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Educational Measurement and Evaluation

Notes (b) Reshuffle answer scripts after marking each question to reduce the carryover effect.
(c) Use double grading when the test is being used for selection or awarding scholarship.
(d) Marks of the scripts may be totalled at the end after marking all the scripts to avoid carryover
of any impression formed about the quality of the script, when the marks are totalled.
(e) Avoid contamination of scores by avoiding extraneous factors like spelling, handwriting,
punctuation, neatness etc.
(f) To reduce inter-examiner reliability, examiners may meet together after marking some
scripts to discuss the marking scheme and compare marking.
(g) Allocation of scripts question-wise to each examiner improves scoring objectivity, because
the examiner scores the same question in all the scripts. Of course, provision of separate
sheets for each question is costly.
Despite various limitations, ETQ have come to stay in spite of their low validity and reliability.
It is neither possible nor desirable to dispense with essay-type questions. In spite of significant
role they play in educational testing, steps taken to improve ETQ have never been commensurate
with their importance and use at the secondary and university stages of education. Even in
developed countries the money spent on improving the quality of ETQ is discouraging when
compared with objective tests. The reason is the facility of computerisation of results and ease of
application of psychometric devices for interpretation and improvement. If similar efforts are
made to develop question-banks of ETQ and training courses are organised to imitate teachers,
paper setters and markers, the stigma of subjective marking, low scorer reliability and grading
difficulties can be washed away to a large extent.

Well-designed ETQ with a well-structured scoring procedure could enable the teachers
to grade students’ responses more objectively, besides improving their validity and
reliability.

30.6 Advantages of Essay Type Test

There are following advantages of Essay type test
(i) Such tests induce good study habits in the pupils.
(ii) The guess work can be eliminated to large extent.
(iii) Such tests are easier to prepare and administer.
(iv) By this type of tests it is possible to measure all degrees of comprehensiveness and accuracy.
(v) Such tests can be used by all type of schools.
(vi) These help in developing the po0wer of logical thinking, critical reasoning, systematic
presentation etc. in the students.
(vii) Such tests provide an opportunity to the child to show his initiative, originality of thought,
fertility of their imagination, etc.
(viii) This type of tests are considered to be best for measuring ability to organise idea effectively,
ability to criticise or justify a statement, ability to interpret etc.

30.7 Limitations of Essay Type Test

At present new type of tests are taking the place of traditional or Essay type of tests. This trend
is gaining importance because traditional type of examinations suffer from following defects.

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