In your experience, how difficult is it to construct a test?

bradwelljackson · Post by **bradwelljackson** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:24 am

As a teacher, how would you rate the difficulty level of making up a test to hand out to the students? Let's say the test is for an adult class of medium-level students. Would you rate it as very difficult, easy, somewher in between?

woodcutter · Post by **woodcutter** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:03 am

Since any old test seems to suit you, it's easy.

bradwelljackson · Post by **bradwelljackson** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:26 am

If you do just whip out a test, thinking that it's easy, do you ever find that there were a lot of details you didn't consider?

thethinker · Post by **thethinker** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:13 pm

Depends what the reason for the test is. If it's just a motivational tool to get students to study and give them something to aim for, then it's not too hard. But if you want it to be valid and to offer some kind of meaningful measure of your students' language ability, it's extremely difficult.

woodcutter · Post by **woodcutter** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:03 am

Right thinking, Batman.

bradwelljackson · Post by **bradwelljackson** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:30 am

The Thinker has given me food for thought. Methinks I should have been more specific in my question. Yes, indeed, I was thinking more along the lines of an official exam which is meant to accurately measure a student's progress. You know, the kind of thing you would give at the end of a semester. Now perhaps Woodchuck (depending on how much wood he has), can answer my question more pointedly. What do you all think, is it really very difficult, as Mssr. Penseur has opined?

mesmark · Post by **mesmark** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:58 pm

a true test for the individual? yes, quite difficult to make, but who would want to take that test. Aren't we all quite mediocre?

A test to see if the students have learned the material you taught? Easy enough, just ask the questions.

A test that gets you a bell curve and will included material not directly taught but inferred? difficult

A test for my Japanese students who can't form sentences but can ace my tests? difficult

woodcutter · Post by **woodcutter** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:17 pm

Again, I agree.

It is easy to make petty mistakes when constructing any test of course.

What is the purpose behind your question Bradwell? Do I smell an unexciting essay you must write?

bradwelljackson · Post by **bradwelljackson** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:31 am

Oh, nothing so innocent at that

Just part of my fiendish plot to take over the world by cutting down all the trees

I got the idea from Horton Hears a Who, don't you know.