The Libyan Academy for Higher Studies

Language Testing
Test Design

Professor: Elbashir Ahmed

Name: Zainab Aboualqasim Mohammed

Group: B

R. N: 21981863

The book prepared: 3 Unit: 6

Level: per-intermediate

Spring 2021 / 2022

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 Table of Contents

1. Introduction …………………………………………………………….……………. 3

2. Version of the test ………………………………………….………………………. 4

3. Steps of designing the test :

3.1 Determining objectives and purposes …………………...…………. 8

3.2 Defining the constructs to be assessed ………………………….….. 8

3.4 Test specifications …………………………………………………………. 10

4. Justifications

4.1 Content justification ……………………………………………………….. 15

4.2 Principles based the test …………………………………………………. 15

5. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………….……… 18

6. Appendix ……………………………………………………………………..……….. 19

7. Rubric ………………………………………………………………………………..… 22

8. References ……………………………………………………………………………

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 1. Introduction

This work has been thoroughly created based on what I have learned in language testing

course. The test has been constructed for per-intermediate level to test their achievement in

book (3) unit (6). The test was basically constructed following the steps of designing an

effective language test mentioned on the main book, chapter 3, and created based on the five

principles of test design; practicality, validity, reliability, authenticity, and wash-back. This

design was outlined according to the instructions and model outline provided by the

instructor. The work consists of: the introduction, constructs or the skills being tested, test

specifications (specs), test justification, a rubric and appendix.

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 Test for grammar, vocabulary and four skills (reading,
writing, listening and speaking)

Level: Pre-intermediate Time: 2 : 30 : 00 hours

Total mark : (60)

Name : ............................................................................... Group : ............

Instructions :

 This test should be conducted within the time limit (2 hours and a half) only.

 Grammar and spelling should be considered essentially in all tasks, including listening,
speaking and writing. Pronunciation, grammar and intonation are the core of speaking.

Part 1 : listening and speaking

1. Listening :
Time: 5 minutes

Q1. Listen and write the word :

1. ……………………………. 2. …………………………….

3. ………………………….… 4. ……………………………

5. …………………………

(5 marks)

1- Listen to three people talking about their old friends' news. Tick (✔) for the topics

mentioned in the conversation.

Time : 10minutes

- getting married ( ) - starting new film - a parent passed away ( )

- having an accident ( ) - missing an opportunity ( ) - got divorced ( )

- won a trial ( ) - lose a fans and honesty ( ) - travelled abroad

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 (5 marks)

2. Speaking :

1-Now, it is your turn! Make a conversation with your mate telling and responding to
a good/ bad news:
Time : 5 to 8 minutes for each student

(10marks)

Part 2 : Reading, vocabulary, grammar and writing :

1. Vocabulary and reading:

Q1. Complete the following passage by creating negative adjectives from the bold
ones. Use prefixes the boxes :

Since human being have existed, there has been two kinds of characteristics based on the social

criteria which are "introverts" and "extroverts" . there has been a common belief that introverts

are……….. communicative, ………… friendly , ……….. warm ………. Kind and …………….

pleasant. However, if a person is social, outgoing and talkative he is an extrovert. Introverts refuse this

belief claiming that they find it ……….. peaceful being in a noisy places as parties. They like having

their day in a quiet environment. They can think peacefully and creatively. They claim that they can

prove their genius and are inspired while being alone. In fact, me as an introvert assist this claim. I am

not ……………. Social, I like building new friendships, having conversations with many different

people although I am ……….. talkative. Building your social relationship on boundaries that govern

the depth of such relations is better than unlimited relations. It has been stated that introversion is a

power. We have a number of great personalities including politics, scientists, and public figures who

are introverts. They have their touch over the world which defuses that ………. possible, ………..

believable and …………… true claim about introverts.

un in il im
(5) marks

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Q2. Choose the correct answer :

1. An introvert is ……………

 Unsocial person.

 A social person.

 Well known person.

2. According to the passage context, people are categorized into …………..

 Talkative and quiet

 Extroverts and introverts

 Shy and outgoing

3. unfriendly things mean ……..

 horrible to the extent people avoid him

 having few friends.

 Not easy to be understood and live with.

4. The negative object of happy …………..

 angry

 pretty

 sad

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 5. Always tell the truth, be …………….

 honest

 sociable

 confident

(5 marks)

2. Grammar and writing:

Q1. Read the following sentences carefully. Decide whether or not the tense used in

each sentence is correct. Underline the incorrect ones and rewrite the whole sentence

correctly:

a. I have been waiting for one hour.

b. My husband have taken the baby to the hospital last night.

c. I was in Italy. Were you there?

d. Mary had her lunch with Berry last Sunday.

e. Have you ever lost someone who is dear to you?

f. My family have immigrate since I was a child.

(5marks)

Q2. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate adjective form (comparative / superlative).

Make any changes whenever needed. The first one is answered as an example :

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 - Washington Post is ..………. journal in USA (famous).

- Washington Post is the most famous journal in the USA.

a. Emma is …………….. among her friends (young)

b. Dad is ……….…. uncle (old)

c. The Nile is ……………. River in the world (long)

d. Tennis players are ……………… athletes (tall)

e. Amanda is …………... Elma (intelligent)

f. Mrs. Susana is ………………… girl I have ever met (creative)

g. Pirates of The Caribbean is my ……………… film (favorite)

h. Libya is …………… Italy (hot)

i. Algeria is ……….. Libya (big)

5 marks)

Q3. We all have a favorite family member, each with his own interests. Write (4 to 6)

sentences describing your favorite personality. Make notes in answer to the question :

1. Describe his/her main personal characteristics

2. Your relationship with him/her

3. Is he an introvert or extrovert

4. His/her favorite activities

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 5. How is he/she compared with you, e.g. age, length, intelligence .… ?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(10 marks)

Wishing you all the best

Your teacher Zainab

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 3. Steps of Designing
the Test

Determine the State constructs Drawing

purpose / abilities specifications

Select tasks and Administering the Construct a system

item types test for scoring and
feedback

Content Item types Skills to be Scoring Reporting

description and tasks included criteria results
method

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 3. Steps of Designing
the Test

5.1 Test purpose and objectives :

This an achievement test which is designed in purpose of assessing learners'

performance and understanding of (unit 6, book 3). The main focus of this test is to

determine learners' achievement in the this unit and to find out weak and strong points of

their understandings. In addition, the test aims to evaluate the teaching methods,

techniques and activities followed by the teacher. This test will give students an

enthusiastic energy to prepare for the test and consequentially make them studying harder

before the test. It also has its effect on me as the course instructor to pay more attention

for students' needs and then enhance and improve my teaching performance.

5.2 Constructs to be assessed :

The test is going to assess students' performance in the four skills as well as grammar

and vocabularies. Since no skill can be assessed in isolation, skills were integrated each

with which namely called "its counterpart", in addition with grammar and vocabularies

that consist each skill. Students' level is pre-intermediate with total number sixteen leaner.

The test will cover only the sixth unit of the book 3. Skills are introduced in test as follows:

a) Listening and speaking :

"The more one listens, the better he speaks". Listening was integrated with its

counterpart "speaking" in order to provide learners with an authentic language to

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 be facilitate their speaking task. In the listening section, the test will assess students'

abilities in recognizing phonological and morphological elements, as well

paraphrasing recognition. For speaking, the test will evaluate their abilities in telling

and responding to a good or bad news.

b) Vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing :

In this part, four skills and language areas where integrated. The purpose for this

integration is to assist students in each task. Vocabulary building is a part of reading.

Grammar and reading will help students in the writing task.

 Vocabulary : creating negative adjective by adding prefixes.

 Reading : evaluating their abilities in understanding certain vocabularies according

to the context clue.

 Grammar : assessing their competence of past simple and present perfect.

 Writing : assessing their writing abilities based on grammatical and vocabulary

structures introduced in both reading and vocabulary sections.

5.3 test specifications :

a) type of the test :

 Summative test

b) Instructions (for both test-takers and proctors) :

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 The test is to be achieved within a time limit (2 hours and a half) only including 1 hour

for listening and speaking and another an hour for vocabs, grammar, reading and writing.

Test-takers have to read the instructions on the top of the test paper before starting to

answer. Each scoring criteria is determined for each task skill, e.g. for speaking the focus

will be on pronunciation, intonation and grammar, never forgetting using the accurate

vocabularies. For the proctors, making any kind of noise or anything that disturb or distract

students' attention is completely prohibited. They are recommended to assist test-takers

by reading questions, giving health assistant, giving pens or pencils and never, never give

any assist that may help them in achieving their tasks whatsoever.

c) Abilities to be assessed :

i. Listening ( 15 minutes)

Test format : recognizing phonological morphological units.

 paraphrasing recognition.

Task :  listen and write the word you hear.

 look at the list, tick () for the topic mentioned in the conversation.

ii. Speaking (5 to 8 minutes per person, after the listening task and before the second part of the

exam)

Test format :  dialogue completion (telling and responding to good or bad news).

Task :  making conversation telling and responding to good/bad news.

iii. Vocabulary and reading:

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 Format :  matching task (forming negative objects by adding prefixes).

 guessing the meaning of words according to the context.

Task :  selected response (adjectives with suitable prefixes).

 multiple-choice task: word definition, synonym or antonym.

iv. Grammar :

Format :  editing task (distinguishing past simple and present perfect).

 Gap filling (comparative and superlative adjectives).

Task :  underline incorrect tense in the following sentences.

 Sentence completion: fill in the blanks with the appropriate adjective form

(comparative/superlative), taking in consideration any changes needed.

 Activity description: a modified version of picture description. Instead, they

have a picture in their images which they have to describe.

d) Scoring procedures :

The final mark is to include (50) sub scores :

1. Listening : two tasks, each task contains 5 items, for each item 1 mark (total 10)

2. Speaking : certain vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation and grammar:

o Acceptable (from 8 to 10)

o Middle (from 5 to 7)

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 o Not acceptable (under 5)

3. Vocabulary and reading : matching and multiple choice ( 10 marks totally)

4. Grammar : sentence correction 5 items, 1 mark for each (total 5 marks)

5. Writing : picture description (modified) : writing short sentences (10 marks)

A week after the exam, results will be summited to students by hand. Beside the marks,

there will be marginal comments for each student giving the needed feedback.

e) Procedures to be followed :

In the speaking and listening part, test-takers are to be divided and distributed into 3

groups in three rooms, each group of 5 students. Accordingly, there will be three examiners

(intra-raters) supervising and

introducing the speaking and listening

test. Time, on its part, is distributed to 10

minutes for listening, from 5 to 8 minutes

per person for speaking. Examiners will

initiate the speaking topic in the sake

paving the way to test-takers to handle

their roles. This step works as warming

up step to reduce stress they may feel.

There will be a module provides the

examiners with the scoring criteria for

each student.

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 4. Test Justification

4.1 Content :

The content of this test was carefully constructed based on the unit content and every

task and item was chosen based on the level of learners not forgetting the principles that

are the core of assessing any language test. For listening, I used a set of linking words that

students have already studied (P. 60), and then I formed a conversation based on a topic

that exists in the unit (P 61). For speaking, the chosen topic is a reflection of the speaking

topic they have studied and practiced (P. 63). For reading and vocabularies, the base on the

vocabulary focus (p. 61). For grammar, all tasks included the tenses and rules exists on the

unit (PP. 57, 59, 62). The grammar task 2 (sentence completion) was modified to achieve

the practicality by including the vocabularies that could be used with the morphological

units to form a comparative/superlative adjective. The writing task was a modified form of

pictures description, instead test takers have to describe a series picture that they have

inside their images. They have to utilize certain vocabularies and grammar rules they have

learnt in the unit.

4.2 Principles based the test :

1. Practicality : instead of building this principle merely on assumptions, I tend to test

the test practicality myself. A real test was occurred with group of students who

were in same level and have been taught the same unit for one week. I have two

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 English language teachers to administer the test besides me. The financial chargers

related to printing test papers with additional forms, scoring forms, pens and

pencils and a number of bottle of waters for the examinees and administers (just to

test the budgetary limits). The results, to be more honest, stayed within the natural

limit. The test design was achieved within two days, test-takers have finished their

tasks in the time, they feel comfortable with the test tasks and the majority of them

got more than 54 out of 60.

2. Reliability : the test has clear directions for both proctors and examinees. Proctors

were directed to help the examinees within certain named limits. Avoiding any type

of activities that may distract test-takers' attention was verified. Scorers were

provided with clear scoring criteria and the content on which the test was based on

is included on the book unit and examinees were taught previously.

3. Validity : considering the purpose of the exam, questions were all based on the

purpose of each section – part of unit – to measure the variables on which the unit is

focusing. In addition, each test item was constructed in the way that measure test-

takers' performance of certain abilities in the prepared unit. Listening to identify

certain sounds, speaking about responding to good/bad news, reading

comprehension and vocabulary used words that they have covered in the unit and

so were grammar and writing section to testify their understanding and

performance of the vocabularies in addition to present simple and present perfect.

4. Authenticity : all the items used occur within a contextual language not as isolated

units, except in listening Q1 which requires by nature the isolation of words which

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 does not affect the authenticity of the question. The questions of all sections cover

the same topic adopted by the unit and related to current events, thus it provides a

natural authentic language.

5. Washback : as a result of this test, students will do their best to enhance their

performance for the test. There is a chance for providing every test-taker with

his/her results equipped with ancillary feedback. A sample of the feedback paper

provided within the appendix.

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 5. Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to admit how helpful, useful and exiting this work was.

Before this course I have not think even a bit that constructing "effective" tests

needs such steps, principles and criteria. It was not just helpful in constructing and

designing a test, but in evaluating how successful, effective a test is. This will guide

me the right path in my teaching occupation and it will be definitely my pleasure

advising and helping all my colleagues.

I would like to express my deepest thanks and appreciations, my professor !

Thank you for every single minute you spent, every single word you taught, thank

you for the helpful, guidance hand and every step enlightens our path throughout

this course.

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 Appendix :

 Listening :

1. but because for example and so

2. The conversation is between David, Leila and Sam talking about their old friends,

Amber and Johnny. 

 David : have you heard about the latest of Johnny and Amber?

 Leila : oh yeah! One month ago, Johnny's mom passed away. It was a difficult day for Johnny.

 David : oh no, I am so sorry for him.

 Sam : I went him home and expressed my condolences. He was extremely sad.

 Leila : the disaster never stopped at here. He and Amber got divorced few months ago.

 David : that's awful! I watched their divorce court. What a shame!

 Sam : your right. That's disappointing!

 Sam : but I have some interesting news. Guess what!

 David and Leila : hey, what?

 Sam : Johnny wins the trial and he is going to start his new film this month.

 Leila : that's wonderful! I am really happy for him.

 David : that's interesting! I am going to send him my congrats.

 Sam : but Amber lost her fans as well as her honesty as an actress. You know, I am sad for her.

 David : that's great! She deserves that. She was a liar and emotionally fake.

 Leila : poor Amber! Even though, she is a victim.

 Speaking :

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Test taker are organized into pairs. Each pair choose three cards, in which topics are

written, for each one. the role of the examiner is warm up test takers and reducing

anxiety and taking their names and registration numbers. The examinees in addition

are responsible for explaining the type of conversation examiners will have and

initiate the conversation by an example.

Passing the exam Having new baby Traveling to

Maldives

car accident Losing job Failing the exam

opportunity

Friend wedding Buying new house Buying new car

next week

Fail in love Relative death Getting divorced

relationship

New love Got engaged Getting MA degree

relationship

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 (1) Speaking Test

Provided feedback

Name : ……………………………… R.N : ……………………………

Notes and feedback :

Using the suitable response : …………………..…………………………..……………………………………

Pronunciation : ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Intonation : ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Grammar : ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Scores :

criteria Acceptable Middle Not acceptable

Using the suitable response (3/3) (……) (2/3) (…….) (0/3) (…….)

Pronunciation (2/2) (…….) (1.5/2) (…….) (1,0/2) (…….)

Intonation (1/1) (…….) (0.5/1) (0/1) (…….)

Grammar (2/2) (…….) (1.5/2) (…….) (1,o/2) (…….)

Final assessment scoring :

Acceptable Middle Not acceptable

(8,10/10) ( ) (5,7/10) ( ) (less than 5/10) ( )

(2) Writing

.
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 (2) Writing
Notes and feedback :
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………..………
………………………..………………..……………………………………………………..……………………..……………………………………
……………………..……………………………..…………………..………………..…………………..
Scores :
Criteria Acceptable (8,10 / 10)
Meaning : ideas and Clear language with
information meaningful idea and well
utilization of the provided
information.
Total (5) (5 – 4.5)
Form : grammar , Tenses are used correctly
vocabulary and and a test taker
spelling distinguishes between
present perfect simple
and past simple. In
addition, well utilization
of the vocabs that have
been covered through the
unit. Vocabularies are
well utilized. Few errors
that usually occurs.
Total (5) (5 – 3.5)
Middle (6,7/10) Not acceptable (from 5 to 1 / 10)
Language is Little or no connection to the
somehow clear topic, language is not clear and
with some the provided information are not
connection to the utilized.
topic and provided
information are to
an extent are
relate.
(4 – 3) (2–1)
Basic grammar Lots of errors in grammar,
rules, spelling , vocabs, spelling and sentence
suitable structure. These errors cause
vocabularies and interference with meaning and
sentence structures distract the reader.
that a test taker
have covered
during the course
in general, and unit
6 in particular, are
generally correct;
having minor
errors that do not
affect or distract
the reader.
(3 ) (2 – 1)
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 5. References :

 Book 3. Storton, L. (2016). Milestones to English, oxford press

 Brown, H. D. (2018). Language assessment principles and classroom practice (3rd ed.).

Pearson Education.

https://www.academia.edu/26575645/H_Douglas_Brown_Language_Assessment_P

rinciples_and_Classroom_Practice

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