COGNITIVE LEVELS OF ENGLISH TEST ITEMS CONSTRUCTED BY EFL TEACHERS OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study was primarily concerned with cognitive levels of English test items
constructed by EFL Teachers of public senior high schools in Maumere city, Indonesia,
in the academic year 2016/2017. Specifically, it concerned with multiple choices test
items which deal with language skills of reading, speaking and writing. This research
aimed to answer the problems of the cognitive levels, tendency, and portion of English
test items on the basis of percentage of question levels. This research is a descriptive
qualitative research. It described the phenomenon of constructing test item in senior
high schools. Data resources were four-semester test items constructed by EFL teachers
of 1state senior high school and Frater Catholic senior high school in Alok subdisctrict,
Saint Gabriel Catholic senior high school and PGRI private senior high school in Alok
timur subdistrict of Maumere city of Sikka regency. The result of the research showed
that more than half of the test items constructed by EFL teachers of the senior high
school in Maumere city in the academic year 2016/2017 do not meet the requirement
of cognitive level, tendency and portion of test items so they must be revised. In terms
of cognitive levels, only a quarter of test items meet the requirement of six cognitive
levels of questions. Then, in terms of tendency, more than half of test items tend to
indicate the easy category. In terms of portion, more than half of test items also do not
meet the requirement of distribution of English test items on the basis of percentage of
questions levels.