Chapter 4

STANDARIZED TESTING

For almost a century, schools, university, businesses and governments have looked to

standardized measures for economical, reliable and valid assessments of those who would

enter, continue in, or exit their institutions. We become so attached to this standardization to

the point that we have become abides by the result of standardized tests as if they were

sacrosanct.

Despite all that, some organization such as the National Center for Fair and Open

Testing have reminded us that standardization of assessment procedures creates an illusion of

validity, that is why it is important for us to understand what standardized test are, what they

are not, how to interpret them, and how to put them into a balanced perspective in which we

strive to accurately assess all learners on all proposed objectives.

WHAT IS STANDARDIZATION?

A standardized test presupposed certain standard objectives, or criteria, that are held

constant across one from of the test to another. A good standardized test is the product of a

through process of empirical research and development. In United states, most school have

standardized achievement test that held to measure children’s mastery of a prescribed

specified grade levels. For example,

1. Standardization test for a college entrance is called Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

2. Standardization test for graduate school program is called The Graduate Record

Exam (GRE)

3. Standardization test for law school is called Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT)
 To put it simple, a test is called standardized because that specify a set of

competencies (or standard) for a given domain, and through a process of construct

validation they program a set of tasks that have been design to measure those

competencies.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF STANDARDIZED TESTS

1. The advantages include, foremost, a ready-made previously validated product

that frees the teacher from having to spend hours creating a test.

2. Disadvantages include the inappropriate use of such test, for example using an

overall proficiency test as an achievement test simply because of the

convenience of the standardization

3. Another Disadvantages is the potential misunderstanding of the difference

between direct and indirect testing. Some standardized test includes tasks that

do not directly specify performance in the target objective.

DEVELOPING A STANDARDIZED TEST

Before developing a standardized test there are some questions that need to address

such as how are standardized tests developed, where do test tasks and items come from? How

it evaluated, how is the validity and etc. Based on this particular question the development of

standardized test is divided into six stages which include

1. Determine the purpose and objective of the test

The objective of standardized test must be specific and the content of each test must

also be designed to accomplish some particular ends depending on what the purpose of the

making of the standardized test, for example:

language is not English”

2. Design test specifications

Design test specifications: In this stage, the test developers outline the overall

structure of the test, including its format, length, and the types of questions or tasks it

will include. Test specifications provide a detailed blueprint for constructing the test

and ensure that it aligns with the intended objectives.

3. Design, select, and arrange test tasks/items:

Here, test developers create or select the specific questions, tasks, or items that

will be included in the test. These items are designed to effectively measure the

targeted skills or knowledge outlined in the test specifications. Additionally,

careful consideration is given to the arrangement of items to ensure a balanced

and fair assessment.

4. Make appropriate evaluations of different kinds of items:

This stage involves evaluating the quality and effectiveness of each test item.

Test developers assess factors such as clarity, relevance, difficulty, and bias to

ensure that the items accurately measure the intended constructs and provide

reliable and valid results.

5. Specify scoring procedures and reporting format:

In this stage, test developers establish clear guidelines for scoring the test and

reporting the results. This includes defining scoring rubrics or guidelines for
 subjective items, as well as determining how scores will be calculated and

reported to test-takers, educators, or other stakeholders.

6. Perform ongoing construct validation studies:

Construct validation is the process of gathering evidence to support the

interpretation and use of test scores for their intended purpose. This stage involves

conducting ongoing research to ensure that the test accurately measures the

intended constructs and produces meaningful results. Validation studies may

include analyzing the relationship between test scores and other relevant variables,

such as performance in related tasks or academic achievement.

STANDARDIZED LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TESTING

Test of language proficiency presuppose a comprehensive definition of the

specific competencies that comprise overall language ability. For this day there are 4

well-known standardized language proficiency testing which include;

1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

2. Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)

3. International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

4. Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)