ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING THE TEST

ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING THE TEST

No matter how carefully a test is constructed, the results are worthless unless the test is administrated and scored properly.

Test administration

1) The procedure in administrating depends on the type of test

–individual or group. Cognitive or affective etc.

Chronological age

Education

Cultural back ground

Physical and mental status of examines whatever the type of tests and the kinds of people who take it , factors such as the propagators and motivation;

Amount of sleeps in the previous night

Physical discomfort

Anxiety to the test

Educational problems

Drugs etc can affect a person’s performance.

The skill, personality and behaviour of examiner are important in individual test.

Situation variables like true place of testing

Environmental condition

Such as illumination

Temperature Noise level ventilation and

Other distractions.

Are the factors the examiner must take into consideration before administrating a test.

STANDARDS FOR TEST ADMINISTRATION AND

SCORING

1)           Specification regarding instructions to test  takers, time limits, the form of item  presentation or response and test materials or equipments should be strictly observed.

2)           The testing environment should be of reasonable comfort and with minimal destructions.

3)           Testing materials should be readable and understandable.

4)           Efforts should be made to assure the validity of test scores by eliminating the opportunities

5)           Tests users should protect the security of tests materials.

6)           Testing programs should provide appropriate interpretation when test score information is released to student parents ,legal representation, teacher or the media .Examiners Duties before test administration

1)      SCHEDULING THE TEST

a)               It is unwise to test school children during lunch time ,play time and other pleasurable activities or exciting events have just taken  place such as immediately after a holiday

The testing period should  not be longer than one hour for elementary school children or

b)              1  ½  hour – secondary schools students because only for about 30 minutes the preschool and primary school children can remain attentive  to test tasks.

c)               Class room test should be informed  well in advance , when and  where the text will be given, what subject content will be included

What kind of test – objective , essay or oral. How much time will be permitted.

Some time surprise test  will be given to issue the students to keep up will the course material. But it should not carry the same weightage as regular examination

2)                 IN FORMED CONSENT

It consists of an agreement between an agency or individual and a particular person as his or her legal representative

In many states, the administration of a tests like intelligence test or psychological text to a child requires informed consent of a parent guardian or someone else who is legally responsible for the child.

3)                 Becoming familiar with the test

Ø If the examiner and test author are  same then there is no question of familiarity with test material

Ø But if it another person then the test manual should be studied carefully before attempting to administer the test

Ø         Should be familiar with the content

Ø Tests booklets answer sheets and other materials should be checked and counted before hand.

Ø He should be through with the kinds of individual and

conditions for which they are appropriate.

4)                 Ensuring Satisfactory conditions

Ø Examiner should make certain that seating, lighting,ventillation temperature, nose level and other physical condition are satisfactory.

Ø A room familiar to the examiners and relatively free from distraction is performed

Ø ‘Testing – do not disturb’ board may be kept on the closed door of the room

Ø Is best to administer an individual test in a private room with only examiner and examine or if necessary parent, guardian or other responsible person

Ø         Provisions should be made for physically handicapped persons

5.        Minimizing cheating

Ø         Comfortable seating that minimizing cheating should be arranged

Ø Preparing multiple forms(like different  sets of questions) and distributing different forms to adjacent examinees

Ø         Providing multiple answer sheet that is sheets having different layouts.

Examiners duties during the tests

1.                 Following test directions

Ø Carefully prepared test direction which are read slowly and clearly when presented orally , can inform examiners of the purpose of the test and how to indicate their answers.

Ø But avoid certain instructions when the directions are not identical for all the examinees

2.                 Remaining alert

-                     While administering the test, whether standardized or non standardized the examiner should be alert to cheating as well as talking or other un necessary noise

-                     Students may be told periodically how much  time is remaining by writing the time ona chock board or telling them.

3.        Establishing report

On both individual and group test the behaviour of the examiner can give motivation for examiners.

-                      A smile may provide enough encouragement to anxious examiners and they could remain calm and perform as well as  they care

-                      On both individual and group test the examiner must be

friendly but objective.

Authoritative but not authoritarian, appropriate in manner and dressing

Such behavior on  part of examiner create a condition of rapport or accepting  relation ship that encourages examinees to respond honesty and accurately.

4.        Preparing for special problems

Testing  very young or very old, Mentally disturbed or mentally retarded, physically handicapped or, culturally disadvantaged persons presents special problems

In such cases, question and answers may be given orally rather than in print or on other language than English. –

- Examiner must be familiar with the test material and be alert, flexible , warm and objective

5.                 Flexibility

Some flexibility is permitted but too much flexibility may render  the test norms.

Some of them are provide ample time for examinees use relatively short testing periods be aware and make provisions for visual, auditory and other defects.

Employ a generous amount of encouragement and positive reinforcement.

6.                 Oral testing

-                     efforts should be made to calm  their fears and should provide alternative testing methods for those who are emotionally upset

-                     rapport also can make the oral test enjoyable

Taking a test

-                     Examinee should be informed in advance not only when and where a test will be given, but also what it will cover and what sort of test it will be

-                     Prior  information about the test appear  to have much or more effect on scoring

a)        Test wiseness

-                      It is advised that the test items must be read carefully before answering

-                      Most probably in the care of multiple choice

-                      Some times they are able to eliminate wrong options by noting  that some options are worded incorrectly or are too broad or too narrow.

Some recommendation to make students more test wise

1.                 When a test is answered well in advanced don’t wait until the day before the test.

2.                 Ask the  instructor for old copies of similar tests.

3.                 Ask other students what kind of test the instructor usually gives .

4.                 Better to isolate yourself when preparing  a test

5.                 Don’t get too comfortable when studying like lying down

( then you may sleep )

6.                 Study the given  type of test (multiple choice, essay etc)

7.                 Apply the survey Q3 are  method

Survey the material

Ask yourself question

Read it attentively with an intent to remember

Recite it after reading

Review it just prior to the test.

8.                 Read the instruction carefully before beginning the test

9.                 pace yourself in taking a test ie keep timing

10.            Skip more difficult items and return to them later. Circle it and come back after answering other items.

11.            When time  permits  review your answers do not give away the paper before time has expired.

b)        Changing answers.

Examiners often has a tendency to change their initial response to test items. It is found that examinees found to make higher score whether they reconsider  their answers ( from wrong to right)

b)                 Guessing

It is advisable for test taken to guess only when they can eliminate one or more options  or if they have some idea about which option is correct

Using guessing can be avoided when there is negative marking

c)                  Correction for guessing

Correction formula is

S= R – w

Examiners duties after the test

1)                 After administering  the examiner should collect and secure

all test materials.

2)                 Test book lets and answer sheets must be counted and

checked that nothing is missing.

TEST SCORING

1.        Scoring essay test

*                   Can be made more effective by structuring the task clearly so that the interpretation of a question does not vary Widely.

*                   Scoring must be made objective and should depend more on the level of knowledge and understanding.

*                   Scoring on the basis of penman shin (poor handwriting leads to high scores) called Leniency error and halo effect (Giving a high score to an answer because all the other items are answered correctly)

*                   To begin, the scorer must decide whether to score  the

question as a whole or to assign separate weights to different components.

*                   Ideal answers should be prepared for each questions.

*                   Name of the examinee should be blocked out before

inspecting.

II          SCORING OBJECTIVE TEST.

Essay type scoring is  time consuming but objective test can be done quickly and accurately with a scoring stencil or machine and can return the response when the matter is fresh in their minds.

a.                  Strip key or stencil has a special answer sheet which can be prepared from a blank sheet of paper or cardboard by punching out the spaces where the correct answers should be.

b.                 Machine scoring

Test scoring, score analysis and score reporting may all be accomplished by using an optical scanner connected to computer containing appropriate assessment system software.

III         Human scoring errors

Compared to hand scoring the error rates in computer scoring are small.