The results of evaluation are intended to find the appropriate way to improve learning and instruction. If pupil fails in a particular subject, a diagnosis
is needed. “A diagnostic test is design to a particular aspect of a language. A
diagnostic test in pronunciation might have the purpose of determining which phonological features of English are difficult for a learner.”
15
Thus, diagnostic test is much comprehensive and detail because it searches for the underlying causes of
learning difficulties and then formulate a plan for remedial action.
4 Aptitude Tests
“A language aptitude test is designed to measure a person’s capacity or general ability to learn a foreign language and to be successful in that
undertaking.”
16
Aptitude tests are often used to measure the suitability of a candidate for a specific program of instruction or a particular kind of employment.
For this reason these tests are often synonymously with intelligence tests or screening tests.
17
Thus, these tests are given before the students begin to study and to select them in section appropriate to their ability.
b. Types of Tests Item
Based on the manner of scoring, the type of tests item is divided into two general types: Subjective and Objective tests.
1 Subjective Test
Subjective test is a test where in its scoring requires judgment and valuation of the scorer. Hughes stated that: “if no judgment is required on the part
15
H. Douglass Brown, Teaching by Principles, An Interactive Approach Pedagogy,
New York:
Addison Wesley Longman, 2001, p. 390.
16
H. Douglass Brown, Teaching by …, p. 391.
17
Grand Henning, A Guide to Language Testing, Cambridge: Newbury House Publishers, 1987, p. 6.
of the scorer, the scoring is objective... if judgment is called for, the scoring is said to be subjective.”
18
In this type of test, the answer is usually in a form of composition where the students given a freedom to relate their idea in their onwards. The subjective
tests that are usually used in classroom are essay, short answer and completion.
a Essay
“The essay item is the most complex of supply type item. It demands that the student compose a response, often extensive to a question for which no single
response or pattern of response can be cited as correct to the exclusion of all the answer.”
19
Thus, the distinctive feature of essay question is freedom of response it provides. In answering the question, the students are given freedom to select,
relate, and present ideas in their own words. Because of the feature, the essay test usually scored differently by the same person on different occasion.
b Short Answer Question
The short answer item is a short essay item..., and are best suited for questions requirin a brief response –a word, a phrase, or a sentence. While short
answer items are typically used for knowledge objectives, and essay items are most appropriate for systhesis and evaluation outcomes, short answer items can
easily be used for higher-order outcomes.
20
Thus, when the teachers are going to know the broader description about something, they are better to use the essay
form.
c Completion
The completion item is a written statement that requires the examinee to supply the correct word or short phrase in response to an incomplete sentence, a
18
Arthur Hughes, Testing for …, p.22.
19
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of …, p. 86.
20
L. R. Gay. Educational Evaluation and Measurement, Second Edition Republic of Singapore: Merrill, 1991, p. 231
question, or a word association. Completion test can be used effectively to measure the recall of term, dates and names.
This type of test can be used at almost all levels. But it is extremely difficult to phrase the question or incomplete statement so that only one answer is
correct. And in making the question, it may not too many clues are given, the items will be too easy, and if an insufficient number of clues are presented, the
item will be ambiguous and may yield several possibility of correct answer.
21
2 Objective test
“Objective tests are frequently criticized on the grounds that they are simpler to answer than subjective tests. Items in an objective test, however, can be
made just an easy or as difficult as the test constructor wisher.”
22
While Gay said, “Objective tests are sometimes criticized on the basis that they are appropriate for
measuring knowledge-level outcome only.”
23
Therefore, whether one teacher or another scores the item, today of last week, it will yield the same score.
Based on the description above, an objective test is a test that has right or wrong answers and so can be marked objectively. It can be compared with a
subjective test, which is evaluated by giving an opinion, usually based on agreed criteria. Objective tests are popular because they are easy to prepare and take,
quick to mark, and provide a quantifiable and concrete result. The objective test items commonly used in classroom testing are true false,
matching, and multiple choices.
21
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of…, p. 61.
22
J.B. Heaton, Writing English Language Tests, New Edition London and New York: Longman,1988, p. 26.
23
L. R. Gay. Educational Evaluation, p. 228.
a True False
True false item common used in measuring the ability to identify the correctnes of statement of fact, defrinition of term, statements of principle and the
like..
24
True false item doesn’t directly test writing or speaking abilities: only listening and reading. It may be used to test aspects of language such as
vocabulary, grammar, content of reading or listening passage, it is fairly easy to design, it is also easy to administer, whether orally or in writing, and to mark.
25
Thus, the item provides the students with a choice of two alternatives, so the students have a possibility to guess the answer and sometimes it will be the
right answer and sometime it will be wrong answer. Because of the random guessing to produce the correct answer. This type of test usually construct by
statement that the students have to choose whether it is true of false statement. If the statement is true, the students should write it with ‘T’, and if it is false, they
must be write it with ‘F’.
b Matching
The matching exercise consist of two parallel column of phrase, words, numbers, or symbols that mus be matched. Example of items included in
matching execises are person and achievement, dates and historical events. The nature of mathing exercise limits it to measuring the ability to identify the
relationship between two things.
26
The matching test item consists of a stem and two columns listed below the stem. The stem provides directions on how the student must
match the items in the two columns. One column contains the questions or problems to be answered and the other column consists of the answers.
24
Norman E Grondlund and Robert L. Linn, Measurement and Assessment in Teaching, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc, 1995, p. 150
25
Penny Ur, A Course …, p. 39.
26
Norman E Grondlund and Robert L. Linn, Measurement and, …, p. 164.
c Multiple Choice
A multiple choice item consists of one or more introductory sentences followed by a list of two or more suggested responses from which the examinee
chooses one as the correct answer.
27
The multiple choices item can measure a variety of learning outcomes from simple to complex, and it is adaptable to most types of subject matter
content. The learning outcomes in the knowledge area that can be measured by the multiple choice items are:
28
i. Knowledge of terminology
For this purpose, pupils are requested to show their knowledge of a particular term by selecting a word that has the same
meaning as the given term or by choosing a definition of the term. Special uses of term can also be measured by having
pupils identify the meaning of the term when used in context. ii.
Knowledge of specific facts. It is important in its own right, and it provides a necessary basis
for developing understanding, thinking skills, and other complex learning outcomes. Multiple choice items designed to
measure specific facts can take many different forms, but question of who, what, when, and where variety are most
common. iii.
Knowledge of principles The multiple choice items can also be constructed to measure
knowledge of principles. In this case, the items appear a bit more difficult, this is because principles are more complex than
isolated facts. iv.
Knowledge of method and procedure
27
Anthony J. Nitko, Educational test and Measurement, An Introduction New York: Harcourt Braco Jovanovich Inc, 1983 , p. 190.
28
Norman E Grondlund and Robert L. Linn, Measurement and..., pp. 168-170.
The multiple choice form is also able to measure the knowledge of method and procedure, such as knowledge of
laboratory procedure, knowledge of methods used in problem solving, computational and performance skill.
Some advantages of using multiple choice items are: the multiple choice items are fast, easy and economical to score, they can be objectively so that they
will be fairer and more reliable than subjectively scored tests. Besides those advantages, the multiple choice it’s also have disadvantages
such as: the technique of the test only recognition knowledge, so the students have no or little opportunity to express their own idea of a problem, pupils have much
time to guess the answer and it may effect on their scores, it is difficult to write successful items and cheating may be facilitated.
29
This type of test has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of this test are related to the teacher measure the student. It helps them to give the score
objectively. But in other side it also has disadvantages that related student, that only measure the students’ knowledge and make the students easy to cheat each
other.
B. Item Analysis
Selection of appropriate language items is not enough by itself to ensure a good test. Each question need to function properly: otherwise, it can weaken the
exam. Fortunately, there are some rather simple statistical ways of checking individual items. This is done by studying the students’ responses to each item.
According to Nitko: “item analysis refers to the process of collecting, summarizing and using information about individuals test items, especially
information about pupils’ responses to items.
30
The analysis of students’ response
29
Kathleen M. Bailey, Learning About Language Assessment Boston: ITP An International Thomson Publishing Company, 1988, p. 131.
30
Anthony J. Nitko, Educational test…, p. 284.
