On improving testing and assessment materials and overcoming “drilling” in preparation for the Unifi ed State Exam in Natural Sciences

Abstract

The necessity of substantial modernization of testing and assessment materials for the Unified State Examination is substantiated in the article. It is primarily due to the fact that the long-term use of the same type of task models reduces their differentiating ability. Numerous repetitions of standard techniques for solving a clearly defined number of proposed tasks allow applicants who do not have a broad outlook, erudition, developed logical thinking to achieve sufficiently high results. Targeted improvement of assessment indicators is carried out annually. The article structures the directions of modernization of tasks within the existing models of examination papers. It is argued that the key change in the materials should consist in increasing the variety of task models for one controlled element of the content while meeting the mandatory requirements: maintaining the complexity of the task (this means approximately the same number and level of educational and cognitive moves necessary to obtain an answer) and observing a single maximum score for its completion. The presentation of the task content, the response format and the number of its requirements may be different. Well-proven test tasks with an unknown number of correct answers to be solved and matching tasks, where the number of elements in each of the sets varies. The paper lists the directions of expanding the range of task models. Six examples of alternative tasks using material in chemistry are given, their characteristics and justification are presented. It is emphasized that the proposed changes do not violate the established and well-proven approaches to the development of sets of testing and assessment materials. The expansion of the model base within the tested elements of the subject content should be considered a fundamental innovation. The need for a variety of tasks will require additional efforts on the part of developers, additional professional expertise and public discussion. The content of the task package should be adjusted gradually. However, this is a necessary way to improve the school education system and prepare worthy applicants.