Page 112 - DEDU504_EDUCATIONAL_MEASUREMENT_AND_EVALUATION_ENGLISH

Educational Measurement and Evaluation

Notes (i) What approximate time is required to attempt ?
(j) How many marks are allotted ?

This analysis should be done either by an expert other than who set the question paper or by the
paper setter himself, without seeing the individual item sheet or item card on which questions
were written or recorded. Only after this proforma is filled up can the analysis be compared with
the entries in the blueprint. If there is any discrepancy, the question can be modified to fit with
the blueprint. As for wording, language and other attributes, the needed changes or modifications
may be made. Inferences like the following may now be made :
(i) Is there any question that does not test the intended objective and needs revision ?
(ii) Are various competencies well sampled ?
(iii) Is there any discrepancy in reflecting the stipulated form of question between the intended
and the observed ?
(iv) Do some questions need improvement in wording and language ?
(v) Is there appreciable difference in the percentage of easy, average and difficult questions
from the one indicated in the design ?
(vi) Does the total time allotted as estimated in this analysis conforms to the time allotted in the
paper ?
Review by question-wise analysis of the whole paper is the final task for paper setter to check
whether all questions reflect the intended attribute indicated in the blueprint and item sheet that
characterises the item on all those attributes. Congruence between the intended and observed
attributes shows the quality of the question paper.

8.5 Moderating the test

Moderation means re-examination of the questions, key, marking scheme, model answers,
instructions or directions for the examinees besides the format and mechanics of paper setting.
The purpose is to ensure quality, relevance, reliability and practicability of the question paper in
a given situation, i.e. school-based examinations or public examinations like those of the boards.
Moderation is done to improve the quality of the question paper in terms of requirements
reflected in the design and the blueprint of the question paper. Moderation is necessary, as some
omissions or commissions might have been inadvertantly crept in due to personal bias or lack of
some technical know-how. It is therefore essential to moderate it before the paper is accepted as
final for print to make it a more valid and reliable instrument.
8.5.1 Nature and Scope

Moderation is not only a technical process that demands expertise in setting good question paper,
but also critical acumen to edit, form rational judgment and take right decisions. Therefore
proper selection of experienced subject experts is essential, who are well conversant with the
technology of paper setting and instructional objectives.
It demands ensuring the right standards, relevance to conditions stipulated by examining agency
and its practicability in terms of administration, scoring and processing of results. Moderation
may be pre-examination or post-examination, concerning moderation of marks and processing of
results. Here we are concerned only with the pre-examination moderation to improve the quality
of question papers. Thus the task involved in moderation of question papers relates to the
moderation of :
(a) questions;
(b) key or outline answers;

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