How to create a Table of Specifications (TOS)
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 term of specification will increase the likelihood of you creating a test that is
valid and reliable.
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 bloom’s 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.
Bloom’s Taxonomy has six categories: (starting from lower level to highest) - (1) Remembering, (2)
Understanding, (3) Applying, (4) Analysing, (5) Evaluating and (6) Creating
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 bloom’s 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 bloom’s 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 important because 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
bloom’s taxonomy, it is 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, it’s 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.
After their approval, it is time to put into action your blueprint by creating your exam. It would be best
to use a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel so you could easily modify your Terms of Specification in case
you have some corrections.
Table of Specification (TOS)
What is a
TOS
?
Step 1
Determine the coverage of your exam.
Step 2
Determine your testing objectives for each topic area.
Step 3
Determine the duration for each content area
Step 4
Determine the Test Types for each objective.
A table of specifications is a tool used by teachers to design a test or exam. The goal of the table is to organize
the material covered by comparing number of questions devoted to each.
Essentially, a table of specification is a table chart that breaks down the topics that will be on a test and the
amount of test questions or percentage of weight each section will have on the final test grade.
This kind of table chart is usually split into two charts, and each sub topic is numbered under the main topics
that are being covered for the test.
This type of table is mainly used by
teachers to help break down their testing outline on a specific subject.
Upon planning a test, you have to consider the following:
1. Identify the test objectives
2. Decide on the stage of objective test to be presented.
3. Prepare a table of specification (TOS)
4. Construct the draft items.
5. Try out and validation
It must cover Bloom's taxonomy of objectives in order for it to be comprehensive.
So, how do we create a TOS?
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.
In this step, you will need to be familiar with bloom’s 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.
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.
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?
The next step in making the table of specifications is to write down how long you spent teaching a particular
topic. This is important because 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.
Now that you have created your table of specifications for your test by aligning your objectives to bloom’s
taxonomy, it’s time to determine the test types that will accomplish your testing objectives.
Step 5
Polish your terms of specification
After your initial draft of the table of specifications, it’s 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.
THE FOUR COLUMNS OF TOS:
1. level of objective tested
2. statement of the objective
3. item numbers where such objective is being tested
4. number of items and percentage of that particular objective
So why do we need a TOS?
the TOS is an instrument that is consistent with the student centered approach
it provides a study and examination guide for students.
provides a plan of action that is consistent with the institution’s academic goals.
