Characteristics of an Effective Exam

Creating tests is one of the most difficult components of teaching a course. When developed properly, tests can be very useful assessments of student knowledge of course content. This is particularly true when they are directly related to course objectives or outcomes. Exams that are effective contain the following characteristics:

• They are reliable. Reliability is demonstrated when an exam produces data that is consistent over time. Tests that are too long, have confusing directions, and/or have an unclear scoring protocol are all examples of unreliable assessments.
• They are valid. Validity is achieved when a test measures exactly what it was created to measure. An exam has major problems with validity when its items are not connected to course learning outcomes or produces unexpected results. For instance, if all high-performing students in a class respond to a test question incorrectly, the item is most likely invalid.
• They are free from bias. There are two types of bias when it comes to testing. Both forms have to do with validity. Construct validity bias refers to whether the exam measures what it was intended to measure. Content validity bias refers to whether the test items are comparatively more challenging for one group of students than for others.

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