Testing Tips
Testing, like the other components of instruction, comes in many varieties and each instructor will develop his/her own type of tests. The following is a short list of DO's and DON'T's to make your first assignment easier.
- DO test. This sounds obvious, but Glendale Community College prides itself on its academic record, and some instructors have minimized this part of the job.
- DO ensure that your tests evaluate the material taught in lecture or lab, or covered in assigned readings.
- DO proof your exams. Nothing spoils an exam like corrections during valuable classroom time or interruptions during the exam.
- DO proctor your exams (unless exams are of the take-home variety). DO NOT leave students in the classroom unsupervised. Serious students will complain.
- DO articulate your grading policy in your syllabus and during the first class meeting. Provide examples of what you expect.
- DO provide feedback, and the sooner the better. Students expect next-class-meeting service.
- DO NOT have others grade your exam.
- DO advise your students to procure their own Scantron forms if you use them for multiple-choice exams. Most departments and the Bookstore no longer provide these items. Scantron forms can be purchased in the Bookstore.
- DO cover your policy concerning cheating and plagiarism
(see
Academic Misconduct). Include this policy in your syllabus and enforce it. See the Student Handbook, page 39 (also found on the
Administrative Regulations web site) for a detailed discussion of this topic.
- DO NOT use the Testing Center as a way of eliminating your responsibility to test and increasing the time available for you to instruct. This is an abrogation of your responsibility and a violation of the college's contract with the student (number of meetings/hours). Additionally, the Testing Center was not designed or staffed for this purpose (see
Makeup Testing).
