Thursday 22 November 2007

Are tests biased?

Yes, of course they are. No matter how hard an examiner, whether a person or an organisation, tries to be unbiased there will always be some bias.
Scott H Young provides a useful Study Tip at lifehack.org which starts off by saying that "Life isn’t fair. Why should tests be?" He then goes on to provide detailed information about:
  • Testing Bias -- what is it?
  • What to Look Out For
    Memorization versus understanding
    Narrow versus broad
    Agreement versus quality
    Know the difference
    Average versus extreme
    Hinting versus tricking
  • How to Find a Testing Bias by:
    Looking at past tests and course outlines
    Talking to past students
    Asking your professor (tutor/lecturer)
  • Don’t Obsess About Testing Bias, But Don’t Ignore It
Scott Young is a university student who writes about productivity, habits and self-improvement. Scott has been featured on the Be Happy Dammit! Show.

The related posts are also useful so do please read them and share with students / learners of whatever age.

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