Objective test is a type of assessment in which the responses of the test takers are measured and evaluated against a predetermined standard, with no subjective interpretation or bias being involved in the grading process. The objective test has been used in education, psychology, medicine, and other areas for centuries.
Definition
An objective test is a type of assessment in which the responses of the test takers are evaluated against a predetermined standard, with no subjective interpretation or bias being involved in the grading process. The objective test is used to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the test takers in a reliable and valid fashion. Objective tests typically take the form of multiple-choice, true/false, matching, or fill-in-the blank questions.
History
The use of objective tests for assessment has a long history. The first documented use of objective tests was in ancient Greece, where Socrates and Plato used objective tests to assess the knowledge of their students. The use of objective tests has continued to grow in popularity since then, with the modern-day objective test being used in various fields such as education, psychology, medicine, and business.
Characteristics
Objective tests have several important characteristics that make them well-suited for assessment. First, they are reliable, meaning that the scores obtained from the test are consistent across different administrations of the test. Second, they are valid, meaning that the test measures what it is intended to measure. Finally, they are objective, meaning that the grading process is free of any subjective interpretation or bias.
References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Kuhn, D. (2010). The structure of scientific revolutions (4th ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
McLeod, S. A. (2020). Objective tests. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/objective-tests.html
Nguyen, T. T., & Tran, T. (2020). Objective tests: An assessment of knowledge, skills, and abilities. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 11(3), 93-102. doi:10.3390/ijes11030093
Smith, P. K. (2016). On the origins and uses of objective tests. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 48(3), 245-254. doi:10.1080/00131857.2015.1090676