Assessment Knowledge Skill Aptitude Physical Fitness Beliefs Computer
Assessment Knowledge Skill Aptitude Physical Fitness Beliefs Computer
Assessment Knowledge Skill Aptitude Physical Fitness Beliefs Computer
A standardized test is any test that is administered and scored in a consistent manner to
ensure legal defensibility.[3] Standardized tests are often used in education, professional
certification, psychology (e.g., MMPI), the military, and many other fields.
A non-standardized test is usually flexible in scope and format, variable in difficulty and
significance. Since these tests are usually developed by individual instructors, the format and
difficulty of these tests may not be widely adopted or used by other instructors or institutions.
A non-standardized test may be used to determine the proficiency level of students, to
motivate students to study, and to provide feedback to students. In some instances, a teacher
may develop non-standardized tests that resemble standardized tests in scope, format, and
difficulty for the purpose of preparing their students for an upcoming standardized test.[4]
Finally, the frequency and setting by which a non-standardized tests are administered are
highly variable and are usually constrained by the duration of the class period. A class
instructor may for example, administer a test on a weekly basis or just twice a semester.
Depending on the policy of the instructor or institution, the duration of each test itself may
last for only five minutes to an entire class period.
In contrasts to non-standardized tests, standardized tests are widely used, fixed in terms of
scope, difficulty and format, and are usually significant in consequences. Standardized tests
are usually held on fixed dates as determined by the test developer, educational institution, or
governing body, which may or may not be administered by the instructor, held within the
classroom, or constrained by the classroom period. Although there is little variability between
different copies of the same type of standardized test (e.g., SAT or GRE), there is variability
between different types of standardized tests.
Any test with important consequences for the individual test taker is referred to as a high-
stakes test.