Achievement Test

Achievement Test

Achievement Test is a test of knowledge or proficiency based on something learned or taught. The purpose of an achievement test is to determine student's knowledge in a particular subject area. Achievement tests are often administered by the state to measure specific areas of learning such as math, reading, writing, science, and social studies.
Achievement tests are general assessments given to individuals in order to measure their comprehension of acquired skills and content. These tests are used to place students in appropriate level courses, and help students get additional help if they need it.

Types of Achievement Test
There are basic two types of achievement test such as

 Norm referenced
Norm-referenced tests compare a person's score against the scores of a group of people who have already taken the same exam, called the "norming group." When we see scores in the paper which report a school's scores as a percentage -- "the Lincoln school ranked at the 49th percentile" -- or when we see your child's score reported that way -- "Jamal scored at the 63rd percentile" -- the test is usually an NRT.

Why use norm-referenced tests
To compare students, it is often easiest to use a norm-referenced test because they were created to rank test-takers. If there are limited places (such as in a "Gifted and Talented" program) and choices have to be made, it is tempting to use a test constructed to rank students, even if the ranking is not very meaningful and keeps out some qualified children.

NRT's are a quick snapshot of some of the things most people expect students to learn. They are relatively cheap and easy to administer. If they were only used as one additional piece of information and not much importance was put on them, they would not be much of a problem.

 Mastery Learning
Mastery Learning is other basic types of achievement test. Generally compares performance to an established criterion or expected performance level on material, independent of other student performance. Scores are generally reported in relation to whether the student has met the pre-established standards.

According to Davis & Sorrel (1995) the mastery learning method divides subject matter into units that have predetermined objectives or unit expectations. Students, alone or in groups, work through each unit in an organized fashion. Students must demonstrate mastery on unit exams, typically 80%, before moving on to new material. Students who do not achieve mastery receive remediation through tutoring, peer monitoring, small group discussions, or additional homework.

“The mastery learning classes had their average student performing at an equivalent level of the top 30% of the conventional class…” –Kelly Morgan

Uses of Achievement Test

1. To help teachers determine the extent to which individual students in their classes have the knowledge and skills needed to deal successfully with the academic aspects of an instructional program the teacher has planned;

2. To estimate the general developmental level of students so that teachers may adapt materials and instructional procedures to meet individual needs;

3. To identify each student’s areas of greatest and least development to use in planning individual instructional goals and approaches;

4. To establish a baseline of achievement information so that the monitoring of year-to-year developmental changes may begin.