Abstract

This study developed, validated and used criterion referenced achievement test for senior secondary two students in Biology. Related literature to this study showed that Biology in the senior secondary schools is aimed at bringing about desirable behavioural changes which are the products of the objectives of the teaching/learning situations neededto be quantifiedand qualified. This cannot be attained without proper evaluation. Thisstudy adopted instrumentation research design. The population comprised 1200 Biology students in senior secondary school class two (2014/2015) in Abia State. The sample comprised 291 males and 309females giving total of600 students. This sample was drawnfrom 6 out of17 Local Government Areas ofAbia State selected using proportionate to size simple random sampling technique. The instrument used was CRATB based on the objectives of three content areas and was made up of 50 items with validity and reliability estimate of 0.82 using Kudder Richardson formula 20 (KR-20). Through regular method of item analysis, distractor index, difficult index and discrimination index were calculated. Mean, Standard deviation and t-test were employed in answering and testing the hypothesis at 0.05 level ofsignificance. The developed and validated criterion referenced achievement test in Biologyforseniorsecondaryschools has average psychometric properties in terms of difficulty and discrimination index; the instrument has high reliability index; there was significant difference between the achievement of male and that offemale students in Biology at the seniorsecondary school level in favour ofthe male students. The developed criterion referenced achievement test in Biology instrument should be used by Biology teachers; the items of the CRATB developed should serve as template to develop