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completes by selecting one of several alternatives.
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The stem may take the following forms:
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a. An incomplete statement He accused me of …lies.
A. Speaking B. Saying
C. Telling D. Talking
b. A complete statement Everything we wanted was to hand.
A. Under control C. We cared for.
B. Within reach D. Being prepared
c. A question According to the writer, what did Tom Immediately do?
A. He ran home. C. He began to shout.
B. He met Bob. D. He phoned the police.
Usually either four or five alternatives also called options or choices are available. Only one is correct or best response, and the
others are referred to as distractors. The function of the distractors is to distract those students who are uncertain of the answer.
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4. The Characteristics of a Good Test
The most essential characteristic of the good test can be classified under the headings of validity, reliability, and usability
.
34
All good tests possess three qualities are: validity, reliability, and practicality.
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a. Validity
Validity is the extent to which the information you collect actually reflects the characteristic or attribute you want to know about.
As, Norman E.G. said that: Validity refers to the extent to which the
31
Drs. Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of…, p. 74.
32
J. B. Heaton, Writing English…, p. 30.
33
Drs. Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of…, p. 74.
34
Norman E. Gronlund, Measurement…, p. 65
35
David P. Harris, Testing English as a Second Language McGraw-Hill book company, no year, p. 13
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results of an evaluation procedure serve the particular uses for which they are intended.
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b. Reliability
Reliability refers to the consistency of measurement, how consistent test scores or other evaluation results are from one
measurement to another. Reliability can be classified by nothing the following general points as follow:
1 Reliability refers to the results obtained with an evaluation instrument and not to the instrument it itself.
2 A closely related point is that an estimate of reliability always refers to a particular type of consistency.
3 Reliability is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for validity.
4 Reliability is primarily statistical in nature.
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c. Practicality
A third characteristic of a good test is practicality or usability. In selecting tests and other evaluation
instruments, practical considerations cannot be neglected. Tests are usually administered and
interpreted by teachers with only a minimum amount of training in measurement. The time available for testing is almost always limited
and is in constant competition with other important activities for its allotted time in the school schedule
.
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B. Validity
According to Wilmar Tinambunan, Validity refers to the extent to which the results of an evaluation procedure serve the particular uses for
which they are intended if the results are to be used to describe pupil achievement. Thus, the validity of a test is the extent to which the test
36
Norman E. Gronlund, Measurement and Evaluation..., p. 65
37
Norman E. Gronlund, Measurement and Evaluation…, p. 93 – 95.
38
Norman E. Gronlund, Measurement and Evaluation…, p. 115
