Criterion Referenced Tests also determine the quality of teaching or training. The trainee’s grasp of the subject is always in proportion to the skill of the teacher, and these test results give a fair idea of how well the students were successful in grasping the information. In professional institutions, they can be used to measure the relevance and efficacy of the courses taught.
There are certain specialized criteria for formulating questions in Criterion Referenced Tests. They are particularly effective when a student’s special needs need evaluation. They can also focus on the specialized training conducted in factories or on special courses in colleges. The results of the test should also be evaluated carefully keeping in mind the basic criterion of the tests.
Since there is no comparative scoring, the results do not give an assessment on how the examinee scores when comparing him to other students. In schools, this is an essential part of the scoring system, hence here the Criterion Referenced Tests have to be combined with Norm Referenced Tests, in order to get a comprehensive evaluation.
These tests are high stake tests, where the results often determine the examinee’s future such as in high school graduation tests or the tests at the end of a professional degree course. In these situations, it is imperative that the questions get formulated carefully in order to fulfill the intended criteria.