Topic 3

Pre-test 3

 Why do we test?
 Purpose of tests?
 Types of assessments?
 Types of measurements?
 Types of language tests?

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Why test?
 Heaton’s (1990, Classroom testing) reasons for
testing (p.9-22)
 Finding out about progress
 Encouraging students
 Finding out about learning difficulties
 Finding out about achievement
 Placing students
 Selecting students
 Finding out about proficiency

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Why test?

Henning, Grant’s (1987, A guide to

Language Testing) Purposes of
Language Tests. (p.1 – 4)
 Diagnosis and feedback
 Screening and selection
 Placement
 Providing Research Criteria
 Assessment of Attitudes and
Sociopsychological Differences
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A. Types of tests
 Just as there are many purposes for which
language tests are developed, so there are
many types of language tests.
 Some types of tests serve a variety of
purposes while others are more restricted in
their applicability.
 There is some confusion regarding the
terminology used to denote the different
types of language tests in use.
 Most test specialists, however, agree on the
following broad divisions: achievement tests,
proficiency tests, aptitude tests, diagnostic
tests and placement tests
 Try to define the differences among them.

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Types of tests

1. Progress Test
 Purpose - to find out how well the
students have mastered the language
areas and skills which have just been
taught. Looks back at what students
have achieved.
2. Achievement Test
 Like progress test but it is usually
designed to cover a longer period of
learning than a progress test. It is
usually given at the end of the school
year/the course.
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Types of tests
3. Diagnostic Test
 The purpose is to help check students’ progress for
specific weaknesses and problems they may have
encountered.
 Just as it is necessary for doctors to diagnose an
illness in order to cure their patients, so teachers
must diagnose problems in order to teach effectively.
4. Placement Test
 Enables teachers to sort students into groups
according to their language ability at the beginning
of the course.
 Looks forward to the language demands which will be
made on students during the course.
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Types of tests

5. Proficiency Test
 Used to measure how suitable candidates will be
for performing a certain task or follow a specific
course.
 The test looks forward to the actual ways in which
candidates will use English in the future.
 Unlike achievement test, a proficiency test is not
concerned with comparing the degree of success
someone may have in doing something.
6. Aptitude test
 Used to predict the success or failure of students
prospective in a language-learning programme.
Usually used as a screening instrument in langange
testing
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B. Formative vs
Summative Assessment
Think of the differences
 What?
 When?
 Which type of tests are usually used in Formative and
Summative assessment?

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Formative Assessment
 Is used to monitor learning progress during
instruction.
 purpose - to provide continuous feedback to
both student and teacher concerning learning
successes and failures.
 Feedback to students provides reinforcement
of successful learning and identifies the
specific learning errors that are in need of
correction.
 Feedback to the teacher provides information
for modifying instruction and for prescribing
group and individual work.
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Summative Assessment

 typically comes at the end of a course (or unit) of

instruction.
 Designed to determine the extent to which the
instructional goals have been achieved
 Is used primarily for assigning course grades /for
certifying student mastery of the intended learning
outcomes.

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 C. Norm-referenced vs.
Criterion-Referenced
Measurement
 Can you tell the differences between them?

 How the results of tests and other assessment procedures are interpreted
also provides a method of classifying tests.

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Norm-referenced vs
Criterion-Referenced
Measurement
 There are two basic ways of interpreting student
performance.
 Norm-referenced interpretation describes the
performance in terms of the relative position held in
some known group.
 Criterion-referenced interpretation describes the
specific performance that was demonstrated.

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NRT VS CRT

 Norm-referenced Test
 A test designed to provide a measure of
performance that is interpretable in terms
of an individual’s relative standing in some
known group. (e.g. typed better than 90
percent of the class members)
 Criterion-Referenced Test
 A test designed to provide a measure of
performance that is interpretable in terms of
a clearly defined and detailed domain of
learning tasks. (e.g. typed 40 words per
minute without error)
 Read the notes on - The Great Divide --
NRTs and CRTs

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CRT VS NRT

 These two types of tests are best viewed as the ends of

a continuum, rather than as a clear-cut dichotomy. As
shown in the following continuum, the CRT emphasizes
description of performance and the NRT emphasizes
discrimination among individuals.

CRT COMBINED TESTS NRT

Description of Dual Interpretation Discrimination among

performance individuals

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Other types of Tests
 Just as there are many purposes for which language tests are
developed, so there are many types of language tests.

1. Objective vs. Subjective tests

2. Direct vs. Indirect tests
3. Discrete-point vs. Integrative tests
4. Criterion- or Domain-Referenced vs. Norm-
Referenced or Standardized tests
5. Speed tests vs. power tests

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1. Objective vs Subjective
tests
 These types of tests are distinguished on the
basis of the manner in which they are
scored.
 An objective test is said to be one that may
be scored by comparing responses with an
established set of acceptable responses or
scoring key.
 Conversely a subjective test requires scoring
by opinionated judgement, based on insight
and expertise, on the part of the scorer.
 Could you identify test items which lend
themselves to either objective / subjective
testing?
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 2. Direct vs. Indirect Tests
 Certain tests, such as ratings of language use in
real and uncontrived communication situations,
are testing language performance directly
 Whereas other tests, such as multiple-choice
recognition tests, are obliquely or indirectly
tapping true language performance, and
therefore are less valid for measuring language
proficiency.
 Many language tests, however, can be viewed as
lying somewhere on a continuum from natural-
situational to unnatural-contrived.

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3. Discrete-point vs. Integrative Tests
 Another way of slicing the testing pie is to view tests as lying
along a continuum from discrete-point to integrative.
 The distinction was originated by John B. Carroll (1961).
 Discrete-point tests, as a variety of diagnostic tests, are
designed to measure knowledge and performance in very
restricted areas of the TL.
 A test of ability to use correctly the perfect tenses of English
verbs or to supply correct prepositions in a cloze passage –
termed as discrete-point test.
 Integrative tests, on the other hand, are said to tap a
greater variety of language abilities concurrently and have
greater value in measuring overall language proficiency.

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 3. Discrete-point vs.
Integrative tests-2
Examples of integrative tests are random cloze, dictation, oral interviews,
and oral imitation tasks.
 Carroll’s belief: should use tests that are both discrete (i.e.. measure
precise analytical bits of language) and integrative (i.e., measure
connected discourse) while maximizing our mix of language skills and
testing methods.

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4. Criterion- or Domain-Referenced vs.
Norm-Referenced or Standardized
tests

 Criterion-referenced tests – are usually

devised before instruction is designed.
 Test must match teaching objectives perfectly
– thus “teach to the test” would be
permissible.
 A criterion or cut-off score is set in advance
(usually 80 to 90 percent of the total
possible), and those who do not meet the
criterion are required to repeat the course.
 SS not evaluated by comparison with the
achievement of other SS, but instead their
achievement is measured with respect to the
degree of their learning or mastery of the
pre-specified content domain.
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4. Criterion- or Domain-Referenced vs.
Norm-Referenced or Standardized tests 2

 Norm-referenced or standardized tests – must have been previously

administered to a large sample of people from the target population (e.g.
> 1000).
 Acceptable standards of achievement can only be determined after the
test has been developed and administered.
 Such standards are found by reference to the mean or average score of
other students from the same population.

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5. Speed Tests vs Power Tests
 A pure Speed test is one in which items are so easy
that every person taking the test might be expected to
get every item correct, given enough of time.
 But sufficient time is not provided, so examinees are
compared on their speed of performance rather than on
knowledge alone.
 Power tests – tests that allow sufficient time for every
person to finish, but contain such difficult items that
few if any examinees are expected to get every item
correct.
 Most tests – somewhere between two extremes – since
knowledge rather than speed is the primary focus, but
time limits are enforced since weaker SS may take
unreasonable periods of time to finish.
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Other Test Categories

 The few salient test categories mentioned in the lecture – by no means

exhaustive.
 The following Figure provides a partial visual conceptualization of some
types of language tests.

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TE30503 LTA Week 2 25
Post-test 3

 Why do we test?
 Purpose of tests?
 Types of assessments?
 Types of measurements?
 Types of testing?

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Conclusion

1. Introduction to basic
concepts in LTA
2. Relationships between
teaching, testing, and
learning
3. Types of tests and
assessments
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Tutorial Tasks

1. Why do we test our Learners?

 The question ‘Why do we test our

learners?” may look very simple and
obvious. But think about it carefully and
you may find that there are several
different answers. Begin by making some
notes yourself and then discuss your
thoughts about the question with other
people in your group. Prepare a group
response.
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Tutorial Tasks

2. What Do We Look for in a Good Language Test?

 How can we tell whether a test is a good one or not?
 Follow the same procedure – make your own notes,
discuss your ideas with other people in your group, and
then prepare a group response.

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