Basically, Barki (1986) views guidance as the assistance made available to qualified and

trained person to an individual of any age to help him manage his own life or activities, develop
his own points of view, make his own decisions and carry on his own burden. In the school or
educational context, Barki posits that guidance means assisting students to select courses of
study appropriate to their needs and interest, achieve academic excellence to the best possible
extent, derived maximum benefit of the instructional resources and facilities, inculcating proper
study habit, participate satisfactory in curricular and extra curricula activities. It is so significant
that guidance and counselling centers are establish in schools in order that guidance coordinator
assists students in making relevant decisions and choices in life. Guidance coordinator plans and
develops guidance programme base on the students needs, offers guidance and consultation
service to students, staff, parents and school administrators.
In order to work efficiently and effectively, guidance coordinator makes much use of
tests. Tests are the various instruments which are used to measure specific traits or attributes of
people. In other words, tests answer the question, how would individual perform or behave in a
given situation or environment? According to Shertzer and Stone (1976), there are five types of
tests which include: mental ability test, aptitude test, achievement test, vocational interest
inventories and personality inventories. The mental ability or intelligent tests are used to measure
the mental function of individual, the achievement tests are used to measure the outcome of
students in learning in the classroom and also for prognosis purposes, the aptitude tests are used
to a assess knowledge, skills and other characteristics that serve to predict learning success. Also,
the personality inventories are used to measure the affective and non-intellectual traits of the
individual, such as emotions, motivations, morality, sociability etc. and the interest inventories
are used to measure the person feelings for like and dislike towards and activity or object.
However, the guidance coordinator in school employs all these tests for a number of reasons: for
diagnosis, evaluation, prediction, assigning grade, admission, and selection, classification,
making useful reports, motivation and certification.
Diagnostic uses: Test provides useful diagnostic information to the guidance coordinator
about students strengths and weaknesses. Test helps the guidance coordinator to assess the
difficulties, challenges and problems students do have. This provides a useful basis for the
modification of the methods, strategies and techniques of instruction and motivational packages
to address the needs of the students. For example most students want to become medical doctors.
The use of non-test technique (questionnaires) will provide authentic evidence to the guidance
coordinator as to whether students possess the prerequisite skills, qualities, abilities and
knowledge that will enable them to achieve their dream of becoming medical doctors and the
kind of guidance service that he has to render to the students. Also, achievement test can provide
diagnostic information to individual students if they are told items they missed and with the help
of the teacher, the students can correct their mistakes and misconceptions that led them astray.
Most tests do provide considerable group of diagnostic information especially those that display
result in special reports that show average test items scores within tests. On that note,
instructional planning can be enhanced, instructional materials can be selected or developed to
improve learning in deficient areas and time can be re-allocated from topics which students have
demonstrated higher levels of accomplishment. Unfortunately, diagnostic tests help to identify
problems areas but they seldom provide reasons for difficulties and cannot prescribe solutions to
overcome them.
Evaluation purposes: Zeran and Riio (1962) suggest that the major purpose of
evaluation is to ascertain the current status of an activity within a specific frame of reference
Evaluation basically seeks to determine whether the objectives set for guidance service or the
overall guidance programme is being achieved. The guidance coordinator makes use of test to
measure the effectiveness of the guidance programme so as to effect the necessary changes to
improve the programme in the following year. Test will also help the guidance coordinator to
provide the information for writing annual report to the headmaster or mistress, educational
authorities and Parent-Teacher Association after effective evaluation has been done. Apart from
this, test will help guidance coordinator to make new decisions as to whether to retain, eliminate
or improve aspect of the programme or retain change or give further training to person or
committees of the guidance programme.
Prediction purposes: Guidance coordinator makes use of test in order to predict how well
a student or individual can perform or behave in the future. Example, the use of the achievement
test as prognosis purposes will help the guidance coordinator to predict how well an individual
may profit from future training. Hence, test provides good basis for making decision in future.
Apart from this, it provides the guidance coordinator with the adequate information to help
predict student achievement and performance in aspect of their education (choice of courses and
studies, positions regarding interest, etc), vocational and social aspect of their lives.
Assigning grade: Tests help guidance co-coordinators to aid teachers to assign
meaningful and accurate grades. One of the tests is achievement test. Because grades are
reported to both students and parents to indicate how effective their (students) effort have been
and because they are recorded in the permanent school record and may influence opportunities
for future education and employment, it is important that teachers and instructors take seriously
their responsibilities for assigning grades. Students are urged quite properly not to study merely
to earn grades. But in terms of the students present self-perceptions and future opportunities,
there is nothing mere about the grades they receive
Admission purposes: Mental ability testing for the purpose of admitting students to
programmes with restricted enrollments has increased social mobility and a minor revolution in
higher education-colleges, universities and graduate schools. In the past admission was based on
family background and social class because there was no data available. With general acceptance
of the standardized admission test, students begin to be admitted on the basis of measured ability.
Mental test allow bright students from the lower classes to rise on the socio-economic ladder and
those from the upper classes who lack sufficient ability to drop few ranks.
Selection purpose: Test scores are used by educational institutions, employment,
agencies, and scholarship boards for selecting individuals for admission into higher education
institutions, job vacancies and awarding scholarship. For instance, in good senior high schools
there is always rush for admission. All the applicants though eligible, admission cannot be
granted to all of them. Hence, guidance coordinator makes use of intelligent test to provide
information on those to select and those to be rejected tests.
Classification purposes: Test scores are used by guidance coordinator for classifying
individuals into groups according to types and not levels. For example, mental patients may be
diagnosed and grouped into different types. Senior high school students may be classified
according to their choice of course they want to pursue in future.
Motivational purposes: Test provides motivation for students, rewarding those who are
prepared and providing negative consequences for those who are not. Students learn harder when
they expect an exam than they do not, and they emphasize in their studies base on the topics they
have been taught. If students know in advance that they will be tested, if they know what the test
will require and if the test does a good job of measuring the achievement of the essential course
objectives, then its motivating and guiding influence will be most wholesome. This is because
frequency of human behavior is increased by reinforcement. Guidance coordinator make use of
test in giving scholarship to outstanding students, giving prizes such as textbooks, school
clothes, etc., giving certificate of honor to outstanding students. At certain special table is reserve
at the school dining hall to dine with guidance coordinator and other dignitaries. This tends to
motivate students to strive to also have such opportunity and experience.
To make useful reports: The most basic use of test in school is to make useful reports to
both students and parents because they are the key ingredients in school learning. In one way,
parents that are informed are likely to be more involved (at the school and home) with their
childrens learning. Parents are more likely to work cooperatively with teachers. On the other
hand students are informed because, they are make countless decision about their own
instructional involvement-whether to participate, how much to participate, and what kind of
personal standard to adopt. For example individual performance profile report helps guidance
coordinator in reporting learning progress to students and parents during Parent-Teacher
Association meeting. However, it is unfortunate in high schools situations where tests scores
tend to be used administratively by the district but potential use are ignore. Guidance coordinator
is sometimes reluctant in reporting the results of testing programmes and when students develop
the impression that the test score will not be important to them, their effort diminishes and test
scores lose its usefulness.
Certification purposes: test scores are used by guidance coordinator to award students
certificate which symbolizes their completion of learning in an institution.
In conclusion, the guidance coordinator in school employs tests for a number of reasons:
for diagnosis, evaluation, prediction, assigning grade, admission, and selection, classification,
making useful reports, motivation and certification.
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REFERENCES
Aggarwal, J.C. (1994). Essentials of Educational Psychology. New Delhi: Vilas Publishing
House PVT Limited.
Barki, B.G. and Mukhopadhyay (20100. Guidance and Counselling a manual. New Delhi:
Sterling Publishers Private Limited.
Brown, F. G. (1976). Principles of Educational and Psychological Testing (2nd ed). New York,
N.Y: Rhinehart and Winston Limited.
Ebel, R.L. and Friesbie D.A. (1991). Essentials of Educational Measurement. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall International, Inc.
Cunningham, G. K. (1986). Educational and Psychological Measurement. New York:
Macmillan Publishing Company.
Vishala, M. (2006). Guidance and Counselling. New Delhi: Schand and Company Limeted