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Chapter 2. Semestral Assessment

2.1. Purpose of Semestral Assessment
Semestral assessments (SA) are school-based examinations
administered under formal conditions. SA is primarily summative,
although it may also be used for formative purpose. As a form of
summative assessment, SA assesses the extent to which students
have achieved the learning outcomes specified in the syllabus,
primarily those pertaining to mathematical concepts, skills and
processes. For this reason, the coverage should generally be broad
and examine a representative sample of the syllabus taught. The
information is mainly used for making decision about progression.

2.2. Format of Semestral Assessment

The format of SA should take into consideration the item types, the
number of items of each type, the duration of the paper, and the
distribution of marks across sections.
Lower Secondary
The suggested formats for the End-of-Year (EOY) SA for the
lower secondary mathematics syllabuses are given in Table
2.1 and Table 2.2.
They reflect a gradual progression from upper primary level,
to the lower secondary level and eventually to the G.C.E.
examinations in terms of item types, number of items, and
number and duration of papers.
Table 2.1: Suggested format for O-Level & N(A)-Level Mathematics
EOY SA for Secondary 1 & 2
Option A: Calculators allowed for whole paper

Duration
Duration
2h 30min
(one paper
only)

Chapter 2: Semestral Assessment

Item Types & No.

of Questions

Mark
Allocation

Marks
(weighting)

Use of
calculator

Section 1
14-16 shortanswer and
structured
questions

2-4 marks
per
question

50
(50%)

Yes

Section 2
7 to 8 structured
and longanswer
questions

4-8 marks
per
question

50
(50%)

Yes

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Option B: Calculator allowed for Section 2 only

Duration
Duration
2h 30min
(one paper
only)

Item Types & No

of Questions

Mark
Allocation

Marks
(weighting)

Use of
calculator

Section 1 (1 h)
14-16 shortanswer and
structured
questions

2-4 marks
per
question

50
(50%)

No

Section 2 (1 h 30
min)
7 to 8 structured
and longanswer
questions

4-8 marks
per
question

50
(50%)

Yes

Remarks

Short-answer questions generally test fundamental concepts

and skills.
Structured questions have several parts with a common
stem; where the parts may guide or suggest an approach to
solving the entire problem.
Long-answer questions have no sub-questions or parts to
guide the students on the approach to solve the problem.
Section 2 may include a problem in real-world context as
the last question. Such a problem contains authentic
information where students have to extract the relevant
mathematics, formulate the problem mathematically, solve
it and interpret the solution in the context of the problem.
Some examples are found in Annex A.

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Table 2.2: Suggested format for N(T)-Level Mathematics EOY SA for

Secondary 1 & 2
Paper &
Duration
Paper 1
1h 15 min

Item Types & No. of Questions

Mark
Allocation

10 - 12 short questions largely

free from context, testing more
on fundamental concepts and
skills.

2-4 marks
per
question

1 longer question developed

around a context.

6-8 marks

Marks
(weighting)
40
(50%)

Questions will cover topics

from:

Paper 2
1h 15 min

Number and Algebra

Geometry and
Measurement
Real-world contexts
relating to the above

10 -12 short questions largely

free from context, testing more
on fundamental concepts and
skills.

2-4 marks
per
question

1 longer question developed

around a context.

6-8 marks

40
(50%)

Questions will cover topics

from:

Number and Algebra

Statistics and Probability
Real-world contexts
relating to the above

Remarks

Calculators are allowed for both papers.

A two-paper format is preferred for N(T) students. This helps
them in managing their revision for the SA.
Most of the short questions will be context-free, testing more
on fundamental concepts and skills. However, there can still
be some short questions based on simple contexts. Longer
questions will be context-based, with each question
developed around a real-world context. This arrangement
aims to strike a better balance between testing of
fundamentals, solving problems in context and managing
the overall reading demand of the papers. Sample items
are given in Annex B.

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Upper Secondary

For the suggested format for the End-of-Year (EOY) SA for the
upper secondary levels, schools can take reference from the
respective GCE examinations.

2.3. Table of Specifications (TOS)

A Table of Specification (TOS) helps teachers who are setting and
vetting papers ensure adequate coverage of the content and
balance in the overall demand of the paper. It can provide
specifications of the mark distribution by content, cognitive levels
or nature of items and difficulty levels.

Distribution by Content The content to be assessed and

the distribution of marks across the content should be
worked out and specified so that there is broad, balanced
and adequate coverage in the assessment of the syllabus
taught.
Distribution by Cognitive Levels or Nature of Items Different
approaches can be used to ensure a balance in the overall
demand of the paper. One approach is to classify the items
by cognitive levels and specific a range of marks for each
level. The cognitive levels proposed in this guide take
reference from Blooms Taxonomy 1 . The three cognitive
levels used for classification of an item are Knowledge (K),
Comprehension (C) and Application and Analysis (A) 2 .
Another approach is to use the nature of items e.g. contextfree questions or contextual questions.
Distribution by Difficulty Levels The overall difficulty of a
paper is determined by the mix of easy, moderate and
difficult items. An appropriately pitched paper will ensure
that students who put in effort can do well and it will also
provide an accurate reflection of the students learning. The
mathematical concepts, skills and processes assessed and
the cognitive levels or nature of the items affect the
difficulty levels of an item.

Bloom, B. S.; Engelhart, M. D.; Furst, E. J.; Hill, W. H.; Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational
objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: David
McKay Company
2 Ministry of Education (2004). Assessment Guide to Lower Secondary Mathematics. CPDD/MOE
1

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2.3.1.

Distribution by Content

The distribution by content can initially be estimated based on the

scheme of work. The percentage of marks for each topic may be
worked out as follows:
Relative Weighting for a particular topic

Teaching Time for the Topic

100%
Total Teaching Time

The relative weighting may be adjusted based on various other

considerations, for example,

giving a lower weighting in SA for a topic as it has been

assessed through other weighted assessment in the year;
adjusting overall weighting for topics taught in the current
year to allow for topics from the previous year to be tested

Lower Secondary
The suggested TOS by Content for the O-Level, N(A)-Level and
N(T)-Level Mathematics EOY SA for Secondary 1 and Secondary 2
are given in Table 2.3 and Table 2.4 respectively.
Table 2.3: Suggested TOS by Content for Secondary 1
Content
Strand
Number
Algebra
Geometry &
Measurement
Statistics &
Probability

O-Level
Mathematics

N(A)-Level
Mathematics
40-45%

N(T) -Level
Mathematics
45-50%

20-25%

5-10%

30-35%

25-30%

25-30%

5-10%

5-10%

10-15%

60-65%

Table 2.4: Suggested TOS by Content for Secondary 2

Content
Strand
Number &
Algebra
Geometry &
Measurement
Statistics &
Probability

Chapter 2: Semestral Assessment

O-Level
N(A)-Level
N(T) -Level
Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics
50-55%

50-55%

40-45%

35-40%

35-40%

30-35%

10-15%

10-15%

20-25%

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Remarks

The TOS are aligned with the content coverage for the
syllabuses at the lower secondary levels, where the content
was specified for each level.
While the TOS for N(A)-Level and N(T)-Level Mathematics at
Secondary 1 delineates content under Number and
Algebra to manage the spread of questions, the relative
weighting for Number and Algebra for O-Level
Mathematics at Secondary 1 level is combined. This gives
flexibility of a higher weighting for Algebra as the majority of
the students offering this syllabus would have already
mastered most of the Number content well at the primary
level. There can thus be more items involving both Number
and Algebra concepts, for example, by including the
formulation of algebraic equations in solving of problems
involving ratio, rate and speed.

Upper Secondary
The same principles for estimating the relative weighting for a
particular topic and making adjustments can be applied to
Secondary 3. Depending on how the schools organize the Upper
Secondary content that is presented as a 2-year block in the
syllabus, the distribution may vary across schools.
For the Secondary 4 EOY examinations, schools should take
reference from the Specimen Papers and relevant past years
papers as a gauge.
2.3.2.

Distribution by Cognitive Levels

The definitions for Knowledge (K), Comprehension (C) and

Application and Analysis (A) are as follows:

Knowledge (K) refers to the ability to recall specific

mathematical facts, concepts, rules and formulae,
procedures and to perform straightforward computations.
Comprehension (C) refers to the ability to translate and/or
interpret data/information and use mathematical concepts,
rules or formulae.
Application and Analysis (A) refers to the ability to analyse
data/information and apply mathematical concepts, rules
or formulae.

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Elaboration on the KCA levels and sample items are given in Annex
C and D respectively.
Lower Secondary
The suggested TOS by Cognitive Levels for the O-Level and N(A)Level Mathematics EOY SA for Secondary 1 and Secondary 2 is
given in Table 2.5. The variation in cognitive demand in O-Level
and N(A)-Level Mathematics is reflected in the distribution of KCA.
Table 2.5: Suggested TOS by Cognitive Levels
Cognitive
Level
K

O-Level
N(A)-Level
Mathematics Mathematics
35-40%
40-45%

30-35%

35-40%

25-30%

15-20%

The KCA levels are defined based on cognitive processes and not
on difficulty levels relative to a cohort of students. The
mathematical concepts and skills assessed also contribute to the
difficulty of each item. Therefore, not all Application and Analysis
items are equally difficult and neither are all Knowledge or
Comprehension items equally easy. Students who are weak in
Algebra may even find a Knowledge item on Algebra more
difficult than a Comprehension item on Number. Though the KCA
distribution may not give a complete gauge of the difficulty of the
paper, it is still a useful tool to provide some balance in the
cognitive demand of the paper.
For the setting of the EOY SA for N(T)-Level Mathematics, a simpler
approach is used. The format of assessment provides a description
of the nature of short and long questions as well as context-free
and contextual questions. The distribution of these questions is
already stated in the format of the paper. Together with the
distribution by content, this is sufficient to provide a means to
manage the overall demand of the paper.
Upper Secondary
Given that the interpretation of cognitive levels is often subjective,
the best approach to ensure that the schools EOY SA at
Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 is similar to those in the respective
GCE examinations is to firstly, use our own understanding and
interpretation of KCA to analse the Specimen paper and past year
papers and work out the range of each in percentage terms, then
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apply the same understanding and interpretation of KCA to

produce the schools EOY SA paper. This ensures the comparability
of the schools EOY SA to the respective GCE examinations and
reduces the discrepancy due to differences in understanding and
interpretation of KCA.
2.3.3.

Distribution by Difficulty Levels

Besides taking note of the content and KCA distribution, teachers

should ensure that there is a spread of easy, moderate and difficult
items in each SA. As field-testing is not usually possible in a school
situation, teachers have to rely on their professional judgement to
anticipate the difficulty of an item.
As a rule of thumb, teachers can categorise items as very easy,
easy, moderate, difficult and very difficult based on experience
and understanding of how well their students are learning and
have been performing in previous tests, and make sure that there
are more of the moderate items, fewer of the easy and difficult.
Very easy and very difficult items are generally not used in EOY SA
as they serve little purpose. Table 2.6 is given as a guide to gauge
the difficulty level of an item.
Table 2.6: Guide for Gauging the Difficulty Level of an Item
An item is
judged to be

Basis for professional judgement

Very Easy

Almost all students can do it.

Easy

More than 3 out of 4 students can do it.

Moderate

About half of the students can do it.

Difficult

Less than 1 out of 4 students can do it.

Very Difficult

Very few can do it.

Teachers may also ask themselves the following questions in

gauging the difficulty level of a test:

What will be the expected mark or grade distribution of the

students taking the test? Will this be too high or too low,
given the ability profile of the students?
Does the mark or grade distribution reflect the students
abilities vis--vis the national profile, i.e., does it reflect the
kind of grades students are likely to get eventually for the
GCE examinations?

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2.4. Writing Test Items

In discussing the format and TOS in the earlier sections of this
chapter, the following item types were mentioned:

Short-answer questions;
Structured questions and Long-answer questions;
Problems in real-world contexts.

This section discusses the features of these item types and some of
the design considerations.
2.4.1.

Short-answer questions

Short-answer questions (SAQ) are usually used to assess mastery of

fundamental concepts and skills. Each item typically assesses one
or two concepts and requires students to respond with a word, a
short phrase, a number, a symbol or a simple diagram.
SAQ provides an efficient means to assess a wide range of topics
as each question usually carries few marks, completion time is short
and marking is fast and easy.
Good practices when writing SAQ:

The required degree of accuracy of the answer should be

specified where necessary.
If a unit of measure is required, it should be provided in the
answer space.

Some examples of SAQ are given below:

1. Simplify 2( + ) ( ).

Answer _____________[1]

2. The diagram below shows a sequence of patterns made up

of dots. Find the number of dots in pattern 10.

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Answer _____________[2]

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3. A map is drawn to a scale 1 : 25 000. The distance between

two towns on the map is 43 cm. Find the actual distance, to
the nearest kilometre, between the two towns.

Answer ____________km [3]

2.4.2.

Structured questions and Long-answer questions

In general, structured questions and long-answer questions allow a

topic to be tested in greater depth. They carry more marks.
Emphasis is also placed on the approach or working, not just the
answer alone. Clarity in presenting working and answers becomes
more important.
Structured questions could consist of several parts or sub-questions,
generally related to the same topic or context. The sub-questions
are usually arranged in a logical order to guide students through
the question or in order of increasing complexity or difficulty. The
longer questions described in the suggested format for the
N(T)-Level Mathematics SA papers are basically structured
questions (refer to Annex B, Example 8).
Long-answer questions are useful in testing application and higherorder thinking skills. There are usually no sub-questions or parts to
guide the students to the required answers. Students have to
decide how best to approach the problem. LAQ may be part of a
structured question.
Structured questions and LAQ generally provide more opportunity
for assessment of mathematical processes such as reasoning,
communications and connections, and applications and
modelling. Some examples of the different types of questions for
the lower secondary levels are given at the end of this section. For
examples of assessment items at the upper secondary levels,
teachers may refer to the specimen papers and accompanying
notes for the revised syllabuses that were given to schools.
Good practices when writing Structured Questions and LAQ:

Structured questions and LAQ should contain an

introduction containing data/information for the question,
i.e., the stem of the item, followed by the question or subquestions

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The stem should provide the major part of the information to

be used and indicate clearly what the item is about.
Diagrams should support understanding of the question and
while not always drawn to exact measurements, they should
be clear, proportional and match the information provided.
Additional information needed for a sub-question may be
introduced for use in that sub-question.

Some examples of structured questions are given below:

1. Two plants, A and B, were planted at the same time.
Plant A was 50 cm tall and plant B was 30 cm tall when
they were planted. The rate of growth of plant A is 10 cm
per year and the growth rate of plant B is 12 cm per year.
(a)

Write down expressions for the heights in cm, h1

and h2, of plants A and B respectively, x years after
they were planted.

Answer

(b)

h1 =

cm

[1]

h2 =

cm

[1]

In how many years time will the plants be the

same height?

Answer

(c)

After how many years will plant A be 10 cm shorter

than plant B?

Answer

Chapter 2: Semestral Assessment

years [2]

years [2]

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Comments:
In this structured question, part (a) suggests an
approach to solving the problem.
2. A rectangular tank with length 11 cm and width 9 cm is
filled with water to a height of 7 cm. The water is
transferred into a cylindrical tank of diameter 14 cm.
(a)

Find the volume of water in the rectangular tank.

Answer
(b)

cm3

[1]

Find the height of the water in the cylindrical tank.

[Take = 3.142 ]

Answer

cm

[3]

Comments:
In this structured question, part (a) suggests an
intermediate step. The students need to know that
the volume of water remains constant when it is
transferred from one tank to the other.
Some examples of LAQ are given below:
1. Tom and Joe bought 24 kg of fertilizers for $350. They
repacked them into packets of 200 g and 300 g. There
were twice as many 300 g packets as 200 g packets.
Each 200 g packet was sold at $4 and each 300 g
packet at $5. if all packets of fertilizers were sold,
calculate the profit made as a percentage of the cost
price of the fertilizers
[5]

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Comments
This item is not structured and does not suggest any
approach. To solve this item, students need to:
(a) make sense of the context,
(b) formulate an algebraic equation to find the number
of packets for each packing,
(c) apply the concepts of profit and percentage.
2.
A

100cm

60cm

The figure above shows a shaded major segment of a

circle, centre O. C is the midpoint of the chord AB of
length 100 cm. OC=60cm.
Calculate the area of the major segment.
[5]
Comments
This item is not structured and does not suggest any
approach. To solve this item, students need to:
(a) find angle AOB and radius OA using tangent ratio and
Pythagoras theorem, and
(b) use formula for area of sector and triangle to
calculate area of major segment.
An example of a LAQ embedded in a structured question is given
below:
1. In the figure, POQ is a straight line on level ground. OT is a
vertical tower. It is given that PO = 100 m, TA = 25 m,
AQ = 80 m and OQA = 30o.
T
25 m
A
80 m

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100 m

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(a)

Find OA.

[2]

(b)

Find PT, correct to two decimal places.

[2]

(c)

Jane wants to go from Q to T. She can take

either one of the following routes:
Route X

Walking up a flight of steps

along QA at an average speed
0.7 m/s, then take a lift from A to
T which takes 0.5 min.

Route Y

Walking along QP at an
average speed of 1.8 m/s, then
take an escalator from P to T at
an average speed of 2.5 m/s.

Determine which route requires a shorter time.

Show your working to support your answer.
[6]

Comments:
Part (c) is a LAQ embedded within a structured
question. It combines the topics of geometry and rate.
Students need to decide on a strategy to make
comparison of the different times taken.

2. A lighthouse L is 35 km from a port P and on a bearing of

130 from P. A ship, sailing at 8 km/h left the port on a
bearing of 048 and reached point A at 2 p.m.
(a)

Find the distance AL.

[2]

(b)

Find the bearing of A from L.

[3]

(c)

Continuing its course with the same speed and

direction, it reached point B which is due north of L.
At what time did the ship reached B?
[5]

Comments:
Part (c) is a LAQ embedded within a structured question.
Students are required to interpret the information given
and draw a diagram to help them identify the relevant
formula to use to solve the problem.

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2.4.3.

Problems in Real-world Contexts (PRWC)

Problems in real-world contexts contain authentic information

whereby students have to extract relevant information, select
appropriate mathematical concepts, formulate the problem
mathematically using these concepts, solve it and interpret the
solution in the context of the problem. This type of questions is
different from the other contextual questions where the problem or
the model is already formulated mathematically. The materials
used and layout of information given for this type of problems is
also more authentic.
Good practices when writing PRWC:

Such problems are best presented as structured questions.

Firstly, this allows for the contexts to be developed.
Secondly, the structure will guide students in understanding
the context. Having it as a (unstructured) long-answer
question is risky.
As the material used is authentic, it is possible that not all
information given in the stem is relevant. Students need to
make some decisions and extract the relevant
data/information to solve the problem.
The first one or two sub-questions should guide the students
in understanding the context and the last sub-question
would be one which requires students to apply their
problem solving skills to make inferences, predictions or
decisions.

Examples of PRWC are found in Annex A

2.5. Mark Scheme

A mark scheme shows how marks will be awarded for a range of
acceptable responses, in particular, partial solutions. By giving a
break-down of the marks and having different mark schemes for
alternative approaches to the same problem, partial credits can
be given even if the final solution is flawed and alternative solutions
can be fairly marked.
Considerations when drawing up a Mark Scheme:

It is important to work out the solution and think through the

possible responses for each item. Doing so helps teacher to
gauge the demand of the item and check that the item is
unambiguous. If the solution is too demanding, more marks
may need to be awarded. If there are too many possible

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interpretations for the item, it may be ambiguous and may

not be suitable.
The marks allocated for relevant working in each item
should reflect the emphasis on the thinking process involved
in solving the problem. However, if a question is such that
the working can be done mentally, then a different mark
scheme with full marks awarded for correct answer without
working should be included.
If there is more than one acceptable answer or approach
to the question or if part-marks are to be given in certain
cases, these should be reflected in the mark scheme.
Clear indication of the breakdown of marks for the different
working steps of a solution is necessary to ensure
consistency in marking.
Considerations when marking
Teachers must exercise professional judgement and update
and re-standardise the mark scheme for unanticipated
solutions.
No marks should be awarded when an incorrect method
has been used to arrive at a correct answer.
If a question requires working and students omit some or all
of the important working, then markers should agree on the
penalty, if any.
If a student makes an arithmetical error or misreads some
data, markers should follow through the working by
awarding subsequent method marks, provided the method
is correct and the difficulty or intent of the question remains
unchanged.
Table 2.7 shows the common types of marks used and how they
are awarded in a mark scheme.
Table 2.7: Common types of marks used in a mark scheme
Mark Types

How it is awarded
Awarded for correct method.
Not lost for numerical errors, algebraic slips or
errors in units.

M mark
(Method mark)

Not given for an incorrect method even if it

produces a correct answer.
Awarded to comparable steps in alternative
solutions.
Awarded for follow through in spite of
computational errors in previous steps where

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Mark Types

How it is awarded
necessary.

A mark
(Accuracy or
Answer mark)

Awarded for a numerically correct answer or

intermediate step (answer) correctly
obtained.
Not given for correct answers or results
obtained from incorrect methods
Awarded for a correct answer independent
of M marks

B mark

Not given for correct answers or results

obtained from incorrect methods

Some examples of mark schemes of individual items are given

below:
1. Solve the equations

3
=5
x

(a)

(b)

(a)

[1]

[3]

( 1)( + 2) = 4( 1)

3
5

(b) (x - 1)(x + 2 - 4) = 0

x = 1 or 2

Chapter 2: Semestral Assessment

Mark
Awarded

Remarks

B1

Accept 0.6

M1

Accept
manipulation
leading to
equivalent
quadratic equation
x2-3x+2=0

A2

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2. In the diagram, AB//DE and BCD and ACE are straight

lines. AB = 6 cm, DE = 9 cm and AE = 20 cm.
Find the length of AC.

[4]

B
E

Mark
Awarded
ABC is similar to EDC

B1

AC 6 2
= =
EC 9 3

M1

2
20
5
=8

Remarks
Identify the 2 pairs of
corresponding angles

M1

AC =

A1

3. In the figure, POQ is a straight line on level ground. OT is a

vertical tower. It is given that PO = 100 m, TA = 25 m,
AQ = 80m and OQA = 30.

T
25 m

80 m
30o

(a)

Chapter 2: Semestral Assessment

100 m

Find OA.

[2]

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(b)

Find PT, correct to two decimal places.

(c)

Jane wants to go from Q to T. She can take

either one of the following routes:
Route X

Walking up a flight of steps along

QA at an average speed 0.7 m/s,
then take a lift from A to T which
takes 0.5 min.

Route Y

Walking along QP at an average

speed of 1.8 m/s, then take an
escalator from P to T at an
average speed of 2.5 m/s.

[2]

Determine which route requires a shorter [6]

time.

(a) OA = 80 sin30o
= 40 m

Mark
Awarded

Remarks

M1

No marks for just

stating a formula,
values
must
be
substituted correctly.

A1

M1

(b) PT= 100 2 +65 2

A1

= 119.27m
(c) Route X: time=

80
+30
0.7

= 144.29 s

M1
A1

Route Y : OQ=80cos30o
= 69.28 m

time=

100+69.28 119.27
+
1.8
2.5

= 141.75 s

Route Y requires a shorter time.

Chapter 2: Semestral Assessment

B1

M1
A1
A1

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2.6. Review of SA papers

It is a good practice to involve more teachers in reviewing the SA
papers. The review should cover 4 main areas:

Physical design of the paper e.g. paper number, blank

pages, layout and formatting convention etc.
Overall balance of the paper, in terms of alignment with the
TOS that include content coverage, distribution of marks or
KCA items and easy-moderate-difficult items.
Quality of individual items e.g. clarity, bias, diagrams etc.
Mark scheme

In reviewing the SA papers, some questions to consider for the 4

main areas are given below:

Physical design of the paper

Are the format conventions closely followed?

E.g.
Does the layout of the paper allow for ease of
reading?
Are there adequate spaces for working?
Are there questions that span two pages?
Are graph papers needed?
Are the general instructions and information provided clear?
E.g.
What is the number of questions to be answered?
What is the duration of the paper?
Where and how are answers to be written?
How will marks be allocated?
What is the expected level of accuracy?

Overall balance of paper

Is the TOS closely followed?

Format of the paper e.g. section, duration etc.
Distribution by Content
Distribution by Cognitive Levels or Nature of Items
Distribution by Difficulty Levels
Can the paper be completed within the time given?
What will be the expected mark distribution of the cohort?

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Quality of items

Are the assessment objectives of the item within the scope

of the syllabus for that level?
Is the item clear and unambiguous, and does it contain all
the necessary information needed?
Is the information given accurate or realistic?
Is the diagram consistent with the information given in the
stem, clearly labelled and roughly to scale?
Is the language used pitched at a suitable level for the
students?

Mark scheme

Does the mark scheme indicate clearly the marks allocated

for the different parts of the item?
Do the responses given in the mark scheme match the
intent of the items and the marks allocated?
Does the mark allocation for each part of the item reflect
the demand?
Are all likely responses given in the mark scheme with
equivalent mark allocation for corresponding parts?

2.7. Conclusion
Semestral assessments are meant for reporting and decisionmaking. They are summative in nature although they may also
be used for formative purpose. Before setting the paper, it is
important to know the format of the paper and the TOS. The
format of the paper provides specifications of the item types,
number of items, duration and mark distribution. The TOS gives
the relative weighting and distribution of the topics to be
assessed and the cognitive levels of the items. The overall
difficulty level of the paper must be carefully planned, with an
appropriate distribution of easy, moderate and difficult items.
An appropriately pitched paper allows students to experience
sucess and gives a fair reflection of the effectiveness of
teaching and learning.

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