Assessment of Learning LET REVIEWER
Professional Education Lesson 39:
Principles Of High-Quality Assessment
Teaching is not just about delivering lessons; it is also
about making sure your students are actually learning. That is where assessment
comes in. But here is something many beginning teachers overlook: not all
assessments are created equal. A poorly made test can give you wrong
information about what your students know, and a poorly balanced assessment can
miss important parts of student learning altogether. That is why
understanding the principles of high-quality assessment is so essential.
These principles guide you in creating assessments that are fair, accurate, and
truly useful for both you and your students. Whether you are preparing for the
LET board exam or getting ready for your first classroom, knowing these
principles will help you become a more effective and responsible teacher.
Principle 1: Clear and Appropriate Learning Targets
Let us start with the very foundation of good assessment. Before you even think about what kind of test to give, you need to ask yourself one very important question: What exactly do I want my students to learn? That question leads us to the first principle, which is having clear and appropriate learning targets.
A learning target is a specific statement of what
students are expected to know or be able to do after a lesson or unit. It
is not enough to say "students should understand
fractions." That is too vague. A clear learning target would
be "students should be able to add and subtract fractions with
unlike denominators." See the difference? The second one is
specific. You know exactly what to teach, and you know exactly what to
assess.
Learning targets should also be centered on what is truly
important. Not everything you discuss in class has equal weight.
Some topics are foundational and essential, while others are just supporting
details. Good learning targets focus on the big, important ideas and skills
that students need to carry with them beyond the classroom.
Example:
You are a Grade 5 Science teacher about to finish a unit on
the water cycle. Before making your test, you write down this learning target:
"Students will be able to identify and explain the four stages of the
water cycle, which are evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and
collection, and give a real-life example of each stage." With this target
in mind, your test items will focus exactly on these stages. You will not waste
question slots asking about the definition of water, which is too simple, or
asking about ocean salinity, which is outside the scope of the target. Every
question on your test has a purpose, and that purpose ties directly back to
your learning target.
Before making any assessment, a teacher must clearly state what the students are supposed to learn. The clearer the target, the better the assessment. If you do not know what you are aiming for, you cannot measure it properly.
Principle 2: Appropriate Assessment Methods
Now that you have a clear learning target, the next question
is: how are you going to assess it? This is what the second principle is
all about. Using the right assessment method means choosing a type of test
or activity that actually matches what you are trying to measure. If
your goal is to test whether a student can write a persuasive paragraph, giving
them a multiple choice test will not show you that. You need to choose the
method that fits the skill.
One of the most common forms of assessment in classrooms is
the paper-and-pencil test. It comes in two major categories: Selected-Response
Type and Constructed-Response Type. Let us go through each one
carefully.
Selected-Response Type Tests
In a selected-response test, the student chooses
an answer from the options given. They do not write their own answer;
instead, they select from what is already there. There are three main types
under this category.
A. True-False Test (Alternate Response)
The True-False test, also called the alternate response test, is one of the simplest types of tests you will ever make. In this test, you write a statement, and the student has to decide if it is true or false, correct or incorrect, fact or opinion, or yes or no. Because there are only two choices, it is quick to answer and quick to score.
However, do not let its simplicity fool you. A poorly
written True-False test can be very misleading. Students might get the answer
right just by guessing, since they have a 50-50 chance. That is why the quality
of how you write the statements matters a lot.
There are actually three forms of the True-False
test:
1. Simple - The student is given only two choices,
such as True or False.
2. Complex - The student is given more than two
choices, such as True, False, or Opinion. This reduces the chances of guessing
correctly.
3. Compound - The student answers True or False, but
if they answer False, they are also asked to explain what makes it false. This
requires higher thinking because the student cannot just guess; they must
justify their answer.
Example:
Here is how all three forms might look in a Grade 8 MAPEH (Health)
class:
- Simple:
"Drinking eight glasses of water a day supports proper
hydration." True / False
- Complex:
"Drinking eight glasses of water a day supports proper
hydration." True / False / Opinion
- Compound:
"Drinking eight glasses of water a day supports proper
hydration." True / False. If the statement is false, write what makes
it false.
Now let us look at the rules for writing a good
True-False test so you can avoid common mistakes:
Rule 1. Do not accidentally give hints in the
question itself. Avoid writing something like: "Rice is the staple food in
the Philippines, and that is why Filipino farmers plant it in large rice
fields." The second part of the sentence gives away the answer and also
adds unnecessary information that confuses the point being tested.
Rule 2. Avoid absolute words like "always,"
"never," "all," and "none." These words make
statements almost always false, which tips off students who are just guessing.
Example to avoid: "Students always perform better when they study the
night before an exam."
Rule 3. Keep sentences short. Long sentences tend to
sound true even when they are not, and they also become confusing.
Rule 4. Do not write trick statements with misleading
words or small spelling errors. A student who does not actually know the answer
might still spot the trick and answer correctly. Example to avoid: "Jose
Ryzal was the national hero of the Philippines." (Rizal is misspelled as
"Ryzal.")
Rule 5. Do not copy statements word for word from the
textbook. This tests only memorization, not understanding.
Rule 6. Make sure you do not have too many true
statements and too few false ones, or the other way around. Also avoid creating
a pattern, like alternating True, False, True, False all the way through,
because students might notice and use it.
Rule 7. Avoid double negatives because they become
very confusing to read. Example to avoid: "It is not true that plants do
not need sunlight to make food."
A True-False test asks students to judge whether a statement is correct or not. It is fast and easy to score, but you must write the statements carefully so that the answer cannot be guessed, tricked, or memorized without understanding.
B. Multiple Choice Tests
The multiple choice test is probably the most
commonly used test format in schools and even in the LET board exam. In this
type, each item has two parts. The first part is the stem, which is
the question or the incomplete sentence that is being asked. The second
part is the options, which is the set of choices the student picks
from. Among the options, there is one correct or best answer, and
the rest of the choices are called distractors. Distractors are the
wrong choices that are made to look close to the correct answer so that students
who are just guessing or memorizing cannot easily pick the right one.
Multiple choice tests are great because they can test a wide
range of knowledge in a short amount of time, and they are easy to score. But
writing good multiple choice items is actually harder than it looks. A badly
written item can confuse students or accidentally give the answer away.
Example:
Here is a well-written multiple choice item for a Grade 10 class
on economic topic:
Stem: Which of the following best describes the
concept of supply and demand?
a. When supply increases and demand stays the same, prices
usually go down.
b. When supply increases, prices always go up, no matter
what happens to demand.
c. Prices are only determined by how much a product costs to
produce.
d. Demand has no effect on the final price of goods and
services.
The correct answer is A. Options B, C, and D are the
distractors. They sound related to economics, but they are incorrect.
Now here are the rules for writing good multiple choice items:
Rule 1. Do not use unfamiliar or very technical words
in the stem or the options, especially if the vocabulary itself is not what you
are testing. Example to avoid: "What is the coefficient of variation for a
dataset with heteroscedastic properties in a bivariate regression?"
Rule 2. Do not use vague modifiers like
"much," "sometimes," or "usually" because
different students interpret these words differently. Example to avoid:
"Students usually feel nervous when..."
Rule 3. Avoid complicated sentence structures in the
stem. The question should be clear and straightforward, not a puzzle in itself.
Rule 4. All distractors should be believable. If some
wrong choices are obviously silly, students can eliminate them easily and guess
between the remaining ones. Example to avoid (poor distractors): "Who
wrote Noli Me Tangere?" a. Jose Rizal b. Lebron James c. Iron Man d.
Andres Bonifacio
Rule 5. All choices must be grammatically consistent
with the stem. If the stem ends with "an," then all choices should
start with a vowel sound, or the grammatical structure will tip off the answer.
Rule 6. Be careful not to let one item accidentally
reveal the answer to another item on the same test.
Rule 7. Avoid giving options that mean the same thing
or that completely contain one another, because then the student cannot
distinguish between the choices. Example to avoid: "Bravery means: a.
Courage b. Fearlessness c. Boldness d. Cowardice" - Options A, B, and C
are all synonyms, making the item confusing.
Rule 8. Use "None of the above" and
"All of the above" sparingly. These options can make the test tricky
for the wrong reasons and do not always add value to the assessment.
A multiple choice test gives students a question and several options to choose from. It tests a lot of knowledge quickly and is easy to score, but the quality of the question and the distractors must be carefully written so the test is fair and meaningful.
C. Matching Type Test
The matching type test is exactly what it sounds
like. You give students two columns, and they have to match the items in one
column with the correct item in the other column. Column A usually
contains the premises, which are the questions or descriptions. Column
B usually contains the responses, which are the answers or
choices. The student draws a line or writes the letter of the correct
match.
This type of test works very well when you want to test
relationships between two groups of information, like terms and their
definitions, events and their dates, or causes and their effects. It is
efficient because one set of choices can be used across many questions.
However, it is best suited for lower-order thinking, specifically recall and
recognition. It is not ideal for testing deeper understanding or application.
Example:
You are a Grade 7 Science teacher and you want to test if
students know the layers of the Earth and their characteristics. Here is how
your matching test might look:
Column A (Premises)
- The
thinnest and outermost layer of the Earth
- The
layer where tectonic plates move
- The
thickest layer of the Earth
- The
hottest and innermost part of the Earth
- The
layer composed mostly of solid iron and nickel
Column B (Responses)
a. Core
b. Crust
c. Inner Core
d. Mantle
e. Outer Core
f. Lithosphere
Notice that Column B has six options but Column A only has
five items. This is intentional. Having more responses than premises prevents
students from getting the last answer just by process of elimination.
Here are the rules for writing a good matching type test:
Rule 1. Match only homogeneous items, meaning
items that belong to the same category. Do not mix dates, people, and
definitions all in one matching set because it becomes confusing.
Rule 2. The longer items go in Column A and
the shorter items go in Column B. This makes reading easier and more organized.
Rule 3. Column B must always have more options
than Column A. This prevents students from answering the last item
correctly just because it is the only one left.
Rule 4. Arrange the items in Column B alphabetically or chronologically so students can search through them easily without wasting time.
A matching type test asks students to pair items from two columns. It is good for testing recall of related facts but must follow a careful structure so students cannot guess through elimination.
Constructed-Response Type Tests (Supply Type)
Now we move to the second major category of paper-and-pencil
tests. In a constructed-response test, the student does not choose from
given options. Instead, they supply or write their own answer. This requires
more thinking because they have to recall and produce the information
themselves.
A. Completion Type of Test
The completion test, also called the fill-in-the-blank
test, consists of a sentence with one or more important words missing. The
student has to supply the missing word or phrase to complete the statement correctly.
This is a step up from selected-response tests because the student cannot just
guess from choices; they actually have to know the answer.
This type of test is useful for checking if students can
recall specific facts, terms, formulas, or concepts. It works best when there
is only one correct and specific answer that fits the blank.
Example:
You are a Grade 9 teacher testing knowledge of the
periodic table. Your completion test might look like this:
"The element with the atomic number 1 is called
________." "An atom that has gained or lost electrons is called a
________." "The periodic table was developed by Dmitri
________."
Each blank has exactly one correct answer, which makes
scoring straightforward.
Here are the rules for writing a good completion test:
Rule 1. Do not remove too many words from one
sentence. If the sentence has too many blanks, it loses its meaning and the
student cannot tell what is being asked. Example to avoid: "The ________
discovered that ________ revolves around the ________ and not the other way
around."
Rule 2. There should be only one acceptable answer
for each blank. Avoid items where many different answers could fit. Example to
avoid: "A good teacher is someone who ________." This is too
open-ended and subjective.
Rule 3. Place the blank at the end or near the end
of the sentence, not at the beginning. When the blank comes first, students
have no context to help them figure out the answer.
Rule 4. Make all blanks the same length. If
some blanks are longer than others, students might guess the answer based on
how many letters seem to fit. Example to avoid: "The _____ of the cell
produces energy for cellular functions and is called the ___________." The
different lengths hint at which answer is shorter or longer.
A completion test asks students to fill in the missing word or phrase in a sentence. It tests recall directly, but each blank must have only one correct answer, and the sentence must still make sense with only one or two words missing.
B. Essay Tests
Now we arrive at one of the most powerful but also most
challenging types of assessment: the essay test. An essay test asks
students to write their response to a question or prompt. It is not just about
recalling facts; it requires students to organize their thoughts, explain
their understanding, and present their ideas in a logical and connected way.
This makes it an excellent tool for measuring higher-order thinking skills.
An essay test has three demands on the student. First, they
must be able to recall factual knowledge. Second, they must be able to organize
that knowledge in a way that makes sense. Third, they must present that
knowledge in a clear, logical answer that actually responds to the question
being asked.
There are two types of essay tests, and it is important to
know the difference:
1. Restricted Essay is a type of essay item that has
a specific and focused answer. The question is clear enough that there is a
definite range of correct responses. It limits what the student can write
about, and you can check the answer against specific expected points.
2. Extended Essay is open-ended. There is no single
correct answer. Students are free to explore their own ideas, opinions, and
interpretations. This type measures creativity, critical thinking, and a student's
ability to develop and defend a position.
Example:
You are a Grade 11 teacher. Here are examples of both types:
Restricted Essay Item: "What were the three
primary causes of the Philippine Revolution of 1896? Explain each cause briefly."
This is restricted because there is a definite set of historical causes you
expect students to mention. You can prepare an answer key with the key points.
Extended Essay Item: "If the Philippine
Revolution of 1896 had failed completely, how do you think Philippine society
today might look different? Explain your answer." This is extended because
there is no single correct answer. Students will give different responses based
on their reasoning, and both can be valid as long as they are well-argued.
Here are the rules for writing and grading essay tests:
Rule 1. Specify how students should respond.
Tell them how long the answer should be, what format to follow, and what
aspects to focus on. Do not just write "Explain the French
Revolution." That is too vague.
Rule 2. Decide on your grading criteria before you
read any answers, and inform the students about those criteria in advance.
Use a scoring rubric so you know exactly what to look for in each response.
Rule 3. Set a time limit. This helps students
manage their time during the test and ensures that the essay is aligned with
what you can realistically ask in one session.
Rule 4. Grade the essays without knowing whose
paper you are reading. Ask students to write their student number instead
of their name, or cover their names before reading. This prevents favoritism or
bias based on who the student is.
Rule 5. Whenever possible, have two or more
teachers grade the same essay. This improves reliability because if two
raters give similar scores, you can be more confident the score is fair and
accurate.
An essay test asks students to write a detailed response that shows their knowledge and thinking. A restricted essay has a definite answer while an extended essay is open-ended. Both types must be graded using clear criteria and without knowing who wrote the paper so the scoring stays fair.
Principle 3: Balanced Assessment
You have learned about having clear targets and choosing the right method. The third and final principle brings everything together by reminding you that a good assessment does not only focus on one type of learning. A balanced assessment covers all domains of learning and uses a variety of assessment methods.
What do we mean by domains of learning? There are three: the
cognitive domain, which deals with knowledge and thinking; the affective
domain, which deals with values, attitudes, and feelings; and the psychomotor
domain, which deals with physical skills and performances. A balanced
assessment sets targets and creates assessment tasks that cover all three. If
your tests only measure what students know (cognitive), you are missing out on
how they feel about what they learned (affective) and whether they can actually
do something with it (psychomotor).
A balanced assessment also means using both traditional
assessment and alternative assessment. Traditional assessment refers
to the standard paper-and-pencil tests we just discussed, like multiple choice,
true-false, and essays. Alternative assessment, on the other hand, refers to
methods like projects, portfolios, performances, demonstrations, and
observations. Both have value and both measure different things.
Example:
You are a Grade 8 MAPEH teacher wrapping up a unit on First
Aid. A balanced assessment might include:
- A multiple
choice test to check if students know the correct steps for CPR
(cognitive domain, traditional assessment).
- A reflective
journal entry asking students to write about how they felt when they
imagined someone needing help and whether they feel confident to respond
(affective domain, alternative assessment).
- A hands-on
demonstration where each student performs CPR on a training mannequin
while you observe and rate them using a checklist (psychomotor domain,
alternative assessment).
By covering all three domains and using different types of
assessment, you get a complete and honest picture of whether your students
truly learned what you intended.
A balanced assessment does not focus on just one type of learning or just one type of test. It covers thinking, feelings, and physical skills, and it uses a mix of traditional tests and practical activities to give students a fair and complete chance to show what they have learned.
Principles Of High-Quality Assessment Quiz
