:: Tests to measure competencies in basic education
Achievement/Diagnostic Tests
- The CEM Achievement/Diagnostic Tests are designed to measure academic ability and achievement of students in English, Reading/Pagbasa, Mathematics, Science, and Filipino.
- The tests provide information on the strengths and weaknesses of students in specific learning competencies that are developed in the classroom.
- The ADTs can be used to evaluate school performance in comparison with a national norm.
- The tests also act as diagnostic tool to guide subject area coordinators, teachers, and guidance counselors in planning educational strategies that would lead to the improvement of instructional quality in schools
Format
- All test items are in multiple-choice format with varying number of items across grade/year levels.
Development
- Reliable and Valid. The ADTs are developed by teams of subject area experts, item writers and reviewers, and CEM test developers. Test research is conducted regularly to ensure test reliability and validity.
- Grade/Level-Appropriate. The tests are pretested and normed on a representative sample of students for each grade/year level.
- Updated and Suitable for Filipino Students. Content is aligned with the current local curricula.
Test Coverage
The Achievement/Diagnostic Tests in English, Mathematics, Science, and Filipino cover content areas and learning competencies prescribed by the Department of Education in the Basic Education Curriculum and those included in the curricula of surveyed private schools in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The different tests assess students’ knowledge of language structure and usage, as well as their reading and comprehension skills.
Elementary level test contents include: parts of speech, sentences, vocabulary, and understanding reading selections.
High School tests contents include: agreement, sentences, paragraph development, and understanding reading selections
*Grade/Year Levels covered by the English tests: Preparatory to 4th Year High School
*Grade/Year Levels covered by the Filipino tests: Grades 1-6, 1st Year, 2nd Year, and 4th Year High School
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The tests assess students’ knowledge, understanding of concepts and processes, skills in computing, estimating, and solving problems.
Elementary level test contents include: whole number system, fractions, decimals, proportions and percentages, geometry and measurement, and graphs and tables
High School tests include: Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, Geometry, and Advanced Algebra, Trigonometry and Statistics
*Grade/Year Levels covered by the Mathematics tests: Preparatory to 4th Year High School
The tests measure students’ knowledge, understanding, and application of the fundamental concepts of Science.
Elementary level test contents include: people, animals, plants, ecosystem, matter, energy, earth, and the solar system and beyond
High School tests include: Integrated Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
*Grade/Year Levels covered by the Science tests: Grade 1 to 4th Year High School
Reading/Pagbasa Tests
The Reading/Pagbasa tests are designed to measure reading competencies in English and Filipino. These help determine how well students can read what is required of them at their particular grade or year level. Test contents include: vocabulary, comprehension, study skills, scanning, and points of view.
*Grade/Year Levels covered by the Reading tests: Grade 3 to 1st Year College
*Grade/Year Levels covered by the Pagbasa tests: Grade 3 to 1st Year High School
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Test Administration
• Time allotment: ranges from one to two hours, depending on the grade/year level
• Group or Individual
Scoring
Performance in the CEM Achievement/Diagnostic Tests is expressed in terms of criterion- and norm-referenced scores:
1. Criterion-referenced scores give information on the student’s level of proficiency or mastery of the behavioral objectives and cognitive skills measured by the test.
• Percent correct scores for content areas, cognitive skills, and overall test
2. Norm-referenced scores give a description of the student’s test performance compared to the performance of a reference group.
• Norm Percentile Rank
• School Percentile Rank
• Standard Score with the Corresponding Quality Index
Benefits
ADTs provide the starting point for programs to improve instructional quality, student achievement, and institutional performance. ADT scores can provide information for individual and institutional use.
At the individual level, ADTs can help you:
• find out what students know and what they need to know
• classify students according to their knowledge and skills
• identify students who need to undergo further training and support them in their learning
At the institutional level, ADTs can help you:
• Determine effectiveness of different instructional programs and discover opportunities for intervention
• Evaluate school performance based on national norms for school test users
• Determine faculty development programs and other support systems to help improve the teaching-learning process inside the classroom
• Design remedial measures to improve student achievement
• Improve facilities and learning resources, particularly in areas where students have been found to be weak
Reports
The Achievement/Diagnostic Tests give comprehensive reports that can be used by students, teachers, school administrators, and parents. Content area scores are expressed in percent correct while the overall score is expressed in percent correct, standard score, percentile rank, and quality index. These scores provide information on the student’s mastery of the measured skills and the student’s performance compared to the performance of other students in the same grade level.
The Basic reports provided are:
- Examinee Report (ER)
- Masterlist of Test Results (MTR)
- Institutional Performance Profile (IPP)
Additional reports for the BasicPlus+ package may also be requested:
- Examinee Report on Learning Competencies (ERLC)
- Descriptive Statistics on Test Performance
- Frequency Distribution of Test Scores
- School Report on Learning Competencies (SRLC)
Sample Reports:
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