Name: A. Fahmi Y.M.

NIM: 926.03.019.001

Assessment: Test and Non-Test

In this summary I will try to summarize about Test and Non-test assessment. For the first I’ll
try to define what the test is. According to Oxford learner’s dictionary test is an examination of
somebody’s knowledge or ability, consisting of questions for them to answer or activities for them
to perform1. Meanwhile, according to H. Douglas Brown (2004:3), “A test, in simple terms, is a
method of measuring a person’s ability, knowledge, or performance in a given domain”. Of course,
at a glance, test and assessment almost have similar meaning. But, in this term assessment is the
systematic process of documenting and using empirical data on the knowledge, skills, attitudes and
beliefs. By taking the assessment, teachers try to improve student learning 2. So, what is the
difference between Testing and assessment in education? (ELT). Test and assessment are used
interchangeably, but they do mean something different. A test is a “product” that measures a
particular behavior or set of objectives. Meanwhile assessment is seen as a procedure instead of a
product. Assessment is used during and after the instruction has taken place. After you’ve received
the results of your assessment, you can interpret the results and in case needed alter the instruction.
Tests are done after the instruction has taken place, it’s a way to complete the instruction and get the
results. The results of the tests don’t have to be interpreted, unlike assessment 3. Maybe we once
heard about the “product” of the test, just like IQ Test, TPA Test (an entrance exam in some
companies in Indonesia), and etc. Sometimes, it is used for administrative purposes.
According to Diane K. Brantley, besides testing and assessment, there is evaluation.
Evaluation is the process of systematically analyzing assessment results in order to provide relevant
instruction. Evaluation requires one to consider strengths and needs 4. Meanwhile, Ralph Tyler states
that the evaluation is a process of a collecting data to determine the extent, in what thing, and how
educational goals have been achieved5. The evaluation learning can be defined as an evaluation of
the teaching and learning process. Systematically, the evaluation of learning, which includes input
components, that is behavior of students, instrumental input components that is about
professionalism or teacher skills, curriculum components (study programs, methods, media),
administrative components (tools, time and funds), process components is the procedure for
implementing learning, the output component is the learning outcome that marks the achievement
of the learning objectives, in this case the attention is directed only to the evaluation of the process
1
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/test_1?q=test
2
https://www.onlineassessmenttool.com/knowledge-center/assessment-knowledge-center/assessment-vs-
testing/item10641
3
Ibid.
4
K. Brantley, Diane. Instructional Assessment of English Language Learners in the K-8 Classroom (New York:
Pearson), page 30.
5
https://turobu90.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/hubungan-antara-assesmen-dan-evaluasi-pembelajaran/
component in relation to the component input instrumental.
In my opinion, it can be concluded that between evaluation and assessment have similarity
in common which is equally to judge (measure). But, if we look again at the assessment and
evaluation has a slight difference. Evaluation is an assessment by looking at the process that
students do and the results that students have made from a learning process. While the assessment is
an assessment that sees the final results of students's learning. These differences make the
assessment part of the evaluation.
Usually, test that made by the teacher is not standardized test. The test that made by the
teacher mainly assesses student progress in terms of achieving what is learned. In this case we
distinguish between two forms of the test6. For the first is subjective test. Generally, the form of this
test is essay. Essay test is a type of learning progress test that requires answer and discussion;
usually some of them need description. The characteristics of the question are preceded by words
such as, describe, explain, why, how, compare, conclude and etc. Mostly, just like my experience,
the question of essay test is about 5-10 questions that need 90-120 minutes to finish it. The second
is objective test. Kind of these tests just like multiple choices, true or false test, matching type, and
completion type test (fill-in-the-blank).
The discussion is the non-testing methods of student assessment. Teachers assess students
to discover how well they understand the information taught and to determine how much growth
they are making in developing their academic skills. Testing is a common assessment technique, but
it is far from the only assessment option at teacher's disposal. By assessing through alternative
means, teachers can ensure that test anxiety or an inability to perform on tests do not lead to a
misunderstanding of a student's abilities. Here are the kinds of the non-test. For the first is
homework7. This is the general non-test that given by the teacher. Homework is a structured
practice exercise that usually plays a part in grading. Sometimes instructors assign reading or other
homework which covers the theoretical aspects of the subject matter, so that the class time can be
used for more hands-on practical work. The second is observation. Teachers assess students to
discover how well they understand the information taught and to determine how much growth they
are making in developing their academic skills. Testing is a common assessment technique, but it is
far from the only assessment option at teacher's disposal. By assessing through alternative means,
teachers can ensure that test anxiety or an inability to perform on tests do not lead to a
misunderstanding of a student's abilities. The third is Project. By asking students to complete a
project, teachers can see how well their students can apply taught information. The fourth is
Portfolio. This is commonly accomplished by providing each student with a folder in which to store

6
Akbar, M. Rijalul. Tes Subjektif / Esai (Pengertian, jenis, penyusunan dan contoh). (Blog Pendidikan Bahasa dan
Sastra), page 2.
7
https://www.slideshare.net/alunalienz/test-and-non-test-assessment
essays or other large activities. Upon compilation of the portfolio, the teacher can review the body
of work and determine the degree to which the work indicates the student's understanding of the
content. Usually, this duty given by the teacher in the end of the semester, collect it at that time and
do it in individual.

REFERENCES
- K. Brantley, Diane. Instructional Assessment of English Language Learners in the K-8 Classroom. New York:
Pearson.
- Akbar, M. Rijalul. Tes Subjektif / Esai (Pengertian, jenis, penyusunan dan contoh). (Blog Pendidikan Bahasa
dan Sastra)
- https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/test_1?q=test
- https://www.onlineassessmenttool.com/knowledge-center/assessment-knowledge-center/assessment-vs-
testing/item10641
- https://turobu90.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/hubungan-antara-assesmen-dan-evaluasi-pembelajaran/
- https://www.slideshare.net/alunalienz/test-and-non-test-assessment