Week 4

Lecture 3
Test types: Achievement, Diagnostic, Language Aptitude, Placement, and Proficiency Tests
Brown, p, 42-48
Recap on the previous topics
 Definitions of assessment and test.
 The relationship between assessment and

teaching.
 You have learned the differences between

formal and informal tests, formative summative

tests, norm and criterion –referenced tests.
 We also traced some historical trends in

language assessment especially the

communicative performance based assessment.
Now
 In order to design a test for your students,
you need to determine first your purpose
from that test.
 Defining the purpose will help you define the kind or
the type of test you will be using.
 “why am I creating this test? for evaluation, diagnostic, or
for placement purposes?
 Is to measure achievement within a course”
 Defining the type of test will help define the objective
and the outcomes of the test.
Five Types of English Language Tests
There are five types of English language tests:
 Achievement,
 Diagnose,
 Language Aptitude,
 Placement,
 and Proficiency Tests
 As English classroom teacher, you will probably need
to create three of these types of tests: Achievement,
diagnostic, and placement tests.
 Language aptitude and proficiency tests are the two

types of test that you might not need to create or

design for your students during a course of a
semester.
Before we begin
 Ingroup of four, you will be assigned to one
type of a test. In your group, brainstorm and
discuss the purpose of test and write your
answers in the provided card.
1- language Aptitude Test
Read page 43-44
 What is language Aptitude Tests (LAT) ?
 What are the characteristics of LAT?
 What tasks are involved in the language

Aptitude test?
 What are the limitations of this kind of test?

Sample of LAT: http://lltf.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/MLAT-E-Sample-Items.pdf

2- Proficiency Test
Read Pages 44-45
 What is Proficiency Test?

 What does the proficiency test consist of?

 What type of assessment the proficiency test is ?

Explain why? ( Lecture 2)

 What is the popular example of proficiency test?

 What is the purpose of TOEFL?

 What does TOEFL consist of?

 What challenges test designers face when creating

these types of test?

sample of TOEFL: http://www.emse.fr/~yukna/ENG/lessons/toefl40a.htm
3- Placement tests
Read pages 45-46
 What is the purpose of the English Placement

tests?
 What does the English placement test consist

of?
 An example of language placement test?

Sample of the placement Test: http://englishenglish.com/englishtest.htm

4- Diagnostic Tests
Read pages 46-47
 What is diagnostic test?
 What does diagnostic test used for?
 How can the diagnostic and the placement

tests be related? (compare)

Sample of the diagnostic test:
http://info.piercecollege.edu/offices/assess/slep.pdf
5- Achievement Test
Read pages 47-48
 What is an achievement test?
 What is the purpose of an achievement test?
 What type of assessment/test the

achievement test is in regard to the purpose

and function? Why ?( Lecture 2)
Sample of an achievement test:
http://www.slideshare.net/engteacher11/achievement-test-new-en
glish-file-intermediate-files-2-4
Conclusion

As a teacher, your chances to design

diagnostic, placement, and achievement tests
is plentiful especially creating the
achievement test.
Next week
Week5
Principles of language assessment: validity,
reliability, practicality ,authenticity ,and
beneficial backwash p, 19-41
 References
 Brown, H. Douglas, 2004. Language Assessment:
Principles and classroom practices. Pearson Education,
Inc.
 http://www.slideshare.net/engteacher11/achievement-t
est-new-english-file-intermediate-files-2-4
 http://info.piercecollege.edu/offices/assess/slep.pdf
 http://www.emse.fr/~yukna/ENG/lessons/toefl40a.htm
 http://lltf.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/MLAT-E-S
ample-Items.pdf
 http://englishenglish.com/englishtest.htm
 www.ets.org
 www.toefl.org