25 Test Writing Strategies to Assess Fairly and Authentically

Tips to Accurately Measure Student Learning

In an effort to reduce student frustration, boredom and anxiety, I have tried to almost 25 years to develop alternative methods of instruction and testing. As teachers, we need to assess learning in individual students, but traditional methods have often failed even to show what students have learned, not to mention that traditional testing produces a lot of concurrent problems of its own. I agree with the old maxim: Tests assess a teacher, not the students.

First. let's look at some misnomers and preconceived notions about testing.

All students respond to material in the same way. (There are variables which affect how one student responds at any given time; the differences among groups of students is multiplied exponentially.)

Students can be held up to a standard and measured on how they respond. (Who set the standard? How was it set? What about individuality, personal experience and environmental conditions? how much of the standard is based upon opinions?)

Students can not work together and share ideas and learning on a test; this isn't fair. (Why can't students pool information? We want them to work as a team in the work world, right? And why is it unfair when each student brings her own perceptions and skills 'to the table'?)

Tests accurately reflect what a student remembered or learned about material. (Tests often don't even accurately reflect what was taught, let alone what students remembered.)

All information covered in class is equally important and should be remembered and understood. (First of all, this is ludicrous; second, we must teach students to prioritize and mentally catalog material. Third, students need to see how information is sequential and builds upon each other. Fourth, no one can remember everything he's read or heard.)

How can we write meaningful tests that give a clearer image of what the student has actually learned or gained from material? Here are 25 quick tips for effective test writing.

Teach what you want students to learn.

Tell students what you will expect them to remember for the test.