This document discusses guidelines for designing classroom language tests. It begins by outlining critical questions to consider when designing a test, such as the purpose of the test, its objectives, how test specifications and items will reflect the purpose and objectives, and how the test will be scored. It then describes different types of language tests, including aptitude, proficiency, placement, diagnostic, and achievement tests. Finally, it lists practical steps for designing tests, such as assessing clear objectives, developing test specifications, devising test tasks, and designing multiple-choice items to measure specific objectives in a simple, direct manner.

1. LOADING

3. DESIGNING CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
TESTS
WEEK
2
EKO MULYONO
By:

4. CRITICAL
TEST TYPES
WRITINGREADINGLISTENINGSPEAKING
DESIGNING CLASSROOM
LANGUAGE TESTS
BY
EKO MULYONO
practical steps

5. WRITINGREADINGLISTENINGSPEAKING
PURPOSE
OBJECTIVE
S
REFLECT
ITEMS
TYPES
Critical Questions to Start Designing a Test
• What is the purpose of the test?
• What are the objectives of the test?
• How will the test specifications reflect
both the purpose and the objectives?
• How will the test tasks be selected and
the separate items arranged?
• What kind of scoring, grading, and/or
feedback expected?

6. WRITINGREADINGLISTENINGSPEAKING
1. What is the purpose of the test?
• Why are you creating this test, or why was it
created by a textbook writer?
• What is its significance relative to your course
(for example, to evaluate overall proficiency
or place a student in a course)?
• How important is the test compared to other
student performance?
• What will its impact be on you and your
students before and after the assessment?
PURPOSE
OBJECTIVE
S
REFLECT
ITEMS
TYPES

7. WRITINGREADINGLISTENINGSPEAKING
2. What are the objectives of the test?
• What exactly are you trying to find
out?
• What language knowledge and/or
skills are you assessing?
PURPOSE
OBJECTIVE
S
REFLECT
ITEMS
TYPES

8. WRITINGREADINGLISTENINGSPEAKING
3. How will the test specifications reflect
both the purpose and the objectives?
• To design or evaluate a test, you
must make sure that the test has a
structure that logically follows from
the unit or lesson it is testing.
• The class objectives should be
present in the test through
appropriate task types and weights, a
logical sequence, and a variety of
tasks.
PURPOSE
OBJECTIVE
S
REFLECT
ITEMS
TYPES

9. WRITINGREADINGLISTENINGSPEAKING
4. Selection & Arrangement of Tasks?
• The test tasks need to be practical.
• For the test to be valid, they
should also mirror tasks of the
course, lesson or segment.
• They should be authentic (i.e.
reflect real‐world language use).
• The tasks must be ones that can be
evaluated reliably by the teacher.
PURPOSE
OBJECTIVE
S
REFLECT
ITEMS
TYPES

10. WRITINGREADINGLISTENINGSPEAKING
5. Scoring, Grading, Feedback?
• The appropriate form of feedback on
tests will vary, depending on the purpose.
• For every test, the way results are
reported is an important consideration.
• Under some circumstances, a letter grade
or score may be appropriate.
• Other circumstances may require that the
teacher provide detailed feedback to the
students.
PURPOSE
OBJECTIVE
S
REFLECT
ITEMS
TYPES

11. NEXT
Tests Types

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Aptitude Tests
Proficiency Tests
Placement Tests
Diagnostic Tests
Achievement Tests
Aptitude Tests
• To predict a person’s future
success in learning a (any)
foreign language
• Taken before actual learning

13. ENGLISH EDUCATION OF POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM
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Jl. A. Yani Tromol 1 Pabelan Surakarta 57102 telp/fax (0271) 730772,
717417
Aptitude Tests
Proficiency Tests
Placement Tests
Diagnostic Tests
Achievement Tests
Proficiency Tests
• Measure general ability in a
language
• Regardless of previous
training

14. ENGLISH EDUCATION OF POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM
“UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH SURAKARTA”
Jl. A. Yani Tromol 1 Pabelan Surakarta 57102 telp/fax (0271) 730772,
717417
Placement Tests
• To assign students to
classes/programs
appropriate to their level
of proficiency
• Define characteristics of
each level of proficiency
Aptitude Tests
Proficiency Tests
Placement Tests
Diagnostic Tests
Achievement Tests

15. ENGLISH EDUCATION OF POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM
“UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH SURAKARTA”
Jl. A. Yani Tromol 1 Pabelan Surakarta 57102 telp/fax (0271) 730772,
717417
Diagnostic Tests
• Identify students’
strengths and weaknesses
• To benefit future
instruction
• Difficult to construct.
Lack of good ones.
Aptitude Tests
Proficiency Tests
Placement Tests
Diagnostic Tests
Achievement Tests

16. ENGLISH EDUCATION OF POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM
“UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH SURAKARTA”
Jl. A. Yani Tromol 1 Pabelan Surakarta 57102 telp/fax (0271) 730772,
717417
Achievement Tests
• Measure how successful students are
in achieving objectives of a
lesson/course/curriculum
• Closely related to the content of a
particular lesson/course/ curriculum
• Syllabus content approach OR course
objectives approach?
• Final achievement tests / progress
achievement tests (formative
assessment)
• Frequency?
Aptitude Tests
Proficiency Tests
Placement Tests
Diagnostic Tests
Achievement Tests

17. 1. Assessing Clear,
Unambiguous
Objectives
2. Drawing up Test
Specifications
3. Devising Test
Tasks
4. Designing
Multiple-Choice
Test Items

18. Look that!!!
Assessing Clear,
Unambiguous Objectives ??
Eko Mulyono@ ASOEE
Assessing Clear, Unambiguous Objectives

19. Eko Mulyono@ ASOEE
Test Specification

20. Eko Mulyono@ ASOEE
Devising Test Task

21. Eko Mulyono@ ASOEE
Multiple-choice Test

22. Eko Mulyono@ ASOEE
Design each item to measure a specific objective

23. Eko Mulyono@ ASOEE
State both stem and options as simply and directly possible

24. Eko Mulyono@ ASOEE
Make certain that the intended answer is clearly the only
correct one

25. THAN
K
YOU