Chapter 6: Creating Good Test Questions

This chapter explained how to create tests worth giving. First it is important to have questions and the test format to be clear and not confusing. Next a variety of questions and multiple assessments are needed to give a clear picture of the students’ understanding. Feedback should be specific and instantaneous or within a few days of taking the test otherwise it is useless. Keep tests short to avoid student test fatigue and save yourself time grading them. Add questions that include common mistakes that students make while learning the content. This clears up whether the student really knows or just memorized the material. Have fun making the test and be a little creative. Use students’ names and popular figures in their culture. This makes test drudgery a little less painful. The tests should have no surprises; ask questions in the same way you taught them. Changing it confuses students and will skew the results. Lastly, it is suggested to scatter the tough questions throughout the test instead of saving them for the end. This affects me as a teacher because the last thing I want to do is make a test that a student who knows the material will do poorly on. This is counterproductive. I learned that I need to be straightforward, clear, and avoid surprises on the test. This impacts my students by helping them succeed in every way I can. Students already have test anxiety and other obstacles in their lives, a test that is easy to understand, do, and is not surprising will help them show me what they really know. I mean I do not expect a hallelujah chorus or a round of applause but the students will appreciate it.