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Curriculum development manuals NAVEDTRA 130 and 131, in addition to NAVEDTRA 135,
contain additional information on tests and test-item analysis.
PERFORMANCE TEST DEVELOPMENT
The goal of many courses, as reflected in the learning objectives, is to teach students to
perform skills needed on their job. Therefore, performance testing will constitute a significant
portion of the testing for many courses. Objectives that require the demonstration of observable
skills are tested by performance tests. Performance tests include the following considerations:
n Performance tests are simulated work situations in which students demonstrate their
ability to complete procedures, produce a product, or a combination of both.
n Evaluation of performance usually involves the detailed observation and critique of a
student’s performance by a trained evaluator or instructor. The evaluation is supported
by checklists or rating scales.
9 The performance is observed and evaluated under the conditions and standards set forth
in the learning objectives.
n A final product performance test involves comparing the student’s efforts to an acceptable
completed example.
n Skill objectives to be performance tested are identified and rated as to their relative
importance in measuring student attainment of the related job skills.
Development of performance tests can be very involved. Performance tests consist of a
simulated work situation in which the student performs a task based on a skill objective. Two
types of performance tests are used to measure skill achievement: process and product. The
development steps are essentially the same for both types with the exception of the final
evaluation device. Some performance tests require a combination of both process and product
measurement. NAVEDTRA 130 and NAVEDTRA 131 provide detailed information about the
development of performance tests and their elements.
S U M M A R Y
Assessing a student’s mastery of objectives in a knowledge test or skill acquisition in a
performance test is a natural progression in the learning process. For the assessment to be
accurate, test items should be directly related to the level of learning you want to measure and
they should be validated and analyzed by subject matter experts. Instructor Training School
uses both types of tests, and students are able to experience firsthand the benefits and limitations
of each.
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