2. Introduction
A test designed to identify and investigate the difficulties,
inadequate and gaps of pupils in specific curriculum areas
with a view to helping them to overcome those difficulties
through remedial instruction is called diagnostic test
The term diagnostic comprises all activities in
measurement and interpretation that help to identify the
growth lags and their casual favors for individuals or class.
3. Definitions
"A diagnostic test is developed to identify specific strengths and weakness in
basic skills such as reading, and arithmetic.“ Stadola and Stordahl
"Diagnostic tests are primarily concerned with the skills or abilities that the
subject matter experts believe are essential in learning a particular subject."
Mehrens
"A diagnostic test undertakes to provide a picture of strengths and
weaknesses.” Payne
4. DIAGNOSTIC TEST
A diagnostic test is a test designed to locate specific
learning deficiencies in case of specific individuals at a
specific stage of learning so that specific efforts could
be made to overcome those deficiencies.
It helps the teachers in identifying the status of learner at
the end of a particular lesson, unit or course of learning as to
what specific teaching or learning points have been properly
grasped by the learners.
5. Purposes
A diagnostic test is a means by which an individual profile is examined and
compared against certain norms or criteria.
The diagnostic test takes up where the formative test leaves off.
Diagnostic test focuses on individual’s educational weakness or learning
deficiency and identify the gaps in pupils.
Diagnostic test is more often limited to low ability students.
Diagnostic test is corrective in nature.
Diagnostic test pinpoint the specific types of error each pupil is making and
searches for underlying causes of the problem.
Diagnostic test is much more comprehensive.
6. Steps of Construction for Educational
Diagnostic Test
Diagnostic test may be either standardized or teacher
made. Teacher-made test besides being more economical
are also more effective, as each teacher can frame it
according to the specific needs of students.
The following are the broad steps involved in the
construction of a diagnostic test. Diagnostic Test may be
Standardized or Teacher made and more or less followed
the principles of test construction i.e., preparation,
planning, writing items, assembling the test, preparing
the scoring key and marking scheme and reviewing the
test.
7. PREPARATION OF DIAGNOSTIC TEST
PLANNING
WRITING ITEMS
ASSEMBLING TEST
PROVIDING
DIRECTIONS &
PREPARING
SCORING KEY
REVIEWING THE
TEST
8. Planning
The first step in the construction of a diagnostic test is
identification of subject matter areas which are really difficult for
the pupils. After selecting areas they should be further divided in
to simple teaching point and test items may be constructed for
each points.
As for as diagnostic test is concerned it is not very necessary
to know the importance of various leaning points. All the learning
points have to be covered in an unbroken sequence each learning
point should have an adequate number of questions help to identify
the areas of weakness.
9.
10. Writing the items
All the forms of questions, essay, short answer and objective type can be used
for testing different learning points. However it appears that for diagnostic
purpose short answer questions involving one or two steps, be used widely.
Whatever be the form of questions they should in general be easy
suitable for average students of that age or grade. The questions have to be
specifically related to the learning point and should be such as to throw eight
on the weakness of students. The questions should be written in simple
language. The scope of the expected answer should be clear to the student.
Questions are dubbed around learning point even when they are of
different forms, the learning point are arranged sequentially form simple to
complex which ensures that students not have to change their mental sets
every frequently. The mode of assembling also helps in finding out the
weakness of the student.
11. Assembling the test
Preparation of blue point may at together be avoided. No rigid time limit
need to be specified through for administrative purpose of the limit may be
set.
12. Providing direction
A set of instructions clear and precise is drafted. It should also be provided
with a scoring key and marking scheme.
13. REVIEWING THE TEST
Before printing the test , it should be carefully
edited and reviewed. This ensures that any in
advert ant errors are eliminated. An analysis of the
test testing down learning points with
corresponding questions may be presented for
future reference.
14. ADMINISTRATION OF DIAGNOSTIC
TEST
• Win the confidence of the students and reassure them that
test is to help them in improvement of their learning
rather than for declaring pass or fail.
• Administered in a released environment.
• Students should be seated comfortably.
• Students should not consult each other during the test.
• If any student is not able to follow something, he should be
allowed to seek clarification from the teacher.
The teacher may ensure that the students attempt all
questions.
Time schedule should not be enforced strictly.
15. USES OF DIAGNOSTIC TEST
The important uses of diagnostic tests are:
• Items, units or skills, which are understood by a majority of students, car1 be located
and teaching can be adjusted to the situation
• Items, units or skills which are not understood by a majority of pupils can be located
and there by special emphasis in these aspects can be attempted.
• The causes for the difficulty in certain items can be found out, for which remedial
measures can be taken.
• Individual weakness can be found out which would serve as the baseline for individual
correction work and personal guidance.
• Diagnostic test may be used for prognosis. It helps to predict the possible success in
certain type of courses or vocation and therefore it helps in providing guidance and
counselling
• Diagnostic tests can be made the basis of individualized instruction. Differentiated
teaching methods, ability grouping, individual drill. differentiated assignments etc. can
be attempted on the basis of the results of diagnostic tests
• Diagnostic test measures 'real understanding' as opposed to superficial mastery of
subject areas measured by achievement of pupils in subject areas
• Diagnostic tests can assist the pupil in locating one's weakness and so they can be
corrected with maximum ease and economy
16. Conclusion
In this presentation we have learnt about Diagnostic Testing which is the most
important part of the teaching-learning process. It implies a detailed study of
learning difficulties. Its aim is to analyze, not to assess. The nature and
purpose of Diagnostic Testing is to identify the areas of difficulties where the
learner commits errors.
After locating the area where the difficulty lies, as a teacher you will devise
some strategy to remove problems in learning and the causes due to which the
learner has faced the difficulties. The strategy used by you to remove the
weakness of the learner is known as remedial teaching.
17. BIBLIOGRAPHY
E W. Tiges (1968). Tests and Measurements irr tlre Improvement of Lc~arnirrg. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin.
C.V. Good (1945). Dictior~ary of Education. New York: Mc.Graw
Hill Book Company, Inc.
A S. Barr, W. H. Burton & L. J. Brueckner (1947). Supervision.
New York: Appleton - Century, p.318.
W.S. Monroe (1965). Encyclopaedia of Educatiortal Research, New
York: The Macmillan Company.
C.C. Ross (1956). Measurement in Today's Sclrools. New York:
Prentice Hall. Inc.
William D Sheldon (1960). Specific principles essentials to
classroom diagnosis. Reading teaclter. VOI. 14 (I)pp,. 2-8.
Walter W. Cook (1958). Educatior~al Measurement. Washington
D.C.: American Council on Education.
R L Thorndike & E. Hagen (1 970). Measurement and Evaluation
irr l ? ~ ~ c k o l aongd~ E~d ucation. New Delhi: Wiley Eastern Pvt. Ltd.
W. W. Cook (1951). Educational Measurement. Washington D.C.:
American Council on Education.
18. Example of Test in Your Respective
Subject
Reading Difficulties Diagnostic Test
Letter identification (Visual Auditory Perception)
Recognising the sounds, initial letter and diagraph.
1. Underline the words which start with sound ‘k’
Cat, Cereal, king, climb, cycle, curtain.
2. Underline the words which start with the letter ‘b’
beach, deep, dead, beads, beep, bread
3. Underline the words which start with letter ‘w’
whip, viper, where, vine, wise, vice
4. Underline the words which end with diagraph ‘sh’
Shine, crush, bush, which, push, speech, chirp.
5. Underline the word that has initial sound ‘a’ as pronounced in the example word ‘area’ arch,
aeroplane, arrangement, august, auto, army
