Table Specifications

The Table of Specifications is a blueprint for the preparation of an exam. It serves as the "map" or guide to assigning the appropriate number of items to topics included in the course or subject.

 

 

 

 

 The following is a simplified method of preparing a Table of Specifications.

1. List all the topics that are included in the subject or course.
2. Assign corresponding percentages based on the professional requirements or
institutional requirements. Below is an example:

Subject - CLINICAL CHEMISTRY 2

Topics included:

a. automation - 20 %
b. electrolytes - 15 %
c. enzymology - 25 %
d. endocrinology - 20 %
e. toxicology - 20 %

This gives a total of 100 %

3. Decide on the number of items that you would like the test to be. Let's say you
wanted a 160 item - test; the number of items per topic would then be:

a. automation - 20 % - 32
b. electrolytes - 15 % - 24
c. enzymology - 25 % - 40
d. endocrinology - 20 % - 32
e. toxicology - 20 % - 40

This gives a total of 160 items.

4. Assign the specific type of question you would like to ask depending on what
skill or cognitive learning, you would like to emphasize. For example, you would
like to emphasize the principles in automation, then you may prepare the
questions this way:

a. automation - 32 items

Essay = 10 questions
Identification = 12 questions
Multiple choice = 20 questions

This gives a total of 32 items.
This also is done with the rest of the topics.

 Here is another example.

LEVELS OF	NO. OF		COGNITIVE			TOTAL	ITEM	PERCENTAGE
ABILITY/	RECITATIONS	KNOWLEDGE	COMPREHENSION	APPLICATION	HIGHER THAN	TEST	PLACEMENT
TOPICS					APPLICATION	ITEMS
STEP 1.	STEP 2.	STEP 7.	ALLOCATE THE NUMBER OF TEST ITEMS FOR			STEP 5.	STEP 9.	STEP 3.
LIST THE TOPICS	a) DETERMINE		EACH TOPIC UNDER THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF			ALLOCATE	LIST THE	ALLOCATE
TO BE TESTED	THE AMOUNT		ABILITY			THE NUMBER	PLACEMENT	PERCENTAGE
	OF TIME SPENT					OF TEST ITEMS	OF ITEMS AS	MARKS
	TEACHING					FOR EACH	INDICATED IN	FOR EACH
	EACH TOPIC					TOPIC	TEST PAPER	TOPIC LISTED
TOTAL	b) OBTAIN	STEP 6.	a) DETERMINE THE LEVELS NECESSARY FOR EACH			STEP 4.		100%
	THE TOTAL		TOPIC AND ALLOCATE PERCENTAGE MARKS FOR			DETERMINE
	AMOUNT OF		DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ABILITY			THE TOTAL
	TIME SPENT		b) ALLOCATE THE NUMBER OF TEST ITEMS FOR			TEST ITEMS
	FOR ALL THE		THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ABILITY
	TOPICS LISTED
ACTION VERBS		STEP 8	LIST DOWN ACTION VERBS APPROPRIATE FOR
			EACH LEVELS OF ABILITY AS PRESCRIBED BY
			BLOOMS TAXONOMY OF OBJECTIVES

References: 
http://www.msuiit.edu.ph/academics/colleges/ced/downloads/Table%20of%20Specification.doc
http://jenaisle-candidthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-prepare-table-of-specifications.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/81059670/Table-of-Specification