5.2 Evaluation of standardized Tests:

As compared with the essay type examination standardized tests are definitely a far more accurate measure of student achievement in subject and skills, Through the help of such tests a teacher can readily spot out the brightness or weakness of students in various school subjects. He can then provide them with adequate opportunities to make the necessary improvements.

These tests have been specifically helpful in yielding useful information regarding aptitudes of students for specific abilities, e.g. artistic, musical, mechanical and social abilities. With the requisite knowledge of students aptitudes in these fields a teacher can also provide them with adequate vocational guidance during their school career.

Test Administration and scoring:

Test administration depends upon the nature of the classroom situation. If the class room is very large and poorly equipped test administration becomes a difficult process. If it is well equipped and the class room is small one test administration usually is the simplest Phase of the whole testing process. In the administration of standardized test, the golden rule for the test administration is to follow the directions given in the prescribed manual. Since there is no manual for test administration, There is no need for rigidly standardized conditions of test administration. There are some problems associated with test administration. They are the questions of preparing test takers, of cheating and of guessing on objective type tests.The actual administration of most test involves relatively few and simple problems. Since the time available for the test is usually limited, and seldom as long as some of the students wish, every available minute should be used to good advantage. In the words of Ebel, "By giving premilinary instructions the day before the test, by organizing test materials for efficient distribution, and by keeping last-minute oral directions and answers to questions as brief as possible, the teacher can ensure that students have the maximum amount of time to work on it. Corresponding provisions for efficient collection of materials and advance notice to the students that all work must stop when time is called help to conclude the test on time and in an orderly fashion.

Scoring:

Numerical quantification in any mental or psychological test is called a score. In words of Ross, "A score on any test is simply a numerical description of an individual's performance on that task." Hence a score is nothing but a number. It indicates the performance of the individual. When an individual gets a poor score on a test, it may not be due to his lack of ability but several factors are responsible for his poor performance. Tests scores can be expressed in a number of different ways-as numbers, as letters, as comparisons, and as words to cite a few.

Raw Scores.

The first step in scoring a classroom test or a published standardized test is usually to determine whether the response to each test item is correct or incorrect. Each correct response may count as one or more points or, in the case of an essay test item, several specific aspects of a response may be scored in accordance with a clearly defined set of guidelines on criteria, The total number of points is then added to provide a number which is called a raw score.