This document discusses best practices for testing and evaluation in language learning. It provides guidance on developing valid and reliable test items that accurately assess learners' abilities. Test methods should use clear, unambiguous questions and include multiple choice, cloze tests, summaries, and other techniques. When developing items, test creators should avoid ambiguity and ensure each item only tests one thing. They should also consider including options that are not exactly the same but still plausible as distractors.

1. Lorena Reyes
Testing and Evaluation
09 Mar 15

2.  Tasks to produce language as an evidence of
ability.
 Learners do not get support with tests.
 Test items have to be clear, simple and unambiguous.
 They are expected to be valid and reliable.

3.  The method effect.
Cloze tests
• There might be a form of “short-
text” reading.
Multiple-choice tests
• Students can make incorrect
interpretations.
• May not be good at testing some
abilities.
Use more than one test method for testing any ability.

4. What an item is actually testing?

5.  Every “correct” answer must be checked with
coleagues.
Which is the odd one out?
A rabbit
B hare
C bunny
D deer
D is the odd one out
But: C, because it is in “baby-langauge”
“Why hasn’t your mother come?”
“Well, she said she________leave the baby
A can’t
B won’t
C couldn’t
D mayn’t
There may be more
than one acceptable
answer according to
what is taught in a
textbook

6.  Multiple-choice items should be presented in context
Select the option closest in meaning to the word underlined
Come back soon
A shortly
B later
C roday
D tomorrow
Fill in the blank with the most suitable option:
Visitor: Thank you very much for such a wonderful visit.
Hostess: We were so glad you come. Come back ______
A soon
B later
C roday
D tomorrow

7.  The correct alternative should not look so different
from the distractors.
Select the option closest in meaning to the word underlined:
He began to choke while he was eating the fish.
A die
B cough and vomit
C be unable to breath because of something in
his windpipe
D grow very angry
 Items must test what they are intended to test.
(After a text about trees)
Who gets food from trees?
A only man
B only animals
C man and animals

8. True/False or Yes/No items
• Include a third category: not given or does not say.
Matching
• Give more alternatives than the matching task requires
Ordering tasks
• More than one answer might be acceptable
• Marking is difficult.
Editing
• Make sure there is only one mistake per line.

9. Gap-filling
• Provide more options than gaps in the text.
• The marking is difficult if more than one option is
acceptable.
Cloze
• Words are deleted mechanically. Every sixth word
might be removed.
• There may be many possible answers.
C-Test
• Every second word is deleted, and half of each
deleted word remains in the text to give a clue to the
learner.
…Ore another th_____ can he_____ scientists est_____ when…

10. Dictation
• Time consuming and boring to mark.
• Make learners fill in the gap as they listen.
Short-answer questions
• Answers from a word or phrase to one or two
sentences.
• Clear instructions must be given.
Complete the following sentence, using the correct form of the verb “to
be”:
I_________________________ here since yesterday.
Write two sentences containing “since”.

11. Compositions and essays
• Terminology
• Lenght
• Register
• Marking system
Travel broadens the mind. (J. Smith) Discuss.
Write a formal essay for your English teacher saying whether you
agree with the saying, “Travel broadens the mind”
You should write about 200 to 250 words.
Marks will be given for:
1. Structure of the essay, e.g. the use of paragraphs (20%)
2. 2. claruty of argument (20%)
3. ……….

12. Summaries
• Poor summaries: poor comprehension or poor writing skills?
• Marking can be difficult.
Oral interviews
• Topics may require limited vocabulary.
• Interviews need to be carefully structured.
Information-gap activities
• Difficult to construct.
• They should be pretested.

13. •Respond
•Reflect
•Compare