Here you can find a comparison between approaches with mentioning the strengths and weaknesses of each one. Also, the PPT is provided with examples of tests involved in each approach.

2. Discrete-point Testing Approach
• Definition:
Discrete-point tests are constructed on the assumption that language can be
divided into its component’s parts, and those parts can be tested successfully.
•
Listening Speaking Writing

3. Examples of Discrete- point Tests :
• Multiple choice:
Because my mother was sick, I ________ to go home last week.
a) had
b) have
c) Has
• Vocabulary
Choose the correct meaning of the word “neglect “
a) be careless
b) be careful
c) destroy

4. Examples of Discrete- point Tests:
• Phoneme Recognition
Phonetic Pair: consonants
a) He is walking.
b) he is working.

5. Discrete-point testing approach aims to :
• Achieve high reliability factor by testing a large number of discrete items.
• Widely use Objective questions.
• Measure candidate’s competence rather than measuring candidate’s
performance.

6. Discrete- point Testing Approach
Strengths:
• Cover a wide range of materials
• Allow quantification on the
students’ responses
• Term of scoring
Weaknesses:
• Constructing discrete point test
items is time consuming.
• The test doesn’t include social
context.
• Success in doing the test is not
readily inferable to the ability of
the test taker to communicate in
real life circumstances.

8. Integrative Testing Approach
• Definition:
It involves the testing of the language in context and is thus
concerned with meaning and total communicative effect of discourse.
It is based on “ Unitary trait hypothesis” proposed by Oller, 1979
which contends that there is a general factor of language proficiency
such that all the discrete points do not add up to that whole.

9. Examples of Integrative Tests :
• Cloze Test:
Can we see (1) ......... the earth is a globe? Yes, we can, when we watch a ship
that sails out to sea. If we watch closely, we see that the ship begins (2) ........ . The
bottom of the ship disappears first, and then the ship seems to sink lower and
lower, (3) ......... we can only see the top of the ship, and then we see nothing at all.
What is hiding the ship from us? It is the earth. Stick a pin most of the way into an
orange, and (4) ......... turn the orange away from you. You will see the pin
disappear, (5) ......... a ship does on the earth.
• Dictation
John was a pleasant looking young man./ Anna was a pretty girl./ She had a small
turned –up nose./Together they walked down to the river./ They sat on the grass
near the water./It was a pretty place./ There were trees all around.

10. Examples of Integrative Tests :
• Composition test:
Student Composition: ( numbers are for mistakes referred to by the teacher)
Three Passions I Live For
Looking back on my past twenty years full of passions (1) and enthusiasm, I feel grateful and (2) to live a
healthy and happy life. There are a lot of qualities I have learnt from ordinary life that guided me through. If I
am asked to list the first three, I will put health, happiness of my family and enough financial support (3) as the
passions I live for.
Health comes first for me. Without health, everything is meaningless. It is indispensable to everyone (4).
Only when one is healthy can he start his own career, set up his own family and achieve any accomplishment
(5). I always value health and regard it as the preliminary step (6) to possess a happy family and earn enough
money.
Happiness of my family (7) is very important to me because I love my family wholeheartedly. I get pleasure in
their joys and suffer what they suffer. Their infinite love and support motivate me to overcome any trouble or
obstacle (8) I may meet. To make those I love happy is the biggest wish for me. What would millions of money
(9) mean to me if I saw my family suffer from pain and agony (10)? Now that I’ve got a healthy body, I have
plenty of time and opportunities to entertain my family. Then money comes third. (11)

11. Integrative testing approach according to Oller,
it
• Puts all of the language components and skills back together.
• Attempts to assess a learner’s capacity to use many bits of language
all at the same time .

12. Integrative Testing Approach
Strengths:
• Can view pupils proficiency with
a global view.
• The tests are relatively cheap
and easy to make.
• The approach to meaning and
communicative effect of
discourse will be very useful for
pupils in testing.
Weaknesses:
• Sometimes, teachers should
consider the importance of
measuring skills based on
particular needs.
• The scoring is neither efficient
nor reliable.

14. Communicative Testing Approach
• Definition:
Communicative testing approach lays more emphasis on the notion and function,
like agreeing, persuading or inviting, that language means in communication.
• It measures language learner’s ability to use the target language in authentic
SITUATIONS.
• emphasis is placed on APPROPIATNESS rather than on the ability to form
grammatically correct sentence.

15. Principles of Communicative Testing Approach
• Tasks in the test should be resemble as far as possible to the ones as would
be found in real life.
• Contextualization
• the instruction and scoring term (meaning rather than grammatical
accuracy)

16. Examples of Communicative Tests :
• Role-plays

17. Examples of Communicative Tests :
• Gap information

18. Communicative Testing Approach
Strengths:
• The tests are more realistic to
evaluate the students’ language
use.
• increase students’ motivation.
Weaknesses:
• Focusing on FLUENCY but not
ACCURACY.
• Problem of extrapolation.
• the context to be provided as
tasks are very broad.

20. Performance Testing Approach
• Definition:
Performance-based assessment believes that pupils will learn best when
they are given a chance to perform and show what they know according to:
• Their own plan.
• Collecting data.
• Inferring pattern.
• Draw conclusions.
• Deliver a presentation.

21. Principles of Performance Testing Approach
• State the overall goal of the performance.
• Specify the objectives in detail.
• Preparation for performances in stepwise progressions.
• The use of a reliable evaluation form.
• Treat performances as opportunities for giving feedback.
• Utilize self-and peer-assessments.

22. Examples of Performance Tests :
• Job‐specific role-plays:

23. Examples of Performance Tests :
• Academic essay writing:

24. Examples of Performance Tests :
• Problem solving:

25. Examples of Performance Tests :
• Interviews:

26. Performance Testing Approach
Strengths:
• Increase learning motivation .
• Meaningful.
• Authentic.
• Challenge high order thinking of
students.
Weaknesses:
• Time consuming.
• Expensive.
• Challenge the teacher to match
performance assessment to
classroom goals and learning
objectives.

27. •Though in a change of forms, all of these
approaches still are used in our classrooms.
•Their use depends on the objectives and
teaching approaches, teachers use in their
classrooms.