10/5/2021

Chapter 2: Kinds of test and testing

1. Kinds of test
1.1. Placement tests
1.2. Diagnostic tests
1.3. Achievement tests
1.4. Proficiency tests
2. Kinds of testing
2.1. Direct vs. indirect testing
2.2. Norm-referenced vs. criterion-referenced testing
2.3. Discrete point vs. integrative testing
2.4. Objective vs. subjective testing
3. Communicative language testing
4. Computer adaptive testing

1.1. Placement tests

 Purpose: to measure students’ language abilities in

order to place them in classes at different levels.

 Content: tailor-made for the institution to suit its

particular teaching program.

 When: for particular situations.

 Example: 80% mastery is required in Level C. If SS

score less than 80% but more than 60%, they may
be more appropriately in Level B.

1.2. Diagnostic tests

 Purpose: to identify students’ strengths and

weaknesses in order to ascertain what further
teaching is necessary.
 Content: need a number of items of each language
point, since a student might give the correct
response by chance.
 When: at the beginning of a course
 Example: Analysis of a learner’s performance in
writing and speaking to find out problems in terms of
grammatical accuracy or linguistic appropriacy.

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1.3. Achievement tests

A. Progress achievement tests

 Purpose: to measure students’ progress with

respect to the objectives of a course.

 Content: based on the objectives of a course

 When: in the middle of a course

 Examples: 15-minute tests, short quizzes

1.3. Achievement tests

B. Final achievement tests
 Purpose: to evaluate how much students have
achieved with respect to the objectives of a course.
 Content:
• Syllabus-content approach: based on a course
syllabus, the books, or other teaching materials
• Course-objective-oriented approach: based on the
objectives of a course
 Which approach is better?
 When: at the end of a course
 Examples: final exams

1.4. Proficiency tests

 Purpose: to measure students’ overall abilities in a
language.
 Content:
• based on a specification of what students have to be
able to do in the language.
• have sufficient command of the language for
particular purposes
 Examples:
• Specialized proficiency tests: conditions to follow a
course at some university, or to work as a translator
• General proficiency tests (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL,
TOEIC): requirements for studying abroad.

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2.1. Direct vs. Indirect testing

• Direct testing requires students to perform precisely
the skill we wish to measure.

e.g. Students are required to compose an essay in a

writing test.

• Indirect testing measures the abilities which

underlie the skills we are interested in.

e.g. In a writing test, students are asked to do

multiple choice items to test their writing skill.

2.2. Norm-referenced vs. Criterion-referenced

Norm-referenced testing
 measures one student’s performance against that of
other students.
 discriminates between high and low achievers.
 cannot tell directly what the student is capable of doing in
the language.
 Example: placement tests.
Criterion-referenced testing
 measures one student’s performance in relation to
meaningful criteria.
 does not tell how the student’s performance compares
with that of other students.
 Example: proficiency tests

2.3. Discrete point vs. Integrative testing

• Discrete point testing tests one element at a time,

item by item
e.g. When I was a child I .......... in a choir.
a. sing b. singed c. song d. sung e. sang
• Integrative testing requires many elements in the
completion of a task.

e.g. Read the following story and determine which

words to fill in the blank.

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2.4. Objective vs. Subjective testing

• Objective testing requires no judgement on the part

of the scorer (e.g., multiple choice).

• Subjective testing requires judgement on the part of

the scorer (e.g., composition).

3. Communicative language testing

 Purpose: to measure students’ ability to take part in acts
of communication or to use language in real life
situations.
 Content: requires real-world tasks (where, when, how,
with whom, and why language is to be used, on what
topics, and with what effect)  authenticity of tasks and
texts.
 Example:

4. Computer adaptive testing

• The computer presents each test taker with items
that are appropriate for their apparent ability level, as
estimated by their performance on previous items.

Students start with

an item with
moderate difficulty.
Those who respond
correctly  equal
or more difficult
items.
Those who respond
incorrectly 
easier items.

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Study guide
1. How many test types do you know? Describe your
understanding of those test types. Give examples.
2. How many testing types do you know? Describe
your understanding of those testing types. Give
examples.
3. Describe your understanding of communicative
language testing.
4. What is computer adaptive testing? How does it
work?