Unit 10.

2
Testing and Assessment
 Assessment vs Evaluation

When we are talking about giving people a test and recording scores
etc., we would normally refer to this as an assessment procedure.
If we are talking about looking back over a course or a lesson and
deciding what went well, what was learnt and how people responded,
we would prefer the term “evaluate”
Types of Assessment

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 Types of Assessment
performance
informal
diagnostic
formative
continuous
summative
self
peer
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how
well learners express themselves during specific tasks by checking performance
against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if learners achieved the purpose of the
task.
informal
diagnostic

formative
continuous
summative
self
peer
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how well learners express
themselves during specific tasks by checking performance against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if
learners achieved the purpose of the task.

informal When a teacher decides whether a student is doing well or not but does not
necessarily set a test or write an official report or give a grade.
diagnostic

formative
continuous

summative
self
peer
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how well learners express
themselves during specific tasks by checking performance against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if
learners achieved the purpose of the task.

informal When a teacher decides whether a student is doing well or not but does not necessarily set a test or write
an official report or give a grade.
diagnostic A type of testing aimed at identifying – diagnosing – aspects of language and
skills where learners have weaknesses (or strengths) which subsequently
informs the teachers’ future lesson planning.
formative
continuous

summative
self
peer
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how well learners express
themselves during specific tasks by checking performance against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if
learners achieved the purpose of the task.
informal When a teacher decides whether a student is doing well or not but does not necessarily set a test or write
an official report or give a grade.
diagnostic A type of testing aimed at identifying – diagnosing – aspects of language and skills where learners have
weaknesses (or strengths) which subsequently informs the teachers’ future lesson planning.
formative When a teacher gives students feedback on their progress during a course,
rather than at the end of it, so that they can learn from the feedback.
continuous
summative
self
peer
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how well learners express
themselves during specific tasks by checking performance against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if
learners achieved the purpose of the task.
informal When a teacher decides whether a student is doing well or not but does not necessarily set a test or write
an official report or give a grade.
diagnostic A type of testing aimed at identifying – diagnosing – aspects of language and skills where learners have
weaknesses (or strengths) which subsequently informs the teachers’ future lesson planning.
formative When a teacher gives students feedback on their progress during a course, rather than at the end of it, so
that they can learn from the feedback.
continuous A type of testing which is different from a final examination. Some or all of the
work that students do during a course is considered by the teacher on a regular
basis and contributes to the final grade given to students. It may also include
monitoring of classroom performance and contribution.
summative
self
peer
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how well learners express
themselves during specific tasks by checking performance against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if
learners achieved the purpose of the task.

informal When a teacher decides whether a student is doing well or not but does not necessarily set a test or write
an official report or give a grade.
diagnostic A type of testing aimed at identifying – diagnosing – aspects of language and skills where learners have
weaknesses (or strengths) which subsequently informs the teachers’ future lesson planning.

formative When a teacher gives students feedback on their progress during a course, rather than at the end of it, so
that they can learn from the feedback.
continuous A type of testing which is different from a final examination. Some or all of the work that students do
during a course is considered by the teacher on a regular basis and contributes to the final grade given to
students. It may also include monitoring of classroom performance and contribution.
summative when a test is used at the end of a course. A mark or grade is given, but no
other feedback.
self
peer
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how well learners express
themselves during specific tasks by checking performance against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if
learners achieved the purpose of the task.

informal When a teacher decides whether a student is doing well or not but does not necessarily set a test or write
an official report or give a grade.
diagnostic A type of testing aimed at identifying – diagnosing – aspects of language and skills where learners have
weaknesses (or strengths) which subsequently informs the teachers’ future lesson planning.
formative When a teacher gives students feedback on their progress during a course, rather than at the end of it, so
that they can learn from the feedback.
continuous A type of testing which is different from a final examination. Some or all of the work that students do
during a course is considered by the teacher on a regular basis and contributes to the final grade given to
students. It may also include monitoring of classroom performance and contribution.
summative when a test is used at the end of a course. A mark or grade is given, but no other feedback.

self When learners decide for themselves how good they think their progress or
language use is.
peer
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how well learners express
themselves during specific tasks by checking performance against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if
learners achieved the purpose of the task.

informal When a teacher decides whether a student is doing well or not but does not necessarily set a test or write
an official report or give a grade.
diagnostic A type of testing aimed at identifying – diagnosing – aspects of language and skills where learners have
weaknesses (or strengths) which subsequently informs the teachers’ future lesson planning.
formative When a teacher gives students feedback on their progress during a course, rather than at the end of it, so
that they can learn from the feedback.
continuous A type of testing which is different from a final examination. Some or all of the work that students do
during a course is considered by the teacher on a regular basis and contributes to the final grade given to
students. It may also include monitoring of classroom performance and contribution.
summative when a test is used at the end of a course. A mark or grade is given, but no other feedback.

self When learners decide for themselves how good they think their progress or language use is.

peer When learners give feedback on each other’s language, work, learning
strategies, performance.
portfolio
performance Typically this involves observation of classroom performance to assess how well learners express
themselves during specific tasks by checking performance against criteria. Teachers can evaluate if
learners achieved the purpose of the task.

informal When a teacher decides whether a student is doing well or not but does not necessarily set a test or write
an official report or give a grade.
diagnostic A type of testing aimed at identifying – diagnosing – aspects of language and skills where learners have
weaknesses (or strengths) which subsequently informs the teachers’ future lesson planning.
formative When a teacher gives students feedback on their progress during a course, rather than at the end of it, so
that they can learn from the feedback.

continuous A type of testing which is different from a final examination. Some or all of the work that students do
during a course is considered by the teacher on a regular basis and contributes to the final grade given to
students. It may also include monitoring of classroom performance and contribution.
summative when a test is used at the end of a course. A mark or grade is given, but no other feedback.

self When learners decide for themselves how good they think their progress or language use is.

peer When learners give feedback on each other’s language, work, learning strategies, performance.

portfolio A collection of work that a student uses to show what he/she has done during a
particular course. A purposeful document, regularly added to that may be part
of assessment.
Types of Test

✓ Placement
✓ Diagnostic
✓ Progress
✓ Proficiency
✓ Achievement
✓ Placement This type of test is often used at the beginning of a course in a language school
in order to identify a student’s level of language and find the best class for them.

✓ Diagnostic

✓ Progress

✓ Proficiency

✓ Achievement
✓ Placement This type of test is often used at the beginning of a course in a language school
in order to identify a student’s level of language and find the best class for them.

✓ Diagnostic This type of test is used to identify problems that students have with language or
skills. The teacher tries to find out what language problems students have. It
helps the teacher to plan what to teach in future.

✓ Progress

✓ Proficiency

✓ Achievement
✓ Placement This type of test is often used at the beginning of a course in a language school
in order to identify a student’s level of language and find the best class for them.

✓ Diagnostic This type of test is used to identify problems that students have with language or
skills. The teacher tries to find out what language problems students have. It
helps the teacher to plan what to teach in future.

✓ Progress This type of test is used during a course in order to assess the learning up to a
particular point in the course.

✓ Proficiency

✓ Achievement
✓ Placement This type of test is often used at the beginning of a course in a language school
in order to identify a student’s level of language and find the best class for them.

✓ Diagnostic This type of test is used to identify problems that students have with language or
skills. The teacher tries to find out what language problems students have. It
helps the teacher to plan what to teach in future.

✓ Progress This type of test is used during a course in order to assess the learning up to a
particular point in the course.

✓ Proficiency This type of test is used to see how good students are at using the language. The
contents of this type of test are not chosen according to what has been taught,
but according to what is needed for a particular purpose.

✓ Achievement
✓ Placement This type of test is often used at the beginning of a course in a language school
in order to identify a student’s level of language and find the best class for them.

✓ Diagnostic This type of test is used to identify problems that students have with language or
skills. The teacher tries to find out what language problems students have. It
helps the teacher to plan what to teach in future.

✓ Progress This type of test is used during a course in order to assess the learning up to a
particular point in the course.

✓ Proficiency This type of test is used to see how good students are at using the language. The
contents of this type of test are not chosen according to what has been taught,
but according to what is needed for a particular purpose.

✓ Achievement This type of test is used to see how well students have learned the language and
skills taught in class. These tests are often at the end of term or end of the year
and test the main points of what has been taught in that time.
 Test-teach-test

A way of teaching new language. The teacher asks learners to do a task to

see how well they know a certain piece of language (this is the first test).
The teacher then presents the new language to the learners (teach), then asks
the learners to do another task using the new language correctly (this is the
second test).
This way of approaching teaching target language can be helpful if the
teacher thinks the learners may already know some of the target language. It
helps the teacher diagnose what the learners need to learn so that s/he can focus
only on what learners need to learn in the presentation (teach) stage.
 What are these assessment task and activities called?
1. Complete the sentences.
In Paris the people were much ______ and more polite than I had _____. The food
though was not as _______.
2. Read the text and answer the following questions.
Why did John go to the party?
What happened when he got there?
3. Which word belongs to each group?
apple juice potato beef vegetable meat fruit drink
4. Choose the correct answer.
1). The car he drove was
a) Ford b) Peugeot c) BMW
2). It was
a) red b) white c) black
1. Complete the sentences.
In Paris the people were much ______ and more polite than I had _____. The
food though was not as _______. (Cloze test/gap fill (in a cloze test the gaps are regular
e.g. every seventh word, a gap fill is not regular but selected by the teacher or assessor)
2. Read the text and answer the following questions.
Why did John go to the party?
What happened when he got there? (Comprehension task – open comprehension
questions (students answer in their own words)
3. Which word belongs to each group?
apple juice potato beef vegetable meat fruit drink (Matching task)
4. Choose the correct answer.
1). The car he drove was
a) Ford b) Peugeot c) BMW
2). It was
a) red b) white c) black (Multiple-choice task)
5. Finish the sentence with an answer from the text.
It was sunny so she _____ ___ ____.
6. Complete sentence B so that it means the same as sentence A.
A. Jack doesn’t have to do the test.
B. B. It’s ________ Jack to do the test.
7. Rearrange the words in the sentences.
1. month/travelled/France/we/last/to
2. Japan/Tom/a/ago/week/went/to
8. Which word does not fit the group?
cup, plate, knife, bowl banana, apple, onion, pear
9. Write a letter to a friend inviting him/her to a party at your house next
Saturday.
10. Look at the picture. Talk about the people, what they are doing and what
they are wearing. Where do you think they are going?
5. Finish the sentence with an answer from the text.
It was sunny so she _____ ___ ____. (Sentence completion task)
6. Complete sentence B so that it means the same as sentence A.
A. Jack doesn’t have to do the test.
B. B. It’s ________ Jack to do the test. (Sentence transformation task)
7. Rearrange the words in the sentences.
1. month/travelled/France/we/last/to
2. Japan/Tom/a/ago/week/went/to (Sentence ordering task/Jumbled sentence task)
8. Which word does not fit the group?
cup, plate, knife, bowl banana, apple, onion, pear (Odd one out task)
9. Write a letter to a friend inviting him/her to a party at your house next
Saturday. (Essay/letter writing task)
10. Look at the picture. Talk about the people, what they are doing and what
they are wearing. Where do you think they are going? (Speaking task)
Criteria
Read Handout 1 and Handout 2