Language Testing - Test Construction

8/10/2019 Language Testing - Test Construction

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What is testing?

Its an activity whose purpose is to determine

what learners can do or know about something.

What is a test?

Itsa formal instrument to measure what learners

can do or know about something.


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What are tests for?

To inform learners and teachers of the strengths and

weaknesses of the process.

To motivate learners to review or consolidate specific

material.To create a sense of accomplishment/success.

To guide the planning/development of the ongoing

teaching process.

To determine if (and to what extent) the objectives have

been achieved.

To encourage improvement.


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Depending on

purpose

Depending on

characteristics

Screening/Selection/

Admission

Direct Tests/

Indirect Tests

Placement Discrete point/

Integrative tests

Proficiency Criteria-referenced/Norm-referenced

Aptitude Objective tests/

Subjective tests

Diagnostic Speed test/

Power test

Achievement Knowledge tests/

Skill tests

Progress


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Depending on purpose:

Screening/Selection/Admission: To know if a personhas the required behavior to be successful in a specific

program (not based on objectives), e.g. IPCsadmission

test.

Placement: To determine the level in which a personshould be located inside a program (designed by the

institution), e.g. CVAsplacement test.

Proficiency: To know if a person shows an overallproficiency in a language, compared to native speakers

in real life contexts, e.g. The TOEFL test.


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Aptitude: To know the talents of a person to dosomething specific. Suitability of a candidate for a

specific program of instruction.

Diagnostic: It refers to entrance behavior or previous

knowledge. To determine strengths and weaknesses and

to guarantee that potential problems will be corrected(performed by the teacher).

Achievement: To know if a determined objective has

been covered successfully.

Progress: To check improvement achieved according

to a referential point in a program.


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Depending on characteristics:

Direct Tests: Test the skill itself. Students perform

exactly what we want to test.

Indirect Tests: Test abilities related to the skillswe are

interested in, e.g. assess grammar and spelling through

a written exercise.

Discrete point: Focus on restricted areas of the target

language, e.g. cloze exercise on verb tenses.

Integrative tests: Measure overall languageproficiency, e.g. oral interviews = fluency, pronunciation,

content, grammar, comprehension, etc.


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Criteria-referenced: Exams describe what a person

can do in relation to the course objectives or apredefined criteria. There is no comparison between

students.

Norm-referenced: Exams compare one persons

performance with many others. (Established from thetotal populationsresults. Comparison to average)

Objective tests: No judgment involved. Answers are

either right or wrong. (e.g. Yes/no question items)

Subjective tests: Judgment and opinion involved. Noright or wrong answer. (e.g. opinion/discussion items)


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Speed test: Easy items in a very short time. Assessspeed of performance and strategy, e.g. scanning

exercises.

Power test: Difficult items in enough time. Assess

knowledge.

Knowledge tests: Assess the language components,

e.g. grammar quizzes.

Skill tests: Assess the skills, e.g. listening quizzes.


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Specific guidelines: The way the test is

designed and organized.

Moderation of mark scheme: The way inwhich teachers set the score of the test.

Standardization of examiners: The way in

which examiners guarantee a commoncriteria for correction.

Weir, C. (


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Specific Guidelines

Moderation of tasks: Searching for feed-back. Revision made byother teachers.

Level of difficulty: The presentation of tasks in a test should be

arranged from easy to difficult. Starting with the most difficult task will

lead the weakest learners to soon give up. An item is easy if 75% ofstudents answer it correctly, its average if 50% of the students

answer it correctly, and if 25% of students cant answer the item,

then it is considered difficult (pilot test).

Discrimination: A test should allow candidates at different levels to

perform according to their abilities. A variety of tasks ranging from

easy to difficult should point out the difference(s) between learners

(good and weak). The number of difficult tasks should be limited and

go at the end of the test.


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Appropriate sample: The test should present a representative

sample of the objectives, activities and tasks taught or used in the

classroom.

Overlap: It occurs when content is assessed more than once. It

should be avoided as reassessment of content will present an

inappropriate sample, but also to prevent visual and mental overload

from students.

Clarity of tasks: Instructions should be simple and unambiguous,

providing a clear indication of what the task demands from the

student. Instructions should never be more difficult than the task.

Questions and texts: The selection of questions and texts willdepend on the purpose and the formats chosen by the designer of

the test. Again, the difficulty should not lie in the question but in the

task. Conversely, questions should not be too simple, obvious or

answerable from world knowledge.


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Timing: Testers should give students a reasonable time to complete

the test, since too little time will evidence unreliable results. Students

should be aware of the time set to complete each part of the test. The

time of the test should reflect the importance and difficulty of what is

being assessed. Teachers can pilot the test with a group of a similar

level or he/she can even relate to similar evaluative experiences in the

classroom, to determine the appropriate time agreed to complete the

test.

Layout: Presentation, printing, spacing, font size, style, formats

(a,b,c I,II,III,IV 1,2,3) The layout should be consistent. Single

parts should be arranged on the same page.

Bias: Bias can result from experiential, cultural or knowledge-based

factors. Teachers should avoid items or topics inclined to give an unfair

advantage to a particular group of students. Conversely, teachers

should also avoid tasks or issues so obscure that candidates might

have no frame of reference into which process and comprehend what is

being asked.


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Standardization of examiners

Agreement on criteria: by teachers andstudents.

Trial assessment: to assess difficulty and

potential problems.

Review of procedures: related to the test.

Follow up checks: Notes or reports on the

results of the tests (to improve or consolidate it)


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GRAND PRIZE

QUESTION

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2 options

Professor

Classmates

1.- The formal instrument to measure what learners can do or know

about something is known as

a. Assessment b. Evaluation

c. Test d. Checklist


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GRAND PRIZE

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a. Assessment b.

c. Test d.


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GRAND PRIZE

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a. b.

c. Test d.


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GRAND PRIZE

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2 options

Professor

Classmates

2.- The test applied to know if a person has the required behavior to be

successful in a specific program is called

a. Placement b. Admission

c. Aptitude d. Proficiency


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GRAND PRIZE

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a. b. Admission

c. Aptitude d.


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GRAND PRIZE

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a. b. Admission

c. d.


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GRAND PRIZE

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2 options

Professor

Classmates

3.- The test applied to know if a determined objective has been

covered successfully is known as

a. Achievement b. Screening

c. Progress d. Diagnostic


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GRAND PRIZE

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2 options

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a. Achievement b.

c. Progress d.


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GRAND PRIZE

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a. Achievement b.

c. d.


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GRAND PRIZE

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2 options

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4.- The TOEFL is an example of what kind of test?

a. Admission b. Proficiency

c. Progress d. Placement


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a. b. Proficiency

c. Progress d.


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a. b. Proficiency

c. d.


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Documents

Language Testing - Test Construction