Condensed from "The Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary-School Principals, Volume 52 (December 1968), 32-42.

The essay test has the potential to remedy the discrepancy between announced course objectives and the objective test items that supposedly measure attainment of those objectives, according to the authors. Guidelines are provided for developing and administering essay tests. (Author/PGD)

Surveys of college faculty members' current use of objective tests indicated that most respondents (N=38) did not use state-of-the-art procedures associated with construction and analysis of objective tests. Many were unfamiliar with basic testing terms and tools and did not understand the meanings of the terms and tools. (SM)

Computer aided assessment (CAA) tools are more and more widely adopted in academic environments mixed to other assessment means. In this article, we present a CAA Web application, named eWorkbook, which can be used for evaluating learner's knowledge by creating (the tutor) and taking (the learner) on-line tests based on multiple choice, multiple…

While many teachers view the current trend in education toward more formal methods of assessment with considerable anxiety, there seems to be little coherent expression of the part that assessment should play, and the form it should take. Outlines an approach to assessment that seems appropriate and supports educational requirements in a primary…

A study sought to determine the feasibility of the COMP/ACT objective test, a competency battery, as a measure of ability to function effectively in adult roles. (Using stimulus materials from many different courses, such as broadcasts and television documentaries, the test measures six skill areas, including communicating, problem solving, and…

The methods of examining in the sixth form of secondary education in England and Wales is the basis for discussion by subject committees of the Schools Council. Special reference is made to internal examinations, oral assessments, teacher's assessments, the relaxing of the time limits for examination, and the use of aids during examinations. The…

Lists suggestions for alternative methods of evaluation that will bring teaching and evaluation methods into close correspondence (as opposed to following creative teaching with a memorization test). Contends methods of evaluation should become part of the learning process, not just measure recall of information given by the teacher. (SKC)

A study investigated performance of 51 second-year internal medicine residents on an objective structured clinical examination and analyzed the test's role in evaluating clinical competence. The examination included nine physical diagnoses and several test-interpretation stations. Performance was analyzed statistically and correlated with…

In this paper, several models for the psychometric nature of criterion-referenced tests are presented and results derived with implications for test construction, reliability and validity measures, and educational decision making. Both dichotomous and continuous underlying abilities to perform are considered. Illustrative data fitting both cases…

The primary purpose of this leaflet is to assist the teacher of English in building good achievement tests, with special attention to planning and construction. Subjects covered are general considerations for planning a test, making a blueprint for the test, basic characteristics of effective tests and test questions, selecting the proper test…

Instructional improvement within the context of criterion-referenced and norm-referenced tests is described. Such categories overemphasize test interpretation rather than design characteristics of achievement tests. Data from most measurement situations may be reported or interpreted either according to criterion- or norm-referenced standards. How…

This article proposes that to assess students' preparedness to deliver pharmaceutical care, pharmacy schools have experiential evaluation systems consisting of multiple assessment methods, guidelines for optimal use, and procedures to promote faculty-student communication about performance. Objective structured clinical examinations,…

Comparisons of students' educational performances are usually based on test and examination results. However, for such comparisons to be valid, it is suggested that evaluations must be made on some common basis since many educational and employment decisions are based on these evaluations. Standardized tests, often used when comparisons are to be…

This second in a series of six learning modules on instructional evaluation is designed to give secondary and postsecondary vocational teachers help in assessing student performance as it relates to knowledge of the facts, data, related information, and procedures taught in their vocational courses. The terminal objective for the module is to…