THE VALIDITY, RELIABILITY, LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF CURRICULUM OF THE ENGLISH TEST (A Comparative Study of The Quality of English Final Test of The First Semester Students Grade V Made By English KKG of Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Religion Semarang)

Abstract

Abstract The main objective of this research is to present and compare the quality of two test-packs involving validity, reliability, level of difficulty, discrimination power, distractors’ distribution and the appropriateness of curriculum and the characteristics of a good test. By conducting this research, the writer hopes the quality of test-packs that are used in the end of semester of elementary schools can be improved. It studies the quality of the English test, especially English final test for the first semester students’ grade V. This test was analyzed by descriptive comparative method with quantitative approach. Not only using quantitative approach, qualitative approach was also used to synchronize the tests with Standard and Basic Competence, and the characteristics of a good test (content validity). The test items used as the sample were English test-packs of the first semester students for Grade V of elementary schools designed by English KKG of Ministry Education and Culture and Ministry of Religion Semarang. The study only analyzed the Grade V of Elementary School just because of the limitation of the time of research. In analyzing the data, the writer used several formulas to measure the tests’ validity, reliability, level of difficulty, and discrimination power. She also used the ITEMAN program to measure distractors’ distribution. The instruments used to analyze the data were curriculum checklist, observation checklist, test paper, and students’ answer sheet. The findings were in the form of index number of validity, reliability, level of difficulty, and discrimination power in the case of quantitative analysis. In qualitative analysis, the findings were in the form of percentage of test-items that fulfill the appropriateness of curriculum and some errors that exist in both test-packs. From the findings, the discussion came to the conclusion that the qualities of both test-packs are good in their quantitative aspects. The number of validity, reliability, difficulty index, and discrimination power of both test-packs are balances. However, in their qualitative aspects, test-pack 1 has better quality than test-pack 2. It is because the findings that there are some errors exist in test-pack 2. Thus, the writer suggests that test-makers of test-pack 2 have to be careful and notice the requirement of designing a good test in the next arrangement. Keywords: Validity, Reliability, Level of Difficulty, and Discrimination Power, Appropriateness of Curriculum