The Significance of the Study

The summative test is also the final evaluation of instruction in tests, projects, term papers, and final exams form. 7 Summative test has a meaning as an evaluation which is administered at the end of course and experience is being over. 8 It means that the purpose of summative test is to measure the goal of a process at its completion. 9 Similarly, summative test is usually used for measuring whether the program obtained its overall goals because the summative test covers the entire subjects unit themes and topic which are learnt in each semester. For this reason, the content of summative test should be based directly on a detailed course syllabus and the materials used. Thus, the test makers should pay attention in arranging the content of summative test that will be administered to the students and they should describe the objectives of the programs in the summative test. Concerning on statements above, the writer summarizes that a summative test is an assessment to find the empirical evidence about the effectiveness of teaching, so it should be confirmed to the objectives, activities, and instruction provided for the students. Similarly, by administering the summative test is given for the students; teachers are not only having a final report about the programs achievement, but also the students’ ability in acquiring the materials. Therefore, the test-makers should select the appropriate questions and the test items which can achieve the content standards and the minimum based competencies as in syllabus.

b. Formative Test

According to Gronlund, “formative tests are given periodically during instruction to monitor pupil learning progress and to provide ongoing 7 Airasian and Russel, op.cit., p. 124. 8 Allison, op.cit., p. 65. 9 Airasian and Russel, loc.cit. feedback to pupils and teacher”. 10 However, Hughes says that a formative test is as same as a progress achievement test because they are administered to measure the students’ progress. 11 Similar with Wiersma and Stephen’s statement which explain that formative test happens in over period of time and looks the students’ progress. 12 The other expert also defines that a formative test is made for improving instruction of the course while the course is still in progress. 13 Thus, a formative test is a test which is used to alter or to improve and monitor learning progress toward the goals in the instruction of the course.

c. Diagnostic Test

Diagnostic test is administered for checking the abilit y of the students’ or the students’ difficulties in acquiring materials. As Gronlund defines that a diagnostic test is a test which is made not only for diagnosing learning difficulty during the implementation of instruction, but also the whole process. 14 The other experts, Arthur defined “Diagnostic tests are used to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses”. 15 While Brown claims “A diagnostic test is designed to diagnose particular aspects of language”. 16 From the definition above, the writer conclude that a diagnostic test is used for analyzing the difficulties of the students or the strength of the students in some aspects of language at the starting or during the implementation of instruction. 10 Gronlund, op.cit., p. 125. 11 Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989, p.14.