CONSTRUCTING AND SCORING ESSAY TESTA.

GENERAL TYPES OF AN ESSAY TEST

EXTENDED RESPONSE ESSAY ITEM

- is one that allow for an in-depthsampling of students knowledge, thinking processes, and problem-
solving behavior relative to a specific fact.

RESTRICTED RESPONSE ESSAT ITEM

– is one where the examinee isrequired to provide limited response based on a specified criterion
foranswering the question.

A.LEARNING OUTCOMES MEASURED EFFECTIVELY WITH ESSAY ITEMS

According to Gronlund and Linn (1990), there are 12 complex learningoutcomes that can be measured
effectively with essay items. These arethe abilities to:

Explain cause- effects relationships;

Describe application of principles;

Present relevant arguments;

Formulate tenable hypotheses;

State necessary assumptions;

Describe the limitations of data;

Explain method and procedures;

Produce, organize and express ideas;

•

Integrate learning in different areas;

Create original forms; and

Evaluate the worth of ideas.A.

CONTENT VERSUS EXPRESSION-

It is frequent claimed that essay item allowsthe students to present his/her knowledge and
understanding. More often or not,factors like expression, grammar, spelling and the like are evaluated
in relationto content. If the teacher has attempted to develop students’ skills in expression,and if these
learning outcomes are included in the table of specifications,assessment of such skills is just right and
valid.

B.SPECIFIC TYPES OF ESSAY QUESTIONS

I.RECALL

a)SIMPLE RECALL

1.What is the chemical formula for sodium bicarbonate?2.Who wrote the novel, “The Last of the
Mohicans?”a)

SELECTIVE RECALL

- in which a basis foe evaluation or judgment issuggested

1.Who among the Greek philosophers affected your thinking asa student?2.Which method of recycling
is the most appropriate to use athome?

I.UNDERSTANDING

a)Comparison of two phenomena on a single designated basis.1.Compare 19

TH

century and present-day Filipino writers withrespect to their involvement and societal
affairs.a)Comparison of the phenomena in general1.Compare the Philippine Revolution of 1896 with
that people’s of the Philippine Revolution of 1985.a)Explanation of the use or extract meaning of a
phrase or statement.1.The legal system of the Mesopotamians was anchored on theprinciple of an eye
for an eye, tooth far a tooth. What does thisprinciple mean?a)Summary of text or some portion on
it.1.What is the central idea of communism as an economic system?a)Statement of an artist’s purpose in
the selection or organization of material.1.Why did Hemingway describe in detail the episode in
whichGordon, lying wounded, engages the oncoming enemy?

I.APPLICATIONS

It should be clearly understood that whether or not a question requiresapplications depend on the
preliminary educational experience.

A.CAUSE/EFFECTS

1.Why did Fascism prevail in Germany and Italy but not in GreatBritain and France?2.Why does frequent
dependence in penicillin for treatment of minor ailment results in its reduced effectiveness against
majorinnovation of body tissues by infectious bacteria?

A.ANALYSIS

1.Why does Hamlet torn by conflicting desire?2.Why was the Propaganda Movement a successful
failure?A.STATEMENT OF RELATIONSHIP1.A researcher reported that the teaching styles correlates
withstudents’ achievement about 0.75. What does this correlationmean?

A.ILLUSTRATION/ EXAMPLES OF PRINCIPLES

1.Identify three examples of the uses of the hammer in a typicalFilipino home.

A.APPLICATIONS OF RULES/PRINCIPLES IN SPCIFIED SITUATIONS.

1.Would you weigh more/less in the moon? Why or why not?

A.REORGANIZATION OF FACTS

1.Some radical Filipino historians assert that the Filipino revolutionagainst Spain was from the top not
from below. Using the sameobservation, what conclusion is possible?

A.JUDGMENT

a)DECISION FOR / AGAINST1.Should members of the Communist Party of the Philippines beallowed to
teach in college or universities? Why or why not?2.Nature is more influential than the environment in
shaping anindividual’s personality. Prove or disprove this statement.a)DISCUSSION1.Trace the events
that led to the downfall of the dictatorialregime of Ferdinand Marcos.a)CRITICISM OF THE ADEQUACY,
CORRECTNESS, OR RELEVANCEOF STAEMENT.1.Former president Joseph Estrada was convicted for the
caseof plunder by the Sandigang Bayan. Comment on theadequacy of the evidence used b the said
tribunal reachingthe decision on the cased filed against the chief executive of the
country.a)FORMULATION OF A NEW QUESTIONS1.What should be the focus of researches of education
TOexplain the incidence of failure among students with highintelligence quotient?2.What question
should parents ask their children in order todetermine the reasons why that join fraternities
andsororities?I.

EXAMPLES OF ESSAY QUESTION BASED IN BLOOM’S TAXANOMY OF COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES.

A.KNOWLEDGE

Explain why Egypt came to be called the gift of the Nile.

A.COMPREHENSION

What is meant when a person says, “I had just crossed thebridge?

A.APPLICATION

Give at least three examples of how the law of supplyoperates in our economy today?

A. ANALYSIS

Explain the causes and effects of the People’s PowerRevolution on the political and the social life of the
Filipinopeople.

A.SYNTHESIS

Describe the origin and the significance of the celebration of Christmas the world over.

I.SOURCES OF DIFFICULTIES IN THE USE OF ESSAY TEST

There are four (4) sources of difficulty that are likely encountered byteachers in the use of essay test
(Greenberg et al, 19960) and they areenumerated are as follows:A.QUESTION CONSTRUCTIONB.READER
RELIABILITYC.INSTRUMENT RELIABILITYD.INSTRUMENT VALIDITY

I.GUIDELINES FOR CONSTRUCTING, EVALUATIONS AND USINGESSAY TEST

1)Limit the problem that the question possesses so that it will have aclear or definite meaning to most
students.2)Use simple words which will convey clear meaning to the students.3)Prepare enough
questions to sample the material of the subjectarea broadly, within a reasonable idea and writing.4)Use
the essay question for purposes it best serves, likeorganization, handling complicated ideas and
writing.5)Prepare questions which require considerable thought, but whichcan be answered in relatively
words.6)Determine in advance how much weight will be accorded each of the various elements
expected in a complete answer.7)Without knowledge of the student’s name, score for each questionfor
all students.8)Require all students to answer all questions on the test.9)Write questions about the
material s immediately relevant to thesubject.10)Make a gross judgment of the relative excellence of
answer as afirst step in grading.11)Word a question as simple as possible in order to make the
taskclear.12)Do not judge papers on the basis of external factors unless theyhave been clearly
stipulated.13)Do not make a generalized estimate of an entire paper’s worth.

14)Do not construct a test consisting of only one question.

I.SCORING ESSAY TEST

A.

METHODS IN SCORING ESSAY TESTS

1.It is critical that the teacher prepare, in advance a detailed idealanswer.2.Student papers should be
scored anonymously and that all answersto a given item be scored one at a time, rather than grading
eachtotal separately.

A.DISTRACTORS IN SCORING ESSAY TEST

1.Handwriting2.Style3.Grammar4.Knowledge of the students5.Neatness

A.TWO WAYS OF SCORING ESSAY TEST

1.HOLISTIC SCORING- In this type, a total score is assigned in eachessay items based the teacher’s
general impression or over-allassessment.2.ANALYTIC SCORING- In this type, the essay is scored in terms
of each components

A.GUIDELINES IN SCORING ESSAY TEST TO AVOID SUBJECTIVTY

1.Decide what factors constitute a good answer before administeringan essay question.2.Explain these
factors in the test item.3.Read all the answers to a single essay question before readingother
questions4.Reread essay answers a second time after initial scoring.