Testing & the

examiner guide 2018

by
Mr.Samir Bounab
yellowdaffodil66@gmail.com
What is
testing? It is the “thing” or “product”

that measures a particular

5’ reflection

behaviour or set of objectives.

http://www.speechandlanguage.com
Testing Vs
?Assessment

reflection ’5
 Teachers vs Testing

Many teachers dislike preparing and

grading exams, and most students dread
taking them.

Yet tests are powerful educational tools that

serve at least four functions.
 Yet tests are powerful educational tools that serve at least four
functions :
Why
 First, tests help you evaluate students and assess whether
?testing they are learning what you are expecting them to learn.

 Second, well-designed tests serve to motivate students

 Third, tests can help you understand how successfully you

are presenting the material.
’5
 Finally, tests can reinforce learning by providing students
reflection with indicators of what topics or skills they have not yet
mastered and should concentrate on
Principles of Testing :
 when designing national examinations for the middle school, it is
important to:

a) target the learner’s exact level of performance.

b) Examinations must reflect the difficulty levels described by the descriptors
in the curriculum.

In conclusion c) Inspectors should supervise and assist teachers while designing assessment
tools which are conform to the BEM examination materials.

d) It is evident that the assessment of learning should focus on what was

taught in class and based on explicit descriptors .

e) In addition, the situations should be close to what was done in class in order
not to confuse the learner, and must be varied; they should test listening and
reading comprehension,
speaking and written expression as well as the language skills (grammar,
vocabulary, pronunciation )

Source: Curriculum of English for Middle School Education May 2015

 Bloom taxonomy and testing
Many teachers have found it difficult to apply this six-level taxonomy, and some educators have simplified and collapsed
the taxonomy into three general levels
The first category knowledge (recall or recognition of specific information).
The second category combines comprehension and application.
The third category is described as "problem solving,“ transferring existing knowledge and skills to new situations.

To measure knowledge (common terms, facts, principles,procedures), ask these kinds of questions: Define,
Describe,Identify, Label, List, Match, Name, Outline, Reproduce,Select, State. Example: "List the steps involved in
titration.“

To measure comprehension (understanding of facts andprinciples, interpretation of material), ask these kinds of
questions: Convert, Defend, Distinguish, Estimate, Explain,

Extend, Generalize, Give examples, Infer, Predict, Summarize. Example: "Summarize the passage."
To measure application (solving problems, applying concepts and principles to new situations), ask these kinds of
questions: Demonstrate, Modify, Operate, Prepare, Produce, Relate, Show, Solve.

To measure analysis (recognition of unstated assumptions or logical fallacies, ability to distinguish between facts and
inferences), ask these kinds of questions: Diagram, Differentiate, Distinguish, Illustrate, Infer, Point out, Relate,
Select, Separate, Subdivide.

To measure creating(integrate learning from different areas or solve problems by creative thinking), ask these kinds of
questions: Categorize, Combine, Compile, Devise, Design, Explain, Generate, Organize, Plan, Rearrange,
Reconstruct, Revise, Tell.

To measure evaluation (judging and assessing), ask these kinds of questions: Appraise, Compare, Conclude,
Contrast, Criticize, Describe, Discriminate, Explain, Justify, Interpret, Support.
?How to plan tests and exams

reflection ’5
 Construction of Effective Exams
Prepare new exams each time you teach a course. Though it is time-consuming to develop tests, a past exam may not reflect changes in
how you have presented the material or which topics you have emphasized in the course. If you do write a new exam, you can make
copies of the old exam available to students.
Make up test items throughout the term. Don't wait until a week or so before the exam. One way to make sure the exam reflects the
topics emphasized in the course is to write test questions at the end of each class session and place them on index cards or computer files
for later sorting. Software that allows you to create test banks of items and generate exams from the pool is now available.
Cull items from colleagues' exams. Ask colleagues at other institutions for copies of their exams. Be careful, though, about using items
from tests given by colleagues on your own campus. Some of your students may have previously seen those tests.

Consider making your tests cumulative. Cumulative tests require students to review material they have already studied, thus reinforcing
what they have learned. Cumulative tests also give students a chance to integrate and synthesize course content

Prepare clear instructions. Test your instructions by asking a colleague (or one of your graduate student instructors) to read them.
Include a few words of advice and encouragement on the exam. For example, give students advice on how much time to spend on each
section or offer a hint at the beginning of an essay question or wish students good luck

Put some easy items first. Place several questions all your students can answer near the beginning of the exam. Answering easier
questions helps students overcome their nervousness and may help them feel confident that they can succeed on the exam. You can also
use the first few questions to identify students in serious academic difficulty.

Challenge your best students. Some instructors like to include at least one very difficult question–though not a trick question or a trivial
one–to challenge the interest of the best students. They place that question at or near the end of the exam.

Try out the timing. No purpose is served by creating a test too long for even well-prepared students to finish and review before turning it
in. As a rule of thumb, allow about one-half minute per item for true-false tests, one minute per item for multiple-choice tests, two
minutes per short-answer requiring a few sentences, ten or fifteen minutes for a limited essay question, and about thirty minutes for a
broader essay question. Allow another five or ten minutes for students to review their work, and factor in time to distribute and collect the
tests. Another rule of thumb is to allow students about four times as long as it takes you (or a graduate student instructor) to complete the
test.
Multiple-choice tests. Multiple-choice items can be used to measure both simple knowledge and complex concepts.
Since multiple-choice questions can be answered quickly, you can assess students' mastery of many topics on an
hour exam. In addition, the items can be easily and reliably scored. Good multiple-choice questions are difficult to
write-see "Multiple-Choice and Matching Tests" for guidance on how to develop and administer this type of test.

True-false tests. Because random guessing will produce the correct answer half the time, true-false tests are less
reliable than other types of exams. However, these items are appropriate for occasional use. Some faculty who use
true-false questions add an "explain" column in which students write one or two sentences justifying their response.
Matching tests. The matching format is an effective way to test students' recognition of the
Types of Tests relationships between words and definitions, events and dates, categories and examples, and so
on. See "Multiple-Choice and Matching Tests" for suggestions about developing this type of
test.
Essay tests. Essay tests enable you to judge students' abilities to organize, integrate, interpret material, and express
themselves in their own words. Research indicates that students study more efficiently for essay-type examinations
than for selection (multiple-choice) tests: students preparing for essay tests focus on broad issues, general concepts,
and interrelationships rather than on specific details
Short-answer tests. Depending on your objectives, short-answer questions can call for one or two sentences or a
long paragraph. Short-answer tests are easier to write, though they take longer to score, than multiple-choice tests.
They also give you some opportunity to see how well students can express their thoughts, though they are not as
useful as longer essay responses for this purpose. See "Short-Answer and Essay Tests" for detailed guidelines
Problem sets. In courses in mathematics and the sciences, your tests can include problem sets. As a rule of thumb,
allow students ten minutes to solve a problem you can do in two minutes. See "Homework: Problem Sets" for advice
on creating and grading problem sets.
Oral exams. Though common at the graduate level, oral exams are rarely used for undergraduates except in foreign
language classes. In other classes they are usually time-consuming, too anxiety provoking for students, and difficult
to score unless the instructor tape-records the answers.
All test and exams must be
:planned according to
 It’s the only official guide that:
Why & must
• Shows how to plan tests and exams
teachers • Makes teachers work in a collaborative
use this Way and unifies their efforts
• Helps learners to be tested in equal way
guide? • Avoids any misunderstanding between
teachers if they are not given the same
classes the next year
• Part of the teachers lesson plans , to help
learners get used to its typology since the
5’ MS1 level
 Many claim that the Guide must be used only for the MS4 because
Of this remark in the introduction of the guide

When
must
teachers
use this
guide?
 What’s new in
This new
Examiner Guide
Or BEM guide?
The BEM guide 2007 contained more than 80 type of instructions , the one of 2013 , 57 type of
instructions and the one of 2018, 41 type of tasks .

So what is noticeable in the guide :

1) No personal pronoun "i" in the instructions
2)Use of the imperative
3) Respect the recommendations of the curriculum May 2015 in
designing national exams which implies that teachers MUST PLAN
their tests and exams respecting these recommendations
4) Integrating the "open ended questions" WILL not help learners , in
the previous guides it was planned with answers in order to AVOID any
ambiguities in the learners answers
5) The guide still contains too much instructions , means lessons ,
which are hard to accomplish in the MS4 year , which requires from the
teachers to use it in their daily teaching and testing
6) Taking into account all the criteria of the written expression
( integration) when the learners write out off topic .
 Why
must learners
be
Exposed to
This
guide
Since
MS1?
 1- all the 24 recommendations ?

Why ?
So you as teachers and test & exam
:designers
2- some of them?
What recommendations will you take
?into account
Why?

reflection ’2 3- None of them?

Why?
 - When developing tests/ examinations, designers must consider
the following questions:

1- Are the exams in accordance with the exit profile of middle school
education?
2- Do they contain the three competencies (interact, interpret,
produce)?
3-Do they contain the values set out in the curriculum (identity,
national consciousness, citizenship, openness to the world)?
Recommendations
4- Do they reflect the crosscurricular competencies (intellectual,
to examination
methodological, communicative, personal and social)?
designers
5- Are the activities in accordance with the concept matrix of the
curriculum in terms of global competencies, content , resources and
descriptors?
6- Are there more grammar exercises than communicative activities?
7-Are the themes and the vocabulary of the official curriculum
represented?
8-Do the assessment objectives match the learning objectives?
9-Do the reading comprehension activities measure the learner’s
understanding of the text and/or his general knowledge?
10- Are these activities repetitive ?creative?-
11-Do they require the learner to find answers in the text or to deduce them from the
context?
12- Do the vocabulary- related activities appear in a meaningful context?
13- Do the grammar –related activities appear in a meaningful context?
14- Do the pronunciation activities appear in a meaningful context?
15- Do the activities allow for the use of critical thinking or are they merely referential ?
16- Are the activities assessing the writing skill in accordance with the exit profile? Are
they meaningful for the student?
17- Does the task at hand correspond to his level of proficiency or is it beyond his
cognitive abilities?
18- Are the tasks communication- oriented ?
19- Do the BEM questions cover an important part of the curriculum?
20- Are the targeted competencies assessed objectively?
21- Are the assessors aware of the rubrics used by the designers of exams?
22- Do they use assessment criteria (relevance, correct use of language, coherence and
development) and indicators to measure students ‘ production?
23- Are they aware of the four levels of mastery of competencies (maximum, minimum,
partial or lack of mastery)
24 -Do they use these criteria when they assess the work of learners?

Curriculum of English for Middle School Education May 2015

Activities : I. Reading Comprehension: ‐
- Clear and precise .
‐ Familiar to students .
‐ Related to what has been taught.
‐ Graded in difficulties .
‐ Conform to the BEM guide  2018

-All the activities should lead to the written expression <integrated situation>
‐ Auxiliary questions Task : for example, students are expected to give positive
answer so they may manifest that as follows: 
‐ Yes . Work on the ideas
‐ Yes he did.
‐ Repeats the sentence. Not on the words
‐ He did 
‐ Do not test the same item twice 
‐ True / False (the words in the Task must not appear in the text)

Lexis
 4 words in all the text
[The words spread all over the whole text].
 The words given must have at least “4” possible answers for each word.
 The words given in lexis should be re-invested “likely” in the written
Expression”
 How to devise a test ?
(to invent a plan, system, object, etc., usually cleverly or using imagination -The different
steps to go through)
- Choose a text.
- Prepare (devise/write) the situation of integration .
- All the characteristics of a good situation of integration should appear in it.

- Why devising the situation of integration first ?

1. To have an idea about the kind of words that are likely to be reinvested in the situation
of integration.
2. To pick out (from the text) the words that are likely to prepare the activities related to
Lexis and the ones related to pronunciation.
3 .To make a list of all the grammatical/syntactic items that are likely to be reinvested in the
situation of integration. This will help to prepare the vocabulary and mastery of language
activities.
4. Select the most important vocabulary and grammatical items students will use in the
situation of integration (lexis activities/mastery of language activities).

5. NOW , devise:
- the reading comprehension activities.
- the vocabulary activity.
- the mastery of language activities.
What is a situation of integration?

This phase is meant to the reinvestment of the resources in terms of the "knows" and the "
know how to do "

What are the characteristics of a situation of integration?

Some learners’ productions
 « out off topic production »
The previous BEM guide Note :
-If a candidate is out of the topic , Do not take into consideration (do not mark) « 
organisation » and «  linguistic resources »

SO what to do now with the new guide?

What does the « out off topic mean in the evaluation grid? »

1) Each criteria must be taken into account:

a) If the learner is out off topic teachers DROP the (1pt) from the 6 pts
b) Teachers must NO LONGER give "1pt" if the learner write out off topic .
c) Teachers MUST SCORE the 3 other criteria : "coherence - correct use of the language +
excellence"
d) Such evaluation grid MUST BE APPLIED in daily teaching and not wait till the tests or
exams to apply it
 Typical correction
What should teachers section Typical correctio scoring

do after delivering Take into account all th Respect the examiner

guide scoring scale
possible , logical answers
a test

or Test report = gather data using

an evaluation sheet
exam?
+

5’ reflection remedial work = lesson where

the weaknesses seen in the
Evaluation sheet are taken into account
Test Report & Remedial Work
- Test report and remedial work :

- The test report should contain :

- Statistic about test results
- List learners mistakes and errors Test report
- Comment learners results
 

 Remedial work :
 teachers should know the steps of a remedial work :
1. Presenting the statistics
2. Commenting the learners results weak ones and good ones
3. List the mistakes and errors according to the evaluation sheet
4. Determine the priority of the learners’ to deal with in remedial work
5. Depending on time and learners motivation teachers should deal with the number
of mistakes or errors to work on
6. To save time teachers may print the traditional correction and just focus on the
remedial work the first hour
 Remedial work steps:
1)
 Report most common mistakes on the board
 Learners need to know making mistakes is part of learning process
 Learners by seeing their mistakes this will help them remember them which may help them avoid them next time
 Learners are given the chance to correct each others mistakes
 Teachers should avoid naming the learners who made such mistakes and make them feel that all are concerned
 Teachers should praise the ones who got good marks and encourage the ones who are progressing
2) correcting mistakes:
- Teachers writes the mistakes on the board
- Invite learners to correct
- collective correction
3) Oral practice :
learners are invited to an oral practice ( re-teach) where they practice role play performing the language target
4) Written practice :
Learners are invited to a written practice to consolidate the oral one
general correction and delivery of the learners marks )5
 workshop:
In groups
Of four levels
Plan
A test or an exam
Conform to the examiner
guige 2018
MS4 Text :
Bill and Simone Butler left Miami one summer weekend in their boat.
They wanted to sail round the Caribbean Sea for two weeks.
During their holiday, they saw a large group of whales. Bill and Simone
were very excited. unfortunately, while they were watching them, the whales
began to hit the side of the boat. Suddenly water started getting in and they
realized that they were in trouble. They quickly jumped into the lifeboat while
the boat was sinking, and watched it disappear under the sea.
Fortunately, they had enough food and water for twenty days. They also
had a fishing line and a machine which made salt water into drinking water.
These helped them to survive during their terrible experience .For the next fifty
days, when there was no food ,they caught ten fish a day and ate them raw.
The butlers saw about twenty ships, but although they waved and shouted
while they were passing, nobody saw them. They were becoming weaker and
weaker. Then,just as they were beginning to lose hope, a fishing boat rescued
them.t heir disastrous holiday was over.
Adapted from “Headway”
Read the text and do the following activities.
 Resources

1- National Curriculum 2015

2- BEM Guide September 2018
3- Google Images.
4- From the hard copy book Tools for Teaching by Barbara Gross Davis; Jossey-Bass Publishers: San Francisco, 1993
 By
Mr.Samir Bounab

yellowdaffodil66@gmail.com