requires a different strategy
so here are some tips on how to approach several
common test types .
• • Oral test
• • Essay test
• • Objective type test
• • Short answer questions
 
Oral test
These are extensively used in lower classes in higher classes
oral test can be used in science practical examination for
assessing the procedures adopted by the students the viva to
get immediate feedback from the students on the information
provided to them oral test proves invaluable however oral tests
have certain limitations like time consumption and the
subjectivity involved in analysing the results of the students.
 
• Essay test
• Essay test demand long answers the essay test
enquires the students to recall rather than
recognise information much time is required
to answer this type of question as the student
has to organise
• Short answer type • Objective type tests
questions An objective test is so
are the constructed named because the
response questions that system of scoring is
demand answer in a objective rather than
paragraph or few subjective as in the case
sentences are asked in of an essay test the
this category students
objective type tests
select the relevant
require specific answers
information or facts which
explain a particular in one or two words
situation for answering
the questions
• TRUE OR FALSE MATCH • Simple recall
ITEMS MULTIPLE A simple question is
CHOICE asked requiring a
response from the
students in a word or a
symbol
Example
What is the chemical
name for common salt 
• Completion type •  True or false test
• True or false type items are simple
A statement wherein an statement which must be either
important word or concept completely true or completely false
missing and the student is the student judges the truth or falsity
asked to supply the omission. of the statement and indicates suitably
with ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false
Example; Example ;
• The device that Is used for
finding the density of liquid is • The nucleus of an atom contains
-------. protons and electrons
• Manganese di-oxide acts as a • Inert gases are inactive in chemical
reactions because the outermost shell
-------- in the preparation of in them contains 8 electrons
oxygen.
• MATCHING TYPE • Multiple choice items
• In the traditional format the • The multiple choice item consists of
matching exercise consists of two two parts.
columns – one column consists of • The stem which contains the problem
problems to be answered or a statement
(premises) and the other column • Three or four responses out of which
contains the answers (responses) only one must be correct
the student is required to make • The respondent is asked to choose
some sort of association between the correct response and indicate
each premise and each response. the number in the specified place
• He pairs the corresponding elements the incorrect responses are called
and records the answers this type of distracters the stem may be a
test can be used to measure pupils question form or an incomplete
ability statement
Charcteristics for a good test
The following seven points are taken as criteria of a
good test.
• A good test must holds a very high validity.
• It must have a high reliability.
• It must be very objective in nature .
• It must be very comprehensive
• It must pick out the good students from the poor it
must possess high discriminating power .
• It must be easy to use .its administration and
scoring must be easy and there must be economy of
item and effort.
• Norms established on the basis of its results must
be satisfactory .
 Supply type test items
• Supply type test items • Examples include true–
are those which can be false, matching,
answered by a word, multiple-choice, and
phrase, number or completion
symbol. Supply type questions. ... Other
test items can be objective test items
further divided into are supply items that
short answer test items ask students to supply a
and completion test word or phrase to
items. answer a question. 
 Test administration and analysis
• Test administration procedures are developed for
an exam program in order to help reduce
measurement error and to increase the likelihood of
fair, valid, and reliable assessment. Specifically,
appropriate standardized procedures improve
measurement by increasing consistency
and test security.
Interpretation of test Scores
Test Interpretation Test Interpretation
is the process of analyzing scores in
a test and translating qualitative data
into quantitative and grading into
numerical. Score interpretation is
same as test interpretation.
 interpret percentile scores

A percentile is the value at a particular rank.

For example, if your score on a test is on the
95th percentile, a common interpretation is
that only 5% of the scores were higher than
yours.
What Is Frequency Distribution?
A frequency distribution is a representation, either in a graphical or tabular
format, that displays the number of observations within a given interval.
The interval size depends on the data being analyzed and the goals of the
analyst. Frequency distributions are typically used within a statistical
context. 
 Mean, Mode, Median
• The mean is the average of a data set.

• The mode is the most common number in a

data set.

• The median is the middle of the set of

numbers.