Evaluation in Science: Types, Qualities of a Good Test and Bloom's Taxonomy — REET Notes
This page covers the difference between measurement, assessment and evaluation, types of evaluation, the qualities of a good test, the merits and demerits of objective versus essay tests, and Bloom's taxonomy with science examples. REET 2024 carried 4 questions from here, making this a reliably scoring topic within science pedagogy.
- 4 questions in REET 2024
- Teacher-training level
- 9 min read
How REET asks this topic
REET 2024 carried 4 questions on Evaluation in Science: a quality of an objective test (high reliability and validity), a quality of an essay test (freedom of expression of ideas), the option that is NOT a characteristic of good evaluation (narrowness), and classifying a learning objective ('will be able to differentiate between acids and bases' — analysis). The pattern is clear: telling a 'merit' apart from a 'demerit', and reading the verb in an objective statement to identify its cognitive level. This rewards careful reading of the wording far more than rote memorisation.
Measurement, assessment and evaluation
Measurement is expressing some quality in numbers — 'Reena scored 32 out of 40.' It is purely quantitative. Assessment is the process of gathering evidence of learning — through tests, observation, projects, portfolios. Evaluation is making a value judgement based on this evidence — 'Reena has understood the concept of photosynthesis well, but her recording of the experiment is weak.' In short, evaluation = measurement (quantitative) + observation (qualitative) + value judgement.
Evaluation stays tied to teaching objectives throughout: objectives are set → learning experiences are provided accordingly → evaluation checks how far the objectives were met, and the results then feed back into improving the objectives and the teaching. This is exactly why evaluation in science is never just a written exam; experimental skill, observation, scientific temperament and the ability to work in a group are all assessed too.
Types of evaluation
| Type | When | Purpose | Example in a science class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formative | During teaching, continuously | Improve learning, give immediate feedback | Oral questions mid-lesson, exit cards, observation during an experiment |
| Summative | At the end of a unit/term | Judge achievement, assign grades/certification | Half-yearly and annual exams |
| Diagnostic | When a difficulty keeps recurring | Pinpoint the exact cause of the difficulty, followed by remedial teaching | A special question set to find confusion between 'weight' and 'mass' |
| Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) | Throughout the session | Ongoing assessment of both scholastic and co-scholastic aspects | Projects, portfolios, practical work, observation of behaviour |
Section 29 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, provides for continuous and comprehensive evaluation at the elementary level. Remedial teaching is a mandatory step after diagnostic testing.[Source 2]
Qualities of good evaluation / a good test
- Validity
- A test measures exactly what it is meant to measure — if you want to test 'experimental skill', a written question alone is not valid.
- Reliability
- Results are consistent when checked repeatedly or by different examiners.
- Objectivity
- Scoring is not influenced by the personal opinion of the examiner.
- Comprehensiveness
- Full coverage of the syllabus and of all objectives (knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes) — narrowness is the opposite of this, and a flaw.
- Continuity
- Evaluation runs alongside teaching throughout, not just once at the end of the term.
- Discrimination
- Questions are able to distinguish between stronger and weaker students.
- Usability
- Practical to administer in terms of time, cost, administration and scoring.
Objective versus essay tests
| Basis | Objective | Essay |
|---|---|---|
| Merits | High reliability and validity, objective scoring, wide coverage of the whole syllabus, quick to check | Freedom of ideas, expression, reasoning, organisation and originality can be tested; easy to construct |
| Demerits | Susceptible to guessing, neglects original thinking and expression, not possible for every objective/subject, difficult to construct | Subjectivity in scoring, lower reliability and validity, limited coverage (fewer questions), takes longer to check |
| Question format | Multiple choice, true-false, matching, fill in the blanks | Extended answers, 'explain', 'compare' |
| Middle ground | Short-answer questions — these balance the merits of both | — |
In both REET 2024 questions, the demerits were placed among the options as if they were 'merits' — for every option, ask yourself: is this a strength or a weakness?
Bloom's cognitive taxonomy — with science examples
| Original level (1956) | Revised name (2001) | Action verbs to look for | Science objective statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Knowledge | Remember | state, list, name | The student will be able to name acids. |
| 2. Comprehension | Understand | explain, give examples, classify | The student will be able to explain neutralisation. |
| 3. Application | Apply | use, solve, apply to daily life | The student will be able to explain why baking soda is applied to an ant sting. |
| 4. Analysis | Analyse | differentiate, compare, break into parts | The student will be able to differentiate between acids and bases. |
| 5. Synthesis | Create — becomes the sixth (top) level in the revision | compose, design, plan | The student will be able to design an experiment to make a homemade indicator from turmeric. |
| 6. Evaluation | Evaluate — becomes the fifth level in the revision | judge, justify, critique | The student will be able to justify which of two water-purification methods is better. |
The original 1956 taxonomy is Benjamin Bloom's; in 2001, Anderson and Krathwohl revised it, changing the level names from nouns to verbs, replacing 'synthesis' with 'create', and moving it above 'evaluate' at the very top. In Rajasthan lesson plans, objectives are usually written under the categories knowledge, comprehension, application and skill.
Applying this in the classroom
| Tool / technique | What it assesses | Use in Class 6-8 science |
|---|---|---|
| Checklist | Whether a behaviour/step happened or not (yes/no) | In an experiment: was the apparatus set up correctly? Was the observation recorded? Was it cleaned up? |
| Rating scale | The degree of a quality (e.g. 1-5) | Cooperation in a group project, clarity of a presentation |
| Rubric | A clear description of each level | Model-making: scientific accuracy, creativity, explanation — each with 3 described levels |
| Anecdotal record | A factual account of a specific incident | 'Aman asked on his own why clouds thunder and looked it up in a book' — evidence of curiosity |
| Portfolio | Progress over time | A collection of observation diaries, experiment reports, charts, self-assessment sheets |
| Practical/oral exam | Skill and understanding | Preparing a slide to show an onion peel and answering questions |
| Blueprint | Balance of the exam paper | A table showing weightage across objectives × content × question type, prepared before setting the paper |
The National Education Policy 2020 recommends competency-based, regular formative assessment in place of rote-based exams, and a holistic 360-degree progress card; PARAKH is the proposed national assessment centre.[Source 3]
Memory trick / exam tip
In an objective-statement question, don't read the whole sentence — just look at the verb: 'name / identify' = knowledge; 'explain / give an example' = comprehension; 'use in daily life / solve' = application; 'differentiate / compare' = analysis. And when a question asks for a 'quality', immediately rule out any option containing negative words like 'lack of', 'not', 'ignores', or 'limited'.
REET 2024 questions (solved)
Question 126
The main feature of objective test is
- Aसभी विषयों में सम्भव नहीं
- Bमौलिक चिन्तन की अवहेलना
- Cअनुमान का प्रभाव
- Dविश्वसनीयता और वैधता का उच्च स्तर
Explanation
वस्तुनिष्ठ परीक्षण (objective test) में उत्तर निश्चित होते हैं और अंकन पर परीक्षक के व्यक्तिगत प्रभाव नहीं पड़ता, साथ ही पाठ्यवस्तु का व्यापक प्रतिनिधित्व होता है; इसलिए इसकी विश्वसनीयता और वैधता उच्च होती है। शेष विकल्प – सभी विषयों में संभव न होना, मौलिक चिंतन की अवहेलना और अनुमान (guessing) का प्रभाव – इसकी सीमाएँ (दोष) हैं, गुण नहीं।
Question 150
Which of the following is not a characteristic of a good evaluation ?
- Aवैधता
- Bनिरन्तरता
- Cविश्वसनीयता
- Dसंकीर्णता
Explanation
अच्छे मूल्यांकन की विशेषताएँ वैधता (validity), विश्वसनीयता (reliability), निरन्तरता (continuity), व्यापकता और वस्तुनिष्ठता हैं। संकीर्णता (narrow mindedness) व्यापकता के विपरीत है, इसलिए यह अच्छे मूल्यांकन की विशेषता नहीं है।
Question 129
‘Student is able to differentiate in between acid and base.’ This statement shows which learning objective ?
- Aविश्लेषण
- Bज्ञान
- Cज्ञानोपयोग
- Dकौशल
Explanation
संशोधित ब्लूम वर्गीकरण (Revised Bloom's taxonomy) में 'अन्तर करना (differentiating)' विश्लेषण (analyze) स्तर की प्रक्रिया है, क्योंकि इसमें विद्यार्थी अम्ल व क्षार के गुणों को अलग-अलग पहचानकर उनकी तुलना करता है। केवल तथ्यों को याद करना ज्ञान तथा नई परिस्थिति में प्रयोग करना ज्ञानोपयोग (application) है। अतः उत्तर (A) है।
Question 131
Merits of essay type examination is
- Aविचारों की स्वतंत्रता
- Bविश्वसनियता एवं वैधता का अभाव
- Cउपचारात्मक उपयोग का अभाव
- Dसीमित प्रतिनिधित्व
Explanation
निबन्धात्मक परीक्षा में विद्यार्थी अपने विचारों को स्वतंत्र रूप से, अपनी भाषा और क्रम में व्यक्त कर सकता है — यह इसका मुख्य गुण है। विश्वसनीयता व वैधता का अभाव, उपचारात्मक उपयोग का अभाव और पाठ्यवस्तु का सीमित प्रतिनिधित्व इसके दोष हैं, गुण नहीं।
Practice questions
Question 1
If different examiners score a test and the marks are nearly the same, which quality does the test have?
- Aविभेदकारिता
- Bवस्तुनिष्ठता
- Cव्यापकता
- Dव्यावहारिकता
Explanation
When different examiners check a test and arrive at roughly the same marks, the test is objective — scoring is not affected by the examiner's personal opinion. Objectivity also boosts reliability.
Question 2
A test used to find the cause of a specific learning difficulty of students is —
- Aउपलब्धि परीक्षण
- Bनिदानात्मक परीक्षण
- Cयोगात्मक परीक्षण
- Dबुद्धि परीक्षण
Explanation
A diagnostic test identifies the exact point and cause of a learning difficulty, after which remedial teaching follows.
Question 3
'The student will be able to explain why baking soda is applied on an ant bite in daily life.' This relates to which objective?
- Aज्ञान
- Bअनुप्रयोग (ज्ञानोपयोग)
- Cमूल्यांकन
- Dसृजन
Explanation
Applying the principle of neutralisation to a new, everyday situation is the application level.
Question 4
To assess lab work on points like 'set up apparatus correctly — yes/no', the most suitable tool is —
- Aजाँच-सूची (checklist)
- Bउपाख्यानात्मक अभिलेख
- Cनिबंधात्मक परीक्षा
- Dसमाजमिति
Explanation
A checklist records whether a behaviour or step happened or not, in yes/no form, so it suits assessing the steps of an experiment.
Question 5
Which of the following is a limitation of an objective test?
- Aअंकन में आसानी
- Bपाठ्यवस्तु का व्यापक प्रतिनिधित्व
- Cअनुमान (guessing) से सही उत्तर की संभावना
- Dउच्च विश्वसनीयता
Explanation
In objective questions, a student can pick the correct option by guessing without actually knowing the answer — this is its drawback. The other three are its merits.
Question 6
In the revised Bloom's taxonomy (2001), the highest cognitive level is —
- Aमूल्यांकन (evaluate)
- Bविश्लेषण (analyse)
- Cसृजन (create)
- Dसंश्लेषण (synthesis)
Explanation
In Anderson and Krathwohl's 2001 revision, the order is: remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate, and create at the very top. In the original 1956 taxonomy, evaluation was the top level.
Question 7
At the end of a lesson, a Class 8 teacher asks each child to write on a slip 'what I understood today and what I did not'. What type of assessment is this?
- Aयोगात्मक आकलन
- Bरचनात्मक आकलन
- Cमानक-संदर्भित आकलन
- Dप्रवेश परीक्षा
Explanation
Taking immediate feedback during teaching to improve the next lesson is formative assessment; assigning a grade is not the goal here.
Question 8
While preparing the blueprint of a question paper, weightage is generally given to which dimensions?
- Aकेवल पाठ्यवस्तु
- Bउद्देश्य, पाठ्यवस्तु और प्रश्नों के प्रकार
- Cकेवल प्रश्नों की संख्या
- Dविद्यार्थियों के पिछले अंक
Explanation
A blueprint is a three-dimensional plan that assigns weightage across objectives, content (units) and question types, which keeps the exam paper balanced and valid.
Question 9
A science teacher assesses students' 'experimental skills' only through a written test. What is lacking in this evaluation?
- Aवैधता
- Bवस्तुनिष्ठता
- Cव्यावहारिकता
- Dविभेदकारिता
Explanation
Validity means a test measures exactly what it is meant to measure. 'Experimental skill' can only be correctly measured by a practical exam or observation, so validity is low here.
Question 10
In Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), the word 'comprehensive' means —
- Aवर्ष में अधिक परीक्षाएँ लेना
- Bशैक्षिक और सह-शैक्षिक, दोनों पक्षों का आकलन
- Cकेवल बोर्ड परीक्षा के अंक
- Dकेवल लिखित परीक्षा का विस्तार
Explanation
'Continuous' means regular assessment throughout the session, while 'comprehensive' means covering co-scholastic aspects such as skills, attitude, interest and health, alongside knowledge and understanding.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main quality of an objective test?+
High reliability and validity — since the answer is fixed, scoring doesn't depend on the examiner, and the whole syllabus can be covered.
What is a quality of an essay test?+
Freedom of ideas — the student can display reasoning, organisation and expression in their own way. Its drawbacks are subjective scoring and lower reliability.
What's the difference between formative and summative evaluation?+
Formative evaluation happens during teaching to support improvement; summative evaluation happens at the end of a unit or session to judge achievement.
'The student will be able to differentiate between acids and bases' — which objective is this?+
According to REET 2024's official key, this is an objective at the analysis level, because 'differentiate' is an analysis-level verb.
How many questions come from Evaluation in Science in REET?+
REET 2024 (Level 2 Science) carried 4 questions from this topic — on the merits/demerits of tests, the qualities of good evaluation, and classifying objectives.
Read next
Science Lab and Activities
Previous topic: laboratory organisation, safety and classroom activities
Children's Misconceptions in Science
Next topic: children's alternative conceptions and how to correct them
REET Syllabus
The complete official syllabus for Level 2 Maths-Science
REET 2024 Solved Paper
Questions, official answer key and explanations for all shifts
Official Sources
Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked