TRYOUT TEST CONCEPT
(English version)
1. The Concept of Tryout Test
The word “tryout” is originally denoting a test to ascertain the qualifications of applicants, as for an athletic team or theatrical role, or an experimental performance of a play before its official opening. Also it is a procedure that ascertains effectiveness, value, proper function, or other quality.[1]
In educational aspect, tryout test is an exercise means for students to face final test, either semester or national tests. Today, however, tryout test stresses more on preparing students to face national test. In addition, tryout test has been routinely implemented by classes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 meaning that this test does not merely focus on national test exercise. What differentiates is that in tryout test for class 9 and 12, time and procedures are predetermined by regional education office, while tryout test for classes 7, 8, 10 and 11 depend on each school policy.
As we know, there are four kinds of test (placement, formative, diagnostic and summative). Generally, tryout test fall into more broader category; it can be used by the teacher as a means to examine daily grade to monitor learning progress during the instruction and to provide continuous feedback to both pupil and teacher concerning learning success and failures (formative test) as well as a means to know students comprehension of a material learned. And, it is concerned with the persistent or recurring learning difficulties that are left unresolved by the standard corrective prescriptions of formative evaluation (diagnostic test).
Besides, this test can be used so as to the teacher can find out whether or not students comprehension are under “UKM/SKL” (graduate competence standard). The result of this test will, in turn, be mapped, meaning that students with grades under average will be given “remedial” (material enriching).
In fact, before 1994 curriculum, tryout test has been applied with the name of “exercise”. In “EBTANAS” era, this test is called “EBTANAS exercise”, not tryout test. Therefore, it is concluded that the name of “tryout” test is only a matter of terminology coming from English. Initially, this term is used by courses center “BIMBEL” (Bimbingan Belajar) to attract the students to join the course.
In reality, the determination of how many times tryout test is implemented mainly depends on the readiness and the resources of each regional school. It means that tryout test is different from one school to other. In “SMPN” 2 Ciputat, Tangerang, tryout test is done three times (for class 9). The first tryout test is called “pre test” that is done before enriching program to evaluate how far the students comprehend four subjects that will be examined in national test ”UN”. The second test is “mapping test”, in which the students are categorized as “low”, “medium”, and “high” in their comprehension of the materials. The students falling into “low” category will be given material enriching program. Finally, the third test is “strengthening test” given before national test.
The materials of tryout test refer fully to “SKL” that in the development process is called “SKL exploration” (Bedah SKL). Hence, not all materials included in the curriculum will be considered as reference in making tryout test materials. For example, there are only two “SKL” for Indonesian language subject and English language subject. Meanwhile, there are four “SKL” for Math and ten for Natural Science “IPA”. It means that all this materials do not represent materials in curriculum. Items for national test will not deviate from “SKL”. Therefore, “SKL exploration” is completed in making tryout test materials.
Theoretically, tryout test is correlated to the national examination “UN”, because the tryout test is a kind of practice to the national examination. Tryout test is able to trigger off students’ bravery and motivation to extend to which individual works or strives to learn the language because of desire to do so and the satisfaction in the activity by doing the tryout test but also known how to deal with national examination, besides, the result of the tryout test can encourage the students to study harder and to prepare themselves better than before. Finally, they will study more intensively and tend to have good scores in the national examination.
The teachers believe that tryout test can improve the quality of national exam “UN” score, since the students and the schools will try hard to meet the demand of the examination. However, education deals with human beings and the process of education are not like the production process in factories. The examination is based on the accumulation of knowledge and skills mastered by the students during the process and the items of the test have been carefully framed on certain statistical considerations.
Materials for tryout test are gathered from all classes, namely classes 7, 8, and 9 (for junior high school) and 10, 11 , and 12 (for senior high school) with different percentage:
§ 20% from class 7 (for JHS), 10 (for SHS)
§ 30% from class 8 (for JHS), 11 (for SHS), and
§ 50% from class 9 (for JHS), 12 (for SHS).
The expenditure for tryout test is collected from each school contribution, with the coordination by regional unit, including drafting, copying, to the inspection of the result. It differs from national test in which all expenditure covered by national budget.
In general, there are two kinds of tryout tests developer:
· MGMP (Musyawarah Guru Mata Pelajaran) in school level, and
· MGMP in regional level.
Basically, tryout test is developed by subject teacher. If tryout test is for classes 7, 8 10, and 11, then MGMP (Musyawarah Guru Mata Pelajaran) in school level is responsible for the development of the material (usually, almost all subjects are examined). Meanwhile, in tryout test for class 9 and 12, then MGMP in regional level is responsible for the development of the materials. The subjects in this tryout test are four (that will also be given in national examination “UN”), namely Indonesian Language, English, Math and Natural Science. Before composing the tryout test materials, all teachers of a district usually gather to discuss “SKL exploration” determined by “BSNP” (Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan). Draft for tryout test has been formulated by “Depdiknas” (National Education Department)[2].
3. The Purpose of Tryout Test
The purpose of tryout test is to familiarize students in completing items in a collective examination, held by school, regions, and central department in which the test for classes 9 and 12 is aimed at preparing students to face national examination, while test for classes 7, 8, 10, and 11 is aimed at preparing students to face general examination.
The teachers believe that tryout test can improve the quality of national examination “UN” score, since the students and the schools will try hard to meet the demand of the examination.
The tryout test should provide data for such purposes as:
a. To detect and correct weakness in test directions.
b. Identify weak items.
c. Find out item difficulties and item discriminations.
d. Identify and eliminate distracters which are too close to the keyed answers or which are not selected at all, and
e. Determine appropriate time limits for the final test.[2]
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