The concept of tests, its essence and features, subject and methods of study

The educational test is defined as a system of tasks of a certain content, increasing complexity, specific form, which allows you to qualitatively and effectively measure the level and assess the structure of students' preparedness.

The training test is essentially a classic representative of traditional tests.

For a better understanding of the definition of a training test, consider a brief interpretation of its basic terms.

Although any test consists of test tasks, the latter do not represent a set of arbitrarily combined tasks, but a system.

The system means that the test contains such tasks that have systemforming properties. Here, first of all, it is necessary to allocate the general belonging of tasks to the same system of knowledge, that is to one educational discipline, their communication and order.

The test, as a system, has composition, integrity and structure.

It consists of:

• >    tasks;

• >    rules of their application;

• >    grades for each task;

• >    recommendations for the interpretation of test results.

The integrity of the test means the relationship of tasks, their belonging to the general measured factor. Each test task performs its assigned role and therefore none of them can be removed from the test without losing the quality of measurement.

The structure of the test is formed by the way the tasks are connected. Basically, this is the so-called factor structure, in which each task is related to others through the general content and general variation of test results.

In the training test, the tasks are arranged as the complexity increases -from the simplest to the most difficult. In other words, the main formal systemforming feature of the test is the difference of tasks according to the degree of their complexity. The word "formal" is used to explain that the "test" is interpreted not only as a system of tasks of increasing complexity, without taking into account their content.

Manifestation of the system quality of the test is facilitated by a single disciplinary commonality of tasks, which implements the idea of measuring the readiness of those who take the test, in one of the defined disciplines or their complex.

Time is often referred to as another system-forming factor. Indeed, one of the understandings underlying the creation of tests is to have a tool for rapid and accurate assessment.

One of the current areas of modern organization of test control in distance education is the individualization of control, which leads to significant savings in testing time. The control is carried out with the help of pre-calibrated, with a level of complexity, tasks.

The other side of the issue is that the quality of the results significantly depends on the time of testing. Each test has an optimal test time, reducing or exceeding which reduces the quality of the test. The optimal testing time is determined empirically by the variance of the test data. If on the abscissa axis to postpone the testing time, and on the ordinate axis - the value of the variance of the test results obtained after each attempt to control, then connecting the dots, we get an idea of the change in variance; the maximum value of the latter will indicate the optimum time required for test control.

The quality of the test is traditionally reduced to determining the degree of its reliability and the validity of the results. Qualitative, as well as objective, can be called only the method of measurement that is scientifically sound and able to give the necessary results.

Validity means the suitability of test results for the purpose for which the testing was conducted. Validity depends on the quality of tasks, their number, the degree of completeness and depth of coverage of the content of the discipline in the test tasks. In addition, the validity also depends on the balance and distribution of tasks by complexity, on the method of selecting tasks for the test from the general bank of tasks, on the interpretation of test results, on the organization of data collection, on the selection of a sample of subjects.

The specific form of test tasks suggests that test tasks are not questions or tasks, but tasks formulated in the form of statements, true or false, depending on the answers.

Defined content means the use in the test only such control material that corresponds to the content of the discipline; the rest is not included in the training test.

The content of the test exists, is stored and transmitted in one of the four main forms of tasks. Outside of test forms, neither the test nor its content exists. The theoretically justified criterion for ordering the content is the criterion of complexity of tasks. Extracurricular content (for example, testing the level of intellectual development) is not included in the training test. This is the subject of a psychological dimension.

The growing complexity of the tasks can be figuratively compared to the barriers on the stadium's treadmill, where each one is higher than the previous one. Only the one who is better prepared will be able to run the distance and successfully overcome all barriers

The complexity of the tasks can be determined in two ways:

• >    by logical reasoning, based on the estimated number and nature of mental operations necessary for the successful completion of tasks;

• >    after empirical verification of tasks, counting the proportion of incorrect answers.

In the classical theory of tests for many years only empirical indicators of complexity were considered. In modern theories of educational tests used in distance learning, more attention has been paid to the nature of mental activity in the process of performing test tasks of various forms.

With the help of testing, more often than other signs, knowledge, skills, abilities and ideas are tested. In terms of educational dimensions, it is useful to introduce two main indicators of knowledge quality - the level and structure of knowledge. They are assessed by recording grades, both for knowledge and for ignorance of all the necessary components of the material being tested. To objectify this process, all components must be the same.

The rules for grading are the same. These conditions open the way for an objective comparison of individual structures of knowledge and ignorance.

The level of knowledge is revealed in the analysis of answers to all test tasks. The more correct answers, the higher the individual test score. Usually in distance education systems, this test score is associated with the concept of "level of knowledge " and undergoes a refinement procedure based on a particular measurement model. The same level of knowledge can be obtained by answering different tasks.

For example, in a test of thirty tasks, a student received ten points. These scores are most likely obtained through the correct answers to the first ten, relatively easy tasks. The sequence of ones and then zeros inherent in such a case can be called the correct profile of the student's knowledge.

The effectiveness of the test also depends on the principle of selection of tasks. If you select tasks for measurement over the entire range of changes in complexity, the accuracy of measurement in a particular area decreases.

Conversely, if you want to accurately measure the knowledge of the subjects, for example, the average level of training, it will require more tasks of this level of difficulty.

Therefore, the test may not be effective at all, over the entire range of preparedness of the subjects. It can be more effective at one level of knowledge and less effective at another. This content is embedded in the concept of differential test efficiency.