Customer Reviews

Tests That Work: Designing and Delivering Fair and Practical Measurement Tools in the Workplace

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I picked up a copy of Westgaard's book "Tests That Work" because I was writing tests for training classes. The difference it made in my test-writing is remarkable.

Westgaard divides his book into two parts: Part I is "Fundamentals of Testing" and discusses what testing is, how it occurs, and the three principal uses for testing. Part II is accurately titled "A Systematic Process for Test Development." This Part lists 15 steps for creating a test, including "Writing the Items" (step 8). Part II also tells you how to make the test valid and reliable. Don't overlook the last chapter, which explains the ethical considerations involved in testing!

Westgaard's style is clean and direct, giving plenty of examples and tools (such as checklists and worksheets) that illustrate his point.

Westgaard writes about what he calls good, fair tests. The model he provides is a sure way to create just that: good, fair tests. It has certainly worked for me!

I used this book mostly for creating questionnaires regarding respondent's attitudes and beliefs and this book was an excellent source. It leads you all the way through, from developing fair questions to delivering the test/questionnaire to the intended audience. It includes many valuable tips and pointers, including pitfalls to avoid. I had no idea where to start, but this book held my hand all the way through!!

I have been tasked with creating a technical certification program for a mid-size corporation, and thought I'd arm myself with as many resources as possible. I already had extensive experience in creating tests and performing psychometric analysis of tests in academia, but didn't know anything about applying testing in the workplace. I found Westgaard's approach to be elementary and even a bit patronizing to the reader. If you have never thought about tests before, this may be the book for you, but if you already have some experience with testing, I would not recommend it as a way to expand your knowledge.

I received a brand new copy of this book, which surprised me, as I would have had to pay around $50 for a new copy. It arrived in about 1.5 weeks, which was a little long to wait, but it ended up being worth the wait.

I'm still laboring through this book. To be fair, test writing is not a passion for me, it's a work requirement. I have had the book for over a month and am only 40 pages in. Heavy reading. Very technical and scholastic.