THE WRITTEN TEST

This document is presented thinking about the meaning given to the written test and the importance
attributed to it to carry out the evaluation of learning. It aims to support educators in preparing exams, so that they
understand the technical requirements and show concern about the consequences that a poorly prepared exam
can have on students.
It adheres to the guidelines that regulate this matter within the Ministry of Public Education and takes into
account the existing theory in the fields of Educational Measurement and Evaluation.
This material entitled The Written Test considers three basic points. The first offers theory about the concept
of a written test and the steps prior to its preparation . The second, tries to train him in the preparation of the
different types of items . The third seeks to emphasize significant aspects related to the design of written exams, so
that they generate reflection regarding the use made of the results of the measurements .
It is expected that this document will generate learning and report benefits to those interested in improving
the design and content of the written tests that are applied to students.
THE WRITTEN TEST
CONCEPT AND CHARACTERISTICS
It consists of stating in writing a series of items to which the student responds in the same way. With the
written test, students demonstrate, fundamentally, the cognitive learning they acquire during a certain period. In
the process, the teacher aims to collect evidence of the degree or magnitude in which learning is achieved. The
exam comes to serve as an instrument, in that sense. Therefore, it is used to ensure student performance in the
course, subject, unit or content.
This type of test demands , on the part of the builder, capacity and thinking , since it seeks that the items
respond to technical requirements, are related to the objectives of the course , offer the student the opportunity
to demonstrate their learning achievements and that represent a good sample of the contents and objectives of
the subject.
The Written Test has become the measurement instrument mostly used by teachers . It is likely that this
widespread use reflects the importance given to it in teaching and learning processes, to the point of privileging its
use over other types of tests (oral, performance, etc.) and other instruments. measurement (scales, lists, records).
This is a reason, too, that necessarily leads to concern about aspects such as its construction, its usefulness and its
scope.
The written test is characterized because:
 It allows you to verify the achievement of pre-established objectives. It seeks to measure learning only within
the limits in which they appear in the objectives and from the vision of the teacher who directs the teaching.
 It constitutes an instrument at the service of evaluation, since it provides information that serves the educator
to support actions, such as assigning grades, forming criteria to promote the student; improve teaching and
reorient processes, so that the proposed objectives are achieved.
 It is an instrument that provides useful results to provide feedback on aspects involved in the educational
process.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEST
The construction of the written test is a careful task, which must be planned taking into account aspects such
as the following:
Purpose. The written test can be used, on the one hand, to collect information that allows judging the
student's mastery of certain knowledge, skills or abilities: to diagnose the student's weaknesses in certain areas or
contents of the subject or to assign grades; On the other hand, to provide feedback to the teaching process
regarding the causes of the students' failures or limitations, or on a broader level, to review the quality of
instruction offered to the student and the learning obtained.
The planning. When planning the test, the selection of the contents is considered in accordance with the
objectives developed in class, the preparation of the specifications table and the balancing table, the use of
different types of items (reagents) that adjust to the objectives, the nature of the group to consider individual
differences , the length of the test and the time available to apply it (40 to 80 minutes).
At the time of planning the test, it is very important to prepare a table of specifications and the balancing
table, so a section is included below with the respective explanation about this stage of construction of the written
test:
SPECIFICATION TABLE
A specifications table represents the way in which the test will be designed, it is a preliminary plan of it or an
outline of the scope and emphasis with respect to the contents and objectives seen in class and in a certain
teaching period.
When preparing a table of specifications, the examining teacher, depending on the contents and objectives
that will be examined in the written test and the number of lessons, determines the percentage of these and the
knowledge, at the pre-established level (knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, etc.).
THE BALANCE CHART
The preparation of the balancing table leads the teacher to determine a weighting for each of the objectives
or contents that will be included in the test, depending on the number of lessons. It involves determining the
number and type of items by objective and content that will be examined; specify the balancing criterion to be
used; establish the correspondence between the weighting of the topics and the score of the items.
The balance chart in the box corresponding to the number of lessons denotes precisely the time dedicated to
each content or objective, the relevance that they have within the subject, their difficulty, the density of the
content, the amount of class hours used for practice. Look at an example of a balance chart:
BALANCE CHART
CONTENTS AND NUMBER % OF SCORE OF EACH TYPE OF ITEMS
OBJECTIVES OF LESSONS OBJECTIVE OR
LESSONS CONTENT IN THE HI c IN Q ID R. d
TEST S B.
THE PARAGRAPH 8 30.77 15 4 5 6
Use paragraphs
coherently
PUNCTUATION MARKS 6 23.08 12 6 2 4
Use punctuation marks
correctly
PARTS OF THE 8 30.77 15 5 10
SENTENCE
Correctly apply the parts
of speech
GRAMMATICAL 4 15.38 8 5 3
AGREEMENT
Correctly apply
subject/verb,
noun/adjective
agreement in the
paragraph.
TOTALS 26 100 50 11 5 10 6 5 13
SU: Single selection, C: Complete, IN: Interrogation, P: Pairing, ID: Identification, RB: Short answer, D:
Development.
TOTAL TEST SCORE: It is established before defining the points that each objective will have in the test. The
total score of the test is defined depending on the length and difficulty of the test based on the number of
objectives that are measured, whether it is short or long, and the complexity of the topic. The sum of scores per
objective is equal to the total value of the test.
PERCENTAGE OF LESSONS FOR EACH OBJECTIVE: Number of lessons for each objective x 100 / Total number
of lessons.
POINTS FOR EACH OBJECTIVE IN THE TEST: They are obtained by multiplying the percentage of the objective
by the total value of the test / 100.
The structure or format. The written exam must combine administrative and technical aspects in its structure
or format.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS
The administrative aspects are those referring to the information that identifies the exam with the institution,
the level, the subject, the period in which it is applied, the teacher who prepared it, the value in points of the test,
the percentage assigned, the time estimated for the development of the test. In addition to the aforementioned
data, it is necessary to include these others for the student to complete: student name, section and date.
There are other aspects that must be recorded to complete them after the test has been graded, they are:
points obtained, percentage obtained and final grade or grade.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The technical aspects are those that allow the test to be designed so that it meets the characteristics of
validity and representativeness.
Among the technical aspects should be considered:
 The objectives and/or contents to be measured.
 The time dedicated to each objective and/or content.
 The wording of the different types of items.
 General and specific instructions.
 The time available.
 The assembly of the test.
 The test review.
To achieve a better understanding of the aspects mentioned, what each one refers to is explained below:
 The objectives and/or contents to be measured. Preparation of a written exam implies not losing sight of the
fact that it seeks to measure the objectives or content developed in the classroom. This statement includes
considering the way in which it is taught and the environment in which the student learns, that is, it is about
following in correspondence with the didactic processes used and the evaluation criteria that were specified
(pedagogical mediation).
 The time dedicated to each objective and/or content. It is considered within the balance table of the test.
Obviously, the objective or content that has been dedicated to the most time should be represented in the
exam with a greater number of items.
 The wording of the different types of items. Writing test items means translating the objectives or content into
questions or reagents (items). The way they are made must be in accordance with the technical guidelines
offered in this document, depending on the type of item.
 General and specific instructions. The general instructions refer to indications that the student must consider
before, during and after the test. The inclusion of general instructions in a test is optional. An example of
general instructions is the following:
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
* Read the entire test carefully before answering.
* You have 2 clock hours to solve the test.
* When you make a mistake, cross out and write the new answer.
* Do not use a pencil or red pen when writing.
* Use only one font (italic or script). Write legibly
*During the exam, the use of the dictionary is not allowed.
 * Submit your test once you have finished and request PROOF.
Specific instructions are associated with the type of item in question; they must be so specific that they allow
the student to respond without difficulty. Examples of specific instructions are the following:
* Write an x (X) inside the parenthesis that has the correct answer. Each answer is worth one point.
* In the space provided to the right, write the word that completes the text.
 The time available. It is related to the length of the test, the type of items and their difficulty. It is pertinent
that this time does not exceed the logical period in which a student can psychologically remain taking a test.
Regarding the calculation of time, it is worth keeping in mind that for objective items one minute is computed.
and for development ones, one and a half minutes per difficulty.
 The assembly of the test. The test is organized by parts, according to the type of items. At this point of
structuring the test, the complexity of the items and the tasks they require of the student must be considered.
So the items appear ordered within the exam from the easiest to the most difficult.
 The test review. As a measuring instrument, the test must be submitted to the judgment of experts (other
teachers), for the purpose of an external review that points out, in some way, errors or deficiencies that can be
corrected before applying it.
The written test requires that objective items be combined with developmental items. It is necessary to
consider the learning objectives, so that only objective items (selection, etc.) are constructed when possible; that
the types of topics are chosen in close correspondence with what the objectives require and the way in which it
has been taught.
TYPES OF ITEM
This second section is used to emphasize the importance of item construction. At this stage of preparing the
written test, the teacher needs to dedicate time, have a dose of patience, creative ability and knowledge of the
learning that will be required to be demonstrated to the group of students to whom the exam will be administered.
CARE OF THE TEST CONSTRUCTOR WHEN STARTING ITS PREPARATION
The construction of an item demands, on the one hand, a careful selection of content and, on the other,
rigor in its structure and writing . Important points around this matter, which help in the preparation of the items,
are the following:
 It should be examined with the included items, the knowledge that was exposed in the classroom, that had
enough practice, that is considered really important and basic for the mastery of the given skill.
 The questions must be adjusted to the age and ability of the examinee, as well as the purpose of the test.
 The wording of the items should be as clear as possible.
 Items that are interrelated, dependent in some sense, or that provide the answer or an idea of it to other items
should be eliminated.
 Items should be written in positive terms.
 Instructions must be provided for each type of item so that the student understands the response mechanics,
that is, the required form.
OBJECTIVE ITEMS
The items are designated with the name of objectives - by classic authors in the field of educational
measurement and item construction - because, as they state, the personal appreciation of the examiner does not
influence the items in any way. The answers that students must give to this type of items generally consist of one
or a few words, according to these authors in the field.
The following types belong to these items:
Unique selection An option is chosen.
To complete A blank space appears that corresponds to the name of the concept, part, element, etc.
Pareo The statements in one column are related to the answers in the other.
Question An answer is given to a direct question.
ID Elements or component parts of what is indicated are recognized.
Short answer Write as many answers as requested. More than one blank space appears.
 Unique selection. The student is asked to choose, among several, the option that completes the statement or
makes the proposition contained in the base of the item correct.
The selection item is objective in that the student is asked to choose the correct option, among several that
are offered. In the case of defining the number of options, for the First Cycle, the MEP defines a limit of three; for
the Second and Third Cycles and Diversified Education, of four.
This item consists - according to Thyne (1978) and referred to by Hernández (1978) - of two fundamental
parts: the body, base, foot or statement and a set of options , among which some function as distractors and one
as a key. In its base or body, the teacher must ask the students for a certain response. In this aspect, the teacher
must pay close attention to the way in which the item statement is presented, so that he/she is able to convey
what he/she wants, that the student understands what is being asked and that the item can be answered before
reading the options offered. .
In other words, the base of the item - as indicated by the aforementioned authors - must contain the essence
or fundamental idea that allows the student to distinguish between the options and choose the correct one. An
ambiguous, incomplete, imprecise, excessively complex statement prevents students (even if they have studied
and assimilated the knowledge) from answering the item.
Therefore, it is necessary to consider the following requirements in its construction:
 Avoid the wording of the item that lends itself to confusion or that gives double meaning or obscurity. The
language used must be exact, direct, clear and simple. Furthermore, it must be adapted to the student's level.
 Lead the student towards the search for a specific solution for a given problem.
 Avoid unnecessary repetition of a word at the beginning of each option. To do this, the maximum amount of
content must be incorporated into the footer of the item.
 Take care that the content or approach of the item does not offend, in principle or in fact, the student at the
level of their culture, social and economic level; your religious or political creed; their ethnic group and does not
serve to reinforce racial and gender discrimination.
 Use positive wording, that is, do without terms of negative significance, especially when their use affects the
clarity of the required task or makes it difficult to quickly and accurately understand the item.
 Use questions at the base of the item, when possible. These questions must be direct, simple, stated very
clearly and, of course, must include question marks. This is another way to write the footer of the selection
item.
 Respect the linguistic rules of punctuation and grammatical agreement. You must, therefore, specify very well
the aspect you wish to raise, so that it maintains logic and cohesion. In the case of the base written in the form
of a question, the options begin with a capital letter; When the options correspond to enumerations of aspects,
a colon is placed at the end of the base and if they are options that contain a single aspect, no punctuation
mark is placed at the end of the base.
The aspects indicated in the previous lines referred to general characteristics of the footer or statement in a
single selection item. Regarding the distractors and the key, requirements such as those mentioned by Thyne
(1978) must be met:
The word distractors is assigned to differentiate the key from the options set for students who are poorly
prepared or who ignore the content of the item or who lack knowledge. That is to say, this name designates the
options that distract those who do not know or that are incorrect according to what the base proposes. Cited by
Hernández, in Thyne (1978), the role of a distractor is precisely described, which is “to prevent them from receiving
the answer as a gift to exclude the possibility of answering correctly despite their ignorance” (cited by Hernández,
p. 311).
In the selection item, the distractors must be totally attractive, as advised in the writings on the subject, to
achieve a high level of discrimination. It is essential, therefore, that they are logical and make sense not only in
themselves, but in relation to the essence of the content expressed in the base of the item. These conditions are
only achieved when the distractors are not easy to answer using common sense or logic. It is necessary to prevent
students from discarding the options as obvious.
 The correct answer must meet the requirement of precision and accuracy. The key or answer to the selection
item forces the student to capture or recognize the essence contained in the foot or base. Selecting the correct
option indicates mastery of an objective, content or certain knowledge.
In this type of item, if the student answers correctly, it can be concluded that he or she has been able to
extract the essence of the statement, act according to the signal given in the body of the item and, therefore,
deduce the key.
The selection item requires the builder to consider these other recommendations:
If all the options begin with the same word, this Avoid using absolute terms such as always, never,
should be transferred to the statement. everything, none; because they lead to eliminating the
option.
It is advisable to present the options in a column, It is preferable not to use single selection when the
since although they take up more space, it is easier for contents and objectives do not lend themselves to
the student to read. constructing an adequate number of items of this type
The key should not be differentiated from the or when you have to resort to the use of improvised,
distractors by its wording or length. useless or illogical distractors.
The item base and options must appear on the The literature in the field does not specifically
same page. advise a minimum number of items, although there
A minimum of five items of this type must be are authors who decide on a minimum of ten on the
included in the test. understanding that first and second grade students
could well be given exams with five selection items.
The MEP accepts the minimum of five, in an effort
to prevent the inappropriate use of this type of items
and the construction of weak distractors.
The following example can help the teacher get an idea of how a selection item is prepared, in its instructions
and structure:
EXAMPLES OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SELECTION ITEM
 Place an x (x) inside the parentheses corresponding to the correct answer.
 Mark the letter that contains the correct answer with an X.
 Underline the correct answer.
 Circle the letter corresponding to the correct answer.
 Indicate with an asterisk the letter that contains the correct answer.
“When the deer that shared the house with the jaguar saw the prey it was bringing, it became very sad.
(Brazil, indigenous story)”
In the previous text, the term prey means BASE, FOOT OR STATEMENT
( ) food for birds of prey DISTRACTOR
( ) small wild animal DISTRACTOR
( ) part that obstructs the passage DISTRACTOR
( ) product of a hunt CLUE
The objective items also include other types such as completion, matching, interrogation, identification and
short answer. All of these are explained in the following pages.
To complete. It consists of the presentation of an idea or a concept, in which a part that complements it and
which may be a word or words has been omitted. An empty space is provided for the student to fill. This type of
item can be used if you are interested in checking the examinee's ability to remember information or memorize
data, although it may also be used to measure understanding of certain concepts or phenomena.
As for the completion item, there are several versions about how to structure it. Some are analyzed below:
CONCEPTS OF THE CO-COMPLETE ITEM THAT OBSERVATIONS ABOUT EXISTING CONCEPTS
APPEAR IN BOOKS IN THE AREA OF EDUCATIONAL
MEASUREMENT
 The complete item consists of a phrase or sentence Parts of this concept are highlighted, precisely so
where one or more words that express important that the teacher who reads them can make an
concepts are missing. The omission can be at the adequate interpretation of them, so as not to fall into
beginning, in the middle or at the end. To complete, technical defects such as:
the student must incorporate the missing word. - Mutilate or divide the phrase or sentence a lot.
(Fermín, 1971, p. 51) - Think that the item measures several concepts
and not a single one.
- Leaving the space at the beginning or in the
center and causing confusion in the student who
answers.
It consists of a sentence or phrase where certain In this concept, the use given to the spaces is
important words or signs have been omitted, with the striking, since leaving them at the beginning or the
purpose that the examinees complete them by filling center causes confusion in the student who responds.
in the corresponding spaces. Leave blank spaces at
the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the
sentence (Lemus, 1971, p. 139)
They are answered using a word, phrase or symbol. This concept indicates one of the conditions or
(Lafourcade, 1969, p. 90) characteristics of the item to be completed.
In the completion item, the student is given an In this concept it must be understood that the
incomplete sentence and he fills in the empty space phrase constitutes a problem or a complete
(or spaces) with the correct word that has been statement that is offered so that the student can write
omitted. Answers must conform to the structure of down the name, the characteristic or the
the sentence. (Hernández, 1994, p. 52) consequence, as it fits the structure of the phrase. It
differs from other concepts in that it leaves the
possibility of structuring the item to be completed
with several empty spaces.
The completion item consists of two parts: one that This concept makes its contribution in terms of the
constitutes the statement of a specific problem and parts that can make up an item to complete.
another, which is the answer. (Hernández, 1994, p. Statement of the problem the author is calling the
52) part of the item to be completed that contains the
information on the phenomenon, principle, process,
or concept or whatever else it is about. He calls it a
problem, because this part requires the student to
find a solution or answer to that statement, that is,
what it is called, called, known, said, classified.
The second part, response, refers to the production
that the student must do by writing down the name of
the phenomenon, process or principle or the concept
or characteristic that is requested. You must respond
according to the logic or the structure of the item.
Taking advantage of the previous definitions, it can be summarized that the teacher, when constructing
completion items, must ensure that he clearly and accurately presents the information that will allow the student
to complete or fill the empty space, so that there is no room for a long answer or for that the student gives the
answer following his common sense or logic, even if he has not studied or is ignorant of the subject.
This type of item demands special attention from the builder to achieve quality, so basic considerations for its
production are mentioned:
 Prefer constructed phrases or sentences, rather than textual ones or taken from books or other documents.
 Avoid using articles before the empty space, because it leads to the student guessing the answer or placing
others that are longer than those required.
 Make sure that the requested answer fits the space provided.
 Adjust the empty space so that it forms a column on the right margin with a uniform length. This tip makes
grading easier.
 Try to make the empty space claim a single answer.
 Avoid, before the empty space, the verb forms is, are, are, were, were and any other of the conjugation of the
infinitives ser and estar, since these give the item a character of ambiguity.
 Write the text you use in the affirmative.
 Assign each completion item worth one point, since it is a single task, a single concept, and a single difficulty.
 Use a minimum of five items in the test, in any of the cycles, as established in the MEP guidelines.
The following are examples of items to complete:
INSTRUCTION: In the blank space on the right, write the word that completes the text:
Moving up high several times in a hammock produces energy called __________________
The disease caused by the mosquito (Aedes sp) is called __________________
Pareo. It consists of the presentation of two columns of data to establish the correspondence between the
elements of each of the series. In the left column, the questions or also called premises are noted, and in the right
column, the answers or options. The student must match the elements in the columns, according to the
instructions.
The matching item consists of three parts: instructions, a column of premises and another of answers .
The Instructions must be specific, exact and concise, this part of the pairing is basic so that the student can
establish the type of relationships required in the item. They define the content of both columns, the way in which
the elements included in them should be related, and the number of remaining options is indicated.
The premises column includes questions or statements about a topic (characteristics, elements, functions,
others); It is essential that in this part and in the response column there is homogeneity of content. The answer
column presents the possible options for each of the premises.
This type of item is useful when you are interested in examining knowledge of terms, definitions, dates,
events, etc. It constitutes a means for the student to express his ability to relate concepts.
The relationships, associations or pairings that are established must refer to the same topic or content,
therefore, the following relationships can correspond, among others:
authors plays
representatives movements
organs functions
characters epoch
concepts symbols
countries capitals
Causes effects
substances properties
researchers discoveries
type of music composers
terms definitions
characters achievements
To conclude the theory related to this type of item, other recommendations for constructing it are presented
below:
 Write the instruction in complete form.
 The remaining options in the answer column are indicated in the instructions noting that these are not used
and that the others are used once.
 The entire pairing must refer to a single content, different topics or issues are not mixed.
 The elements are arranged in columns: one for the premises and another for the answers.
 The minimum number of premises must be five and the options one third of that amount.
 Answers should be short.
 The match must appear complete on the same page.
 The item score is assigned according to the number of premises.
Observe this example of the item being discussed:
Instruction: In column A a list of literary movements appears. In column B, names of literary texts. Write the
number that corresponds to the literary movement inside the parentheses. The answers in column B can be used
once or not at all (5 pts).
Column A Column B
Customs ( ) 1. The sick tree
Naturalism ( ) 2. The Cage
Realism ( ) 3. The Black Heralds
Romanticism ( ) 4. Concherias
Avant-garde ( ) 5. The Fatal
( ) 6. Hopscotch
( ) 7. Maria
Question or interrogative. The interrogation item consists of presenting a direct and specific question so that
the examinee gives a single answer. This type of item allows you to direct the student's thinking processes,
especially when you want to check the understanding of a text.
The question item constitutes a way to put the examinee's memorization and retention into play. This item
can begin with one of the following keywords: what, who, when, which, where, how.
Some of the recommendations for preparing this type of item that the builder can take into account are:
 The question asked should be short.
 The question must refer to an important aspect.
 The space allocated for the answer must always be of equal length.
 The question must request a single answer.
 Each correct answer is awarded one point.
 A minimum of five items must appear in the test for any of the cycles.
Look at these examples of question items:
Instruction: On the line on the right write the answer that corresponds to each question.
What is the full name of the president who abolished the death penalty in our country?
_______________________________________________________
What was the name of the first capital of Costa Rica?
_______________________________________________________
ID. This type of item consists of offering drawings, graphs, maps, figures or texts so that the student identifies
the elements or concepts that are requested. It constitutes a way of putting recognition on the part of the student
into play. Essential requirements are that the figures are clear or well elaborated and that they are a complement
or essential part of the item, that is, that the understanding of the item and the student's response depend on the
drawing, graph, etc.
The identification item can be prepared in two ways: listing the names whose situation needs to be identified
or located, or indicating the parties whose name or function must be identified. The preparation of this type of
item involves considering the following points:
 The presentation of the item must be clear and legible.
 The instruction must be written with absolute clarity.
 The spaces for the answers should be placed on the right, in order to avoid identifications being made on the
same graphic or text that is presented.
 A minimum of five identifications must be submitted in any of the cycles.
 Each ID is given the value of one point.
An example of this type of item is noted below:
Instruction. Names of geometric figures appear in the right column. In the left column, geometric figures that
enclose drawings. Write down in parentheses the number of the drawing as it corresponds to each of the
geometric figures. (5 pts.)
circle ( )
1
square ( )

2
diamond ( )

3
triangle ( )

4
rectangle ( )

Short answer. In the short answer item, the student is asked for a certain number of short and defined
answers. The most appropriate learning to measure with a short answer, as stated by Hernández (1994), are those
that can be demonstrated with a few words and that represent the most important of the facts or concepts studied;
For example, remember and write down the appropriate procedure to face specific tasks: operation of a system,
organization of a country, driving a vehicle, others; remember and write functions, characteristics, stages, rules,
steps, elements or concepts .
The short answer can be written starting with the following words: write, note, mention, cite, list, others; or
using the interrogative form, introducing it with what they are, what they are called, etc. The following
recommendations should also be considered when preparing this type of item:
 The instruction must be clear.
 It is necessary to specify the number of expected responses.
 All empty spaces must be of equal length.
 Each difficulty is worth one point.
 For all cycles of the educational system, a minimum of five points must be presented.
Look at these examples of short answer items:
Instruction: Write in the empty spaces the answers requested.
Name three typical parts of every eukaryotic cell. (3 points)
Write three functions of the cell membrane. (3 points)
DEVELOPMENT OR TEST ITEMS
The development item or also called essay, as defined by Hernández (1994), consists of the statement of a
topic that the student must develop, or in the formulation of a question or situation that the teacher proposes and
that the student must answer or solve. In both cases the student can organize his knowledge and ideas freely; This
freedom that is granted to the student is the cause of the range of answers that is presented and that goes from the
most correct to the least accurate. Reading the answers given to the questions is very slow, both because of this
difficulty in grading them and , also, because of their extension .
The development item can be introduced with verbs such as build, design, elaborate, demonstrate, interpret,
compare, describe, solve, illustrate, others. It is also advisable to follow the following recommendations:
 Pose the question in a precise and convincing way, without overloading it with excessive clauses and difficult
words. Use simple sentences that all students can easily read and understand.
 Avoid using phrases like what do you think, in your opinion, write down everything you know about...
 Contextualize the items whenever possible.
 Indicate the value of each item. Each difficulty is worth one point.
It is also recommended that the developer of this type of item prepare a response that appropriately defines
the elements that it should contain, in correspondence with the assigned points. Nevertheless; When grading, you
must be careful when faced with student responses that are correct, even if they differ from what the teacher
anticipated in advance.
Observe the following examples of this type of item:
Instruction: Carefully solve the problem that follows. (6 points)
A white bulb turns on every 3 minutes and a red one every 75 seconds. Starting to count time from instant
zero, how many times do the two light bulbs on coincide in one hour?
The score for the previous item can be distributed as follows:
1) 60·3 = 180
The conversion of 3 minutes to seconds is rated with 1 point since the operation at this level is passed.
2) 180 75 2
90 75 2
45 75 3
15 25 3
5 25 5
1 5 5
1 1 mmc= 900
The calculation of mmc It is graded with 2 points, 1 point for the strategy, which is evident at the moment the
student decides to solve the problem by applying this concept and 1 point for correctly determining the mmc, no
matter the method used.
3) 60·60 = 3600
The conversion from 1 hour to seconds is worth 1 point, since the operation is completed.
4) 3600:900 = 4
1 point for the strategy that is manifested at the moment the student decides to solve the second part of the
problem using division.
5) 1 point for the complete answer.
Justify with two reasons the changes of the Braulio Carrillo Government that benefited the national economy.
(4 pts.)
Qualification criteria:
Write down the reasons 2 pts.
Justify the reasons in facts 2 pts.