Lesson 4:
Of Test and Testing
Lesson Objectives:
1. Determine what a good
test is.
2. Analyze what norm is and
how it can be developed
3. Learn how to develop
different types of norms
PART 1
Different Assumptions
about Test and Testing
1 1. Psychological Traits and States Exist
2. Psychological Traits and States can be quantified
Assumptions and measured
3. Test-related behavior predicts Non-test related
behavior
4. Test and other measurement techniques have
strengths and weaknesses
1
5. Various sourcesof error are part of the assessment
Assumptions process
6. Testing and Assessment can be conductedin a fair
and unbiased manner
7. Testing and Assessment benefit society
2
WHAT IS A “GOOD TEST”?
2
- Clear instructions for
administration, scoring, and
interpretation
2
- Offered economy in the time and
money it took to administer, score
and interpret
2
- Psychometric Soundness
o Reliability
1. Involves consistency
2. The perfectly reliable measuring tool consistently
measures in the same way
3. Reliability is necessary BUT NOT SUFFICIENT
ELEMENT OF A GOOD TEST
2
- Psychometric Soundness
o Validity
Measure what it purports to measure
2
- Other Considerations
o A good test is one that trained examiners can
administer, score, and interpret with a minimum of
difficulty
o A good test contains adequate norms
3
Norm
Norms - Refers to behavior that is usual,
average, normal, standard, expected or
typical
3 Norms/Normative Sample
- Test performance data of a particular
Norms group of test takers that are designed
for use as a reference when evaluating
test scores
3
Norms Norming
- Refers to the process of deriving
norms
3
Norm-referenced Testing
- Deriving meaning from test scores by
evaluating an
Norms individual testtaker’s score and comparing it
to scores of a group of testtakers
- INDIVIDUAL COMPARED TO A GROUP OF
TESTTAKERS
PART 2
Sampling to Develop Norms
4
Standardization or Test Standardization
- Administering a test to a representative sample of testtakers
for the purpose of establishing norms
4
Sampling
- The process of selecting the portion of the universe deemed to
be representative of the whole population
4
Population
- the complete universe or set of individuals with at least one
common observable characteristic
4
Sample
- a portion of the universe deemed to be representative of the
whole population
o The size of the sample COULD BE SMALL, BUT PRONE TO
ERRORS
PART 3
Sampling Methods
5
1. Stratified Sampling
Sampling -Reduces bias
Methods -Members of the sample came from different
strata
5
Sampling 2. Random Sampling
Methods - Every member of the population has the
same chance of being included in the sample
5 3. Purposive Sampling
Arbitrarily select some sample because it
Sampling is believed that it will be the best to
Methods represent the population
- Common in Consumer Psychology
5 4. Incidental or Convenience Sampling
- Practicality
Sampling - It is done due to budgetary limitations or
Methods other constraints
- After obtaining a sample, TEST
DEVELOPER will set STANDARD
Developing Norms for a INSTRUCTIONS AND CONDITIONS in
Standardized Test giving the test
- After all the test data have been
collected and analyzed, the TEST
DEVELOPER will summarize data using
DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
- Test manuals SOMETIMES supply
prospective test users with guidelines
for establishing LOCAL NORMS
1. Percentile
Types of Norms - an expression of the percentage of
people whose score on a test or
measure falls below a particular raw
score
- a converted raw score that refers to a
percentage of testtakers
- PROBLEM WITH USING PERCENTILE:
There will be a
distortion in Normal Curve and Highly
Skewed data
2. Age Norms
Types of Norms - Also known as age-
equivalent scores, age norms
indicate the average
performance of different
samples of testtakers who
were at various ages at the
time the test was
administered
3. Grade Norms
Types of Norms Average test performance
of testtakers in a given
school grade
Representative samples of
children over a range of
consecutive grade levels
USEFUL ONLY in children
who are in school or
completed a particular
grade
4. National Norms
Types of Norms - Nationally
representative of the
population at the time
the norming study was
conducted
Ex. Large numbers of
people representative of
a particular variable
Types of Norms 5. National Anchor
Norms
-Provide some
STABILITYto test score
by anchoring them to
other test scores
Types of Norms 6. Subgroup Norms
-Any of the criteria
initially used in
selecting subjects
for the sample
7. Local Norms
Types of Norms -Local’s population’s
performance on
some test
Ex. The arithmetic
ability of the people
of Silang, Cavite
6 - Distribution of scores obtained on the test from one group
of testtakers, fixed reference group, is used as the basis for
the calculation of test scores for the future administrations of
Fixed- the test
Reference - Typically. . . .
Group Scoring o Pioneer Testtakers
o If it’s necessary to change, then test developer will create
System new-fixed reference group
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