Common Errors in Teacher-Made Test Design
Teaching and test writing require different skill sets. While teachers are often required to create language tests, they often have inadequate training. This may lead to tests that lack validity and reliability, making tests unfair for test-takers. Tests may contain more general errors in their development, leading to construct underrepresentation or construct-irrelevant variance, decreasing reliability and validity of the entire test and rendering results meaningless. Well-designed tests may also contain items that are not well constructed, which may again lower overall validity and reliability. These item-related errors include word matches, testing single words, issues with phrasing, developing good sets and distractors, and testing outside the text (such as language in the item or math skills). Increasing awareness of these issues and improving teacher skills in test writing will ensure more fairness for students in decisions based on test results.