CONSTRUCTING A TEST

How does one go about constructing a test? Because there are all sorts of tests, there are also all sorts of ways to construct such tests, and there is no one approved or sure-fire method of doing this. In general, however, test construction involves a sequence of 8 steps, with lots of exceptions to this sequence.

1. Identify a need. The first step is the identification of a need that a test may be able to fulfill. A school system may require an intelligence test that can be administered to children of various ethnic backgrounds in a group setting; a literature search may indicate that what is available doesn't fit the particular situation. A doctoral student may need a scale to measure “depth of emotion” and may not find such a scale. A researcher may want to translate some of Freud's insights about “ego defense” mechanisms into a scale that measures their use. A psychologist may want to improve current measures of leadership by incorporating new theoretical insights, and therefore develops a new scale. Another psychologist likes a currently available scale of depression, but thinks it is too long and decides to develop a shorter version.