Kohdemateriaalit

Kohdemateriaalit are educational resources specifically designed for use in tests, exams and other assessment situations. The term is most common in Finland, where it refers to materials that allow educators to evaluate students’ knowledge, skills and competencies in accordance with curriculum standards. Kohdemateriaalit are created and managed by a variety of stakeholders, including educational publishers, university faculty, assessment agencies, and national educational authorities.

The primary purpose of kohdemateriaalit is to provide standardized, reliable, and valid instruments that can be used across schools and districts. They often include multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank items, short-answer prompts, problem-based scenarios, and performance tasks. Many kohdemateriaalit are grouped into test batteries that correspond to specific subjects or grade levels. These batteries may be combined or adapted to meet the specific needs of a school or teacher, while preserving the integrity of the assessment.

In Finland, the Ministry of Education and Culture establishes national guidelines for test development. These guidelines require that curricula and learning outcomes guide all questions, that items are pilot-tested and statistically analyzed for difficulty and discrimination, and that revisions are made regularly. Some kohdemateriaalit are provided free of charge to schools, while others are sold by publishing houses. In addition, digital platforms increasingly offer interactive question banks, adaptive testing, and instant feedback for both students and teachers.

The use of kohdemateriaalit supports curriculum implementation, informs instructional decision making, and aligns educational practice with national assessment objectives. By providing a common set of high-quality test items, kohdemateriaalit help ensure that student performance can be measured consistently and fairly across diverse educational contexts.