Seminar 1. Testing, assessment and evaluation. Test characteristics.

Internationally recognized tests.

1. Match the terms (A-C) with definitions (1-3).

1. “the systematic gathering of information for the purpose of making decisions”

(Weiss, C.H. 1972. Evaluation Research: Methods for assessing program effectiveness.)

2. “a method of measuring a person’s ability or knowledge in a given domain”

(Brown, H.D. 2001. Teaching by principle: An interactive approach to language pedagogy.
White Plains, NJ. Addison, Wesley, Longman)

3. “the reporting process used by the teacher based on any response or performance by the
learner, which gives the teacher, the learner themselves and other learners in the group,
information about that individual’s learning, progress or achievement”
(Englewood Clifs, NJ. Prentice hall. In Bachman, L. 1990. Fundamental considerations in
language testing. Oxford. Oxford University press)

A Assessment
B Evaluation
C Testing

1 2 3

2. What are the positive and negative features of examinations?

Positive features of the Negative features of the

examination examination
From the point of view
of practicing teachers
Learners’ views

3. Approaches to testing. Fill in the table with usual test formats (1-8).

Approach to Teaching View on Main test focus Marking Usual

testing approach language test
format
Intuitive/ Grammar- Language as a Knowledge of Subjective
pre-scientific translation system of rules grammar and judgment
(pre – 1940s) method translation skills by the
teacher
who had
no special
training in
testing and

1
 marking
Scientific Audio-lingual structuralism Mastery of Objective,
(1950s-1960s) method separate language rise of
elements(gramma testing
r, experts
vocabulary,
phonology), no
context, separate
skills
Integrative Cognitive, Language as a Meaning and Objective
and communicative complex system communication, and
communicativ approach and a means of language in subjective,
e communication context, several using
(1980s-1990s) things tested at a marking
time scales,
specially
trained
teachers
and
markers

1. multiple choice
2. oral interview
3. writing essays
4. translation
5. cloze test
6. ‘real-life’ tasks
7. grammar analysis
8. dictation

4. Look at these comments from teachers and decide why they are giving a test in each
case. What do you think their comment tells us about what they believe about testing?

● Right! As you can’t be quiet and won’t do what I tell you, we’ll have a test!
Reason for testing:
Comments:

● They never do any homework, so I give them lots of short tests instead.
Reason for testing:
Comments:

● I haven’t got enough grades in the register for class 10B, so I’ll give them a test next
lesson.
Reason for testing:
Comments:

● What do you mean I didn’t tell you we were going to have e test? It shouldn’t
matter. You should be prepared anyway – it’s on the material we’ve just done.
Reason for testing:
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 Comments:

● Now we’ll find out what you don’t know. I’ve got a nice, tricky, little test for you!
Reason for testing:
Comments:

5. Tests at our colleges/universities. Fill in the chart.

Types of tests Purpose Content Issues to be

considered
Entry to select, to secondary school must
filter out syllabus (structures, discriminate, so
vocabulary, topics; must be difficult
knowledge+skills)
Placement
Achievement:
1. continuous
classroom
assessment;
2. progress tests at the
end of the terms;
3. qualification tests,
summative (final)
assessment
Proficiency e.g. FCE, IELTS,
TOEFL, etc.

6. Criteria for evaluating a test. Match test characteristics (A-D) to their definitions (1-4).

1. All aspects concerning test preparation and administration (preparation, performing,

marking, etc.) which affect time and resources involved.

2. The extent to which a test is consistent in its results (produces the same or the similar
results under the same conditions and with the same performance by students).

3. The influence of tests on teaching and learning (positive or negative).

4. The extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure and nothing else (e.g.
writing ability, not background knowledge + writing ability).

A Practicality
B Reliability
C Validity
D Washback effect

1 2 3 4

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7. Match these examples of assessment with their washback effects.

1. A progress test which concentrates on
one out of four chapters covered in
the textbook.
2. An end of year test which
concentrates on grammar and
vocabulary, even though you have
done lots of speaking and listening.
3. A diagnostic test which has shown
that your class is very weak on
speaking skills.
4. An end of year test on reading,
listening and speaking covering a wide
range of material.
a) Good washback. Students will feel they
have been tested fairly.
b) Good washback. The information will help
you plan your course to suit the needs of
your students.
c) Bad washback. Students will feel that luck
was more important than hard work.
d) Bad washback. Students will feel that
classwork has been a waste of time.

8. Practicality. Types of resources in the Test Development Process. List the resources
under each category.

1. Human resources
●
●
●
●
2. Material resources
●
●
●
3. Time
●
●
●

9. The process of examination paper production. Based on the processes given below
order the following stages.

A Analyzing the pretest results;

B “Bad” items rejected;
C Compiling, proof-reading, copying the finalized papers.
D Compiling, proof-reading, copying the pretest;
E Item bank;
F Pretesting in schools;
G Marking the pretest;
H Revision of items for pretesting;
I Selecting and moderating items for pretesting;
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 J Writing items for individual papers;

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Processes involved in language testing:

1. Writing test specifications. A test’s specifications provide the official statement about
what the test tests and how it tests it. This is the beginning and a very important
beginning to the whole testing process.
2. Item writing and moderation. Issues such as who is qualified to write test items, how
does one start writing a test item, which methods are most suitable for testing
particular abilities need to be considered. What principles and guidelines should we
follow when writing test items? Who decides whether a test item is a good or not? Who
edits and moderates the items?
3. Pretesting and analysis. Testers need to find out how difficult an item is and tests what it
is intended to test. This has to be done by piloting and by trials.
4. The training of examiners and administrators. Examiners need to become familiar with
the marking systems that they are expected to use and learn to apply them consistently.
Training needs to be ongoing especially with regards to assessing speaking and writing.
5. Monitoring examiner reliability. It is important that a candidate’s score does not depend
upon who is marking the test, nor upon the consistency of an individual marker.
Procedures can be designed to improve examiner reliability.
6. Reporting scores and setting pass marks. Decisions need to be made whether some are
more important than others. Testers have to decide whether candidates have
performed well enough to have passed the test or not.
7. Validation. This basically means to make sure that the test does indeed test what it is
supposed to test. Is the test valid?
8. Writing post-test reports. Information about the test results can be important to the
testing body organizing the test, for teachers who prepare students for the test and for
those who administer the test.
9. Developing and improving tests. Monitoring and revising tests.

10. Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Proficiency tests are based on what has been taught.

2. Placement tests are obligatory at tertiary level institutions.
3. Progress tests measure students’ ability on a language.
4. Objective tests are much better than subjective.
5. The influence of tests on teaching and learning is called their validity.
6. Integrative tests are usually more difficult to mark.

1 2 3 4 5 6

11. Match the definitions below with a correct term from the box. There are more terms
than you need.

5
informal assessment validity discrete point test summative assessment indirect
test
format rubric practicality formative assessment item washback effect
evaluation reliability integrative test

1. The influence of tests on the teaching and learning leading

up to the assessment.
2. System for observation and collection of data about
students’ performance under normal classroom
conditions.
3. A test that tests language in context and several things at
one time.
4. The extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to
measure and nothing else.
5. A type of assessment that aims to measure students’
performance at the end of a period of study.
6. A test that measures abilities which underlie the skills we
are interested in.
7. The extent to which the test is consistent in its results.

12. Match the definitions below with a correct term from the box. There are more terms
that you need.

Informal assessment proficiency test discrete point test subjective marking

self-assessment practicality test type formal assessment formative
assessment

1 Test characteristic concerning time and recourses.

2 Type of test which aims to describe what a student is
capable of doing in a foreign language.
3 Overall description of a test in terms of the purpose it
serves and its objectivity or subjectivity.
4 Tests given under conditions which ensure the
assessment of individual performance in a given area.
5 Assessment carried out by the students designed to
measure their performance and progress.