General Guidelines for Using Tests

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Several methods contribute to appropriate, effective evaluation. Guidelines for testing are as follows:

• Use tests as learning and diagnostic devices. Give students opportunities to demonstrate that they have learned what they missed on a test; adjust the grade.
• Use different forms of items to obtain different types of data that will help make decisions about student achievement and instructional practices.
• Use tests or self-evaluation inventories to evaluate all of your objectives, including inquiry abilities and attitudes.
• Spend time with students going over missed questions. This simple activity will help many students fill in gaps in their understanding. Some students may need individual tutoring if their gaps are more substantial.
• Remember that tests are only a sample of what has been learned, and probably not a very good one. Therefore, they should not be used as the only means of evaluation.
• Ask questions to determine students’ attitudes toward topics and methods.
• Place the easier questions at the beginning of the test so students gain confidence and minimize their frustration and fatigue.
• Consider the time factor. How long will it take students to complete the test? Some students will finish much sooner than others. Plan for students who finish before others, so they do not present discipline problems.
• Rather than having the students write on the test, have them place their responses on an answer sheet. This procedure ensures ease of recording and saves paper since the test may be used for more than one class.
• Encourage honesty. For example, you can remove the temptation to copy by spreading students out or by making two versions of the same test and alternating them when you pass out the tests.