Construction and Standardization of Commerce Achievement Test for Higher Secondary Level

Abstract

Commerce education is a branch of knowledge which provides experience of business world at a large and in all its manifestations to its learners and this is basically meant to provide the students in-depth knowledge of different functional areas of business and allied activities to mould the learners according to the dynamic requirements of the trade, commerce and industry. Every individual in a society is desirous to achieve something good for him and achievement in real sense is the end-product of all human endeavours. Achievement is a pivot around which all educational phenomena move uninterruptedly. Since, Commerce stream is now being widely recognized, accepted and appreciated therefore, achievement in Commerce has become significant and its formal base generally starts with the higher secondary level of education in India. The present study is an attempt to develop and standardize a Commerce Achievement Test (CAT) for the students of higher secondary level to measure students’ achievement in commerce. CAT contains seventy objective type (with multiple choice) items related to commerce subject and these items are based on syllabus of Higher Secondary Level prescribed by U. P. board, Allahabad. Validity as well as reliability of the test has been ascertained. Split-half and Kudar-Richardson Reliability of CAT have been found to be 0.93 and 0.86 respectively. The face validity has been established with the help of experts from the field of commerce and education. Concurrent validity of the test has been established against marks obtained by students in their Pre – Board Examination and it is 0.63. CAT can be administered in group setting and time-limit to finish CAT is one hour. Responses from the examinee could be taken on a separate answer-sheet. A score of ‘One’ is awarded for every correct answer and ‘Zero’ is given for wrong answers.