Test Types

Bousmir mohamed
&
annouri yassine
 Introduction

In the realm of educational assessment, five main test

types play pivotal roles in gauging students' abilities and
progress: diagnostic, achievement, aptitude, placement,
and proficiency tests. Each type serves a distinct
purpose, whether it's pinpointing areas of weakness,
measuring academic achievement, predicting future
performance, determining appropriate course placement,
or assessing language proficiency. Understanding the
nuances of these test types is essential for educators and
policymakers alike to make informed decisions about
curriculum design, instructional strategies, and student
support mechanisms. Throughout this presentation, we'll
delve into the intricacies of each test type, exploring their
unique characteristics, applications, and implications for
enhancing educational outcomes.
 outline

Part one
A- Assessment, Evaluation, Test
B- Informal vs Formal assessment
C-Formative vs Summative assessment
D-Criterion-referenced test vs Norm-referenced Test
Part Two
Test Types
Third Part
Characteristics/ Criteria of a good Test.
Fourth Part
A-Conclusion
B-Task
Part one
Assessment, Evaluation, Test
 Part one
Assessment, Evaluation, Test

Assessment is an ongoing
Evaluation involves looking at
process that measure the
all the factors that influence
performance of our student´s,
Test is a method of measuring the learning process, such as
in any of many different ways,
a person's ability, knowledge or syllabus objectives, course
diagnosing the problems and
performance in a given domain. design, materials, methodology,
measuring the progress
teacher performance and
students make, providing useful
assessment.
feedback.
Informal Vs Formal assessment
 Informal Vs Formal assessment

Informal assessment is a system for observation and collection of data about

student's performance under normal classroom conditions, not under special test
conditions.

Formal are tests given under conditions which ensure the assessment of individual
performance in any given area. They are systematic.
Informal Vs Formal assessment
 Summative vs Formative assessment

Formative assessment : Type of assessment which feeds back into learning and gives
the learners information on his/her progress throughout a course thus helping
him/her to be a more efficient learner, "forming" their competencies and skills with the
goal of helping them to continue that growth.

Summative asssessment: Type of assessment which aims to measure, or summarize,

what a student has grasped, and typically occurs at the end of a course or unit of
instruction. It implies looking back and taking stock of how well students have
accomplished objectives, but does not necessarilly point the way to future progress.
Final exams in a course and general proficiency exams are examples of summative
assessment.
Norm-referenced vs Criterion-referenced
Tests
Norm-referenced vs Criterion-referenced
Tests

Norm-referenced: It is a test that evaluates a student's performance by comparing it

to the performance of a group of students on the same test.

Criterion- referenced: It is a test that measures a student's performance against the

predefined level of performance.
Part Two
Test Types
 Part Two
Test Types
Aptitude Test: Aptitude tests are mainly used to assess intelligence and knowledge.
They most commonly consist of numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, speed,
accuracy abilities, and more.
An aptitude test is designed to assess what a person is capable of doing or to
predict what a person is able to learn or do given the right education and
instruction. It represents a person's level of competency to perform a certain type
of task
 Part Two
Test Types

Proficiency Test: Proficiency tests are designed to measure people's ability in a

language despite any training they may have had in that language.
The content of a proficiency test is not based on the content ot objectives of
language courses that people taking the test may have followed.
It is based on a specificationof what candidates have to be able to do in the
language in order to be considered proficient? What does proficient mean?
 Part Two
Test Types

Placement Tests: These are intended to provide information that will help to place
students at the stage of the teaching program most appropriate to their abilities.
They are used to assign students to classes at different levels
 Part Two
Test Types
Achievement Test: Most used by teachers and are directly related to language
courses.
Their purpose is to establish how successful individual students, or courses have
been in achieving objectives.
1. Final achievement tests: In the view of some testers, the content of this tests
should be based directly on the course syllabus or on the book or other materials
used.
2. Progress achievment tests: Are intended to measure the progress that students
are making.
 Part Two
Test Types

Diagnostic Test: A Diagnostic test measure where students are in terms of their
knowledge and skills. It will assess the abilities that students have at a particular time
to solve problems or answer questions in a subject area.
A teacher uses a diagnostic test to assess student's strenghts and weaknesses in a
specific subject area. It shows her/him how much they know about her/his subject
and also how much more they still need to know before they leave her class.
 Part Two
Test Types

Personality Test: This test is designed to assess some aspects of an individual's

personality.
Personality tests are useful because they show individual strengths that enable
professionals to determine where their talents are best served.
When individuals have a greater knowledge of their personality, they can discover
careers and places that match theur personality.
 Part Two
Test Types

Intelligence Test: The intelligence test measures the mental ability of an individual.
The ability to judge, comprehend, and reason.
The ability to understand and deal with people, objects, and symbols.
The ability to act purposefully, think rationally, and deal effectively with the
environment.
 THIRD PART
Principle/ Characteristics/ Criteria of a
good test
 THIRD PART
A good test should have:

1-Authenticity: Authenticity refers to the extent to which the tasks and assessments
in the test mirror real-world contexts or situations relevant to the subject matter. An
authentic test provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge and
skills in meaningful ways, enhancing transferability to real-life scenarios.
 THIRD PART
A good test should have:

2-Washback: Washback, also known as backwash or impact, refers to the effect that a
test has on teaching and learning practices. Positive washback occurs when a test
influences curriculum, instruction, and learning activities in ways that promote deeper
understanding and improved performance. Negative washback occurs when a test
encourages rote memorization or superficial learning strategies, detracting from
meaningful learning experiences.
 THIRD PART
A good test should have:

3-Practicality: Practicality refers to the feasibility and ease of administration of the

test. A practical test should be easy to administer, score, and interpret within the
constraints of time, resources, and the educational setting.
 THIRD PART
A good test should have:

4-Validity
Validity refers to the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure. A valid test accurately
assesses the intended learning outcomes or constructs, ensuring that the results are meaningful and
useful for decision-making.
1. Face Validity: The test looks like it measures what it's supposed to, but this doesn't guarantee true
validity.
2. Content Validity: The test covers all the necessary material or skills as per the curriculum.
3. Criterion-Related Validity: The test predicts or correlates with future performance or other
established measures.
4. Construct Validity: The test accurately measures abstract concepts or theoretical constructs as
intended.
 THIRD PART
A good test should have:

5-Reliability: Reliability refers to the consistency and stability of test scores over repeated
administrations or among different raters. A reliable test produces consistent results when administered
under similar conditions, ensuring that scores are not unduly influenced by random fluctuations or
measurement errors.
1. Rater Reliability: Consistency among different scorers when evaluating subjective assessments.
2. Student-Related Reliability: Consistency of scores for the same students across different
administrations.
3. Test Administration Reliability: Consistency in how the test is administered across different
sessions or locations.It ensures that variations in test administration methods do not unduly influence
test scores
4. Test Reliability: Overall consistency and stability of the test's results across various conditions and
administrations.
 FOURTH PART
Conclusion:

You might believe that every test you create needs to be groundbreaking and impressive, but that's not
necessarily true. Developing new and innovative testing methods requires a lot of time and trial and
error. However, with some creativity, traditional testing approaches can align well with an interactive,
communicative teaching approach. As a new teacher, it's best to start with established traditional
testing methods. Over time, as you gain experience, you can gradually explore more adventurous
approaches. So, let's focus on practical ways to create classroom tests within these guidelines.
Task: Task 2: Reading Comprehension
Instructions:Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Instructions: This test consists of three tasks. Read
You have 20 minutes.
each task carefully and provide your responses. You
Passage:
have a total of 45 minutes to complete the entire test.
The cat sat on the windowsill, watching the world outside. Birds chirped in the
trees, and the sun cast a warm glow over the neighborhood. The cat twitched its
ears, alert to every sound. Suddenly, it spotted a squirrel darting across the lawn.
Task 1: Language Proficiency
With a graceful leap, the cat pounced, but the squirrel escaped up a nearby tree.
Instructions: In this task, you will be presented with a
Questions:
series of sentences with missing words or phrases. Fill
1. Where was the cat sitting?
in the blanks with the appropriate word or phrase to
2. What was the cat doing?
complete each sentence. You have 10 minutes.
3. What did the cat do when it spotted the squirrel?
1. She was feeling __________ after receiving the good
4. Did the cat catch the squirrel?
news.
2. The __________ of the situation became apparent after
Task 3: Vocabulary Matching
further investigation.
Instructions: Match the words on the left with their corresponding definitions on
3. His __________ behavior made him unpopular among
the right. You have 15 minutes.
his peers.
4. We need to __________ our efforts to finish the project 1. Elucidate a) To make less severe; to relieve.
on time. 2. Serendipity b) An accidental discovery.
5. The students showed __________ in volunteering for 3. Mitigate c) To explain or clarify.
the community service project. 4. Espouse d) To support or adopt a cause or belief.
5. Alacrity e) Eager willingness or readiness
Task Correction:

1. Authenticity: The test lacks authenticity as it does not provide opportunities for students
to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world contexts or situations relevant to the
subject matter. The tasks do not mirror authentic language use or communication scenarios.

2. Washback: The test lacks positive washback as it does not influence teaching and
learning practices in ways that promote deeper understanding and improved performance.
It primarily encourages rote memorization or superficial learning strategies.

3. Practicality: While the test is practical in terms of ease of administration and scoring, it
lacks practicality in terms of promoting meaningful language use and communication skills.