Which of the following is one of the functions of a test blueprint?
In this blog, we provide you a comprehensive guide to why a test is made, what distinguish a good test, and how to develop a test in detail.April 16, 2019 Show Developing an employment test, whether it is a personality, behavior, job-fit, or cognitive assessment, is a time-consuming process. There are many things and factors that need to be considered, let alone it involves various experts to ensure the test measures what it needs to measure and yields reliable results. The article acts as a comprehensive guide to why a test is made, what the characteristics of a good test are, and the test development process in detail. We will be covering the purpose of assessment, traits of a good test, and the first part of the test development process i.e. specifying the test objective. What is the purpose of assessments?Assessment of skills or knowledge is as important as the teaching/learning of the skill or knowledge. Assessment or testing or knowledge evaluation is not a new concept, and we have all at some point taken pre-instructional assessment tests (e.g. Central examinations for admissions into college), interim mastery test (mid-course assessments to check progress), and mastery tests (end course evaluation). We have also often asked ourselves and academicians ‘what is the purpose of these tests?’ Herman, Aschbacher, and Winters (1992) point out that “People [students] perform better when they know the goal, see models, [and] know how their performance compares to the standard.” The basic purpose of all tests, regardless of the way in which the test is used and the outcome associated with the test, is discrimination i.e. to distinguish the level of aptitude, abilities, skills among the test takers. For professional (employment) and academic interest, the objective would include such discriminators as proficiency, analytical and reasoning skills, technical aptitude, and behavioral traits, among many others. The two most popular approaches to facilitate this discrimination process are the norm-referenced approach, which is commonly understood as the percentile system wherein the relative performance of test-takers is considered, and the criterion-referenced approach wherein the performance of test-takers is assessed against a pre-determined benchmark. What makes a test a good test?
While the test is being developed, it should be reviewed by a number of experts to minimize developer bias. But how are tests designed?A test is made up of various individual questions, so it follows naturally that for the test to be good, each individual question also needs to be good. Each test question must meet three requirements for it to be classified as a good question.
Figure 1: Three steps in the test development process Specifying the objectiveThe primary step in developing a test is the definition of the outcome or objective which would be used as the basis for discriminating between test-takers. This is done by, at the outset, defining the stage at which the test would be administered i.e.
To illustrate, employment tests would be categorized as pre-instructional tests if the purpose is to assess the trainability of the workforce and would be classified as mastery tests if they are being used to shortlist candidates on the basis of their skills/knowledge. Understanding the instructional objective is also crucial in order to arrive at the testing objective, which would involve researching the curriculum and teaching methodology, to be able to draw insights from what the students are learning and the purpose of the instruction (fundamental concepts, advanced concepts, vocational training, etc.) This would lead to defining of objective or outcome of the assessment. Figure 1 showcases one of the most widely accepted lists of learning objectives as given by Bloom (in the triangle) and question cues for each of these learning objectives as generally accepted (on the right). Figure 2: Bloom’s taxonomy defining objectives for the cognitive domain mapped against question cues Categorization of learning objectives is done by an independent panel of experts. A panel of at least 2 subject matter experts works on the categorization independently and the classification is thereafter compared. If the classifications differ on more than two counts, additional experts are referred to in order for a consensus to be arrived at. Once the learning objectives have been defined, the next task is to formulate a test blueprint that specifies domain area-wise learning outcomes and enlists the skills that need to be tested for each domain along with the relative importance of each. Figure 2 gives a sample test blueprint for the Accounting domain with only three learning objectives.
Essentially a test blueprint serves as a ready reckoner for the following:
Developing a test is a complicated process, as it involves many layers of planning, testing, and evaluating. For 40 years, SHL’s team of experts has tirelessly develop our assessments so that we can help you build a workforce with the skills, motivations, and talent you need. Book a demo with one of our experts so we can help you assess and hire the best talent for your teams! Originally Published April 16, 2019, by Aspiring Minds, now SHL. What is the blueprint of a test?A test blueprint describes the key elements of a test, including the content to be covered, the amount of emphasis allocated to each content area, and other important features.
What is a test blueprint used for quizlet?The blueprint of the test identifies both the objectives and skills tested, and the relative weight on the test given on each.
What are the advantages of a test blueprint?Creating a test blueprint will help you plan which questions to include in your exam and ensure that it adequately assesses the learning objectives of the course. A test blueprint defines the knowledge and skills you want to assess and will enable you to build purpose-driven, successful assessments.
What are the five main purposes for using a test?Why Are Standardized Tests Important?. Identify strengths & weaknesses. With the help of standardized tests it becomes easier to identify problem areas with respect to students and schools. ... . Benchmarks. ... . Objective grading. ... . Help to improve curriculum. ... . Evaluates subject knowledge.. |