This document discusses different types of language tests including proficiency, achievement, diagnostic, and placement tests. It also describes direct versus indirect testing, discrete point versus integrative testing, norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced testing, objective versus subjective testing, computer adaptive testing, and communicative language testing. The purposes of language tests can be general ability in a language or for a specific purpose like studying at a university. Tests should be consistent with course objectives and content to provide helpful backwash for student learning.

1. Testing and Evaluation
Lorena Reyes
26 Jan 15

2. Kinds of tests
 Proficiency
 Achievement
 Diagnostic
 Placement
Kinds of testing
 Direct versus indirect
 Discrete point versus integrative
 Norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced
 Objective testing versus subjective
 Computer adaptive
 Communicative language

3.  Ability in a language.
 Content Proficient candidate
They are not
based on courses
that candidates
may have
previously taken.
Backwash?
•Translator at United
Nations
•To study at a British
University
Particular
purpose
•FCE (Cambridge First
Certificate of Proficiency
in English)
•Detailed specifications
General

4.  Directly related to language courses.
Pop quizzes
Final achievement tests
• End of the course.
• Syllabus content
• Objectives content - consistent
Progress achievement tests
• Formative assessment
• Progress = objectives
Backwash?

6.  Strengths and weaknesses.
 Comprehensive diagnostic test of English grammar.

7.  Place students in the part of the teaching
programme that is most appropriate to their
abilities.

8.  Direct: the candidate performs the skill we want to
measure.
◦ Authentic material.
◦ Helpful backwash.
 Indirect: we measure the abilities that underlie the
skills we are interested in.
◦ Writing ability
Which of the underlined elements is erroneous or
inappropriate in formal standard English?:
At first the old woman seemed unwilling to
accept anything that was offered her by my friend and I.

9. Discrete Integrative
One element at a time. Combination of many elements.
Vocabulary, particular grammatical
structures.
Writing a composition, taking a
dictation, etc.
Indirect Direct

10.  Norm-referenced:
Relates one candidate’s
performance to that of other
candidates.
 Criterion-referenced:
Tells what the student is
capable of doing in the
language.

11. Methods of scoring
 Objective: no judgment.
◦ Multiple choice tests
 Subjective: judgment.
◦ Compositions, short answers.

12.  Order of difficulty.
 The computer presents items that are
appropriate for the candidate’s level of
ability.
 Dependable estimate – statistical analysis.

13.  Communicative ability in specific contexts.
 Information gap, letter writing.