How to create a Table of Specifications (TOS)

in 5 Easy Steps
By:

Argee Abadines

A document called terms of specifications (TOS) helps you plan out your
exam. You can also call the document, table of specifications. It will make
your test creation process more methodological and organized. Creating a
solid terms of specification will increase the likelihood of you creating a test
that is valid and reliable.
So how do you create a table of specifications?
Step 1- Determine the coverage of your exam
The first rule in making exams and therefore in making a document called
table of specification is to make sure the coverage of your exam is
something that you have satisfactorily taught in class. Select the topics that
you wish to test in the exam. It is possible that you will not be able to cover
all these topics as it might create a test that is too long and will not be
realistic for your students in the given time. So select only the
most important topics.
Step 2- Determine your testing objectives for each topic area
In this step, you will need to be familiar with blooms taxonomy of thinking
skills. Bloom has identified the hierarchy of learning objectives, from the
lower thinking skills of knowledge and comprehension to the higher thinking
skills of evaluation and synthesis.
Blooms Taxonomy has six categories: (starting from lower level to highest) (1) Knowledge, (2) Comprehension, (3) Application, (4) Analysis, (5)
Synthesis and (6) Evaluation
So for each content area that you wish to test, you will have to determine
how you will test each area. Will you test simply their recall of knowledge? Or
will you be testing their comprehension of the matter? Or perhaps you will be
challenging them to analyze and compare and contrast something. Again,
this would depend on your instructional objectives in the classroom. Did you
teach them lower thinking skills or did you challenge them by making them
think critically?
Your objectives per topic area should use very specific verbs on how you
intend to test the students using the blooms taxonomy. For example, for the

2nd level which is Comprehension, verbs to use for the objectives would be
explain or retell if it is in the context of understanding a story.
For the cognitive level of analysis, verbs you can use for that taxonomy level
is analyze, or show the relationships.
It is important that your terms of specification reflect your instructional
procedures during the semester. If your coverage on a topic mostly dwelt on
knowledge and comprehension of material, then you cannot test them by
going up the hierarchy of blooms taxonomy. Thus it is crucial that you give a
balanced set of objectives throughout the semester depending on the nature
of your students.
Step 3- Determine the duration for each content area
The next step in making the table of specifications is to write down how
long you spent teaching a particular topic. This is importantbecause it will
determine how many points you should devote for each topic. Logically, the
longer time you spent on teaching a material, then the more questions
should be devoted for that area.
Step 4- Determine the Test Types for each objective
Now that you have created your table of specifications for your test by
aligning your objectives to blooms taxonomy, its time to determine the test
types that will accomplish your testing objectives. For example, knowledge
questions can be accomplished easily through multiple choice questions or
matching type exams.
If you want to test evaluation or synthesis of a topic, you will want to create
exam type questions or perhaps you will ask the students to create diagrams
and explain their diagrams in their analysis.
The important thing is that the test type should reflect your testing
objective.
Step 5- Polish your terms of specification
After your initial draft of the table of specifications, its time to polish it.
Make sure that you have covered in your terms of specification
the important topics that you wish to test. The number of items for your test
should be sufficient for the time allotted for the test. You should seek your
academic coordinator and have them comment on your table of
specification. They will be able to give good feedback on how you can
improve or modify it.

HOW TO PREPARE A TABLE OF

SPECIFICATIONS

Image from: Free Online Clipart

The Table of Specifications is a blueprint for the preparation of an exam. It serves as the "map" or
guide to assigning the appropriate number of items to topics included in the course or subject. The
following is a simplified method of preparing a Table of Specifications.
1. List all the topics that are included in the subject or course.
2. Assign corresponding percentages based on the professional requirementsor
institutional requirements. Below is an example:
Subject - CLINICAL CHEMISTRY 2
Topics included:
a. automation - 20 %
b. electrolytes - 15 %
c. enzymology - 25 %
d. endocrinology - 20 %
e. toxicology - 20 %
This gives a total of 100 %
3. Decide on the number of items that you would like the test to be. Let's say you

wanted a 160 item - test; the number of items per topic would then be:
a. automation - 20 % - 32
b. electrolytes - 15 % - 24
c. enzymology - 25 % - 40
d. endocrinology - 20 % - 32
e. toxicology - 20 % - 40
This gives a total of 160 items.
4. Assign the specific type of question you would like to ask depending on what
skill or cognitive learning, you would like to emphasize. For example, you would
like to emphasize the principles in automation, then you may prepare the
questions this way:
a. automation - 32 items
Essay = 10 questions
Identification = 12 questions
Multiple choice = 20 questions
This gives a total of 32 items.
This also is done with the rest of the topics.