Testing is used to measure what learners know or can do. There are two main types of tests - formal tests which are instruments to formally measure learning, and informal tests which are used by teachers to quickly check understanding. Tests are used for several purposes like guiding teaching, motivating learning, and determining if learning objectives were achieved. Tests vary depending on their purpose, characteristics, and the aspect of language or skills they measure.

3. What is testing?
It’s an activity whose purpose is to determine
what learners can do or know about something.
What is a test?
It’s a formal instrument to measure what learners
can do or know about something.

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What are tests for? To inf rengths
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• To motiva
te learners to of
review or conso s ense
lidate specific ate a .
material. • T o cre s uccess
lis hment/
a ccomp
the • To determine
To guide if (and to
• of what
e velopment extent) the
planning/d ng objectives have
ing teachi been
the ongo achieved.
process.
• To encourage improvement.

6. Depending on Depending on
purpose characteristics
Screening/Selection/ Direct Tests/
Admission Indirect Tests
Placement Discrete point/
Integrative tests
Proficiency Criteria-referenced/
Norm-referenced
Aptitude Objective tests/
Subjective tests
Diagnostic Speed test/
Power test
Achievement Knowledge tests/
Skill tests
Progress

7. Depending on purpose: ( 7 types)
purpose
1. Screening/Selection/Admission: To know if a person
Screening/Selection/Admission
has the required behavior to be successful in a specific
program (not based on objectives), e.g. IPC’s admission
test.
2. Placement: To determine the
level in which a person should
be located inside a program
(designed by the institution), e.g. CVA’s placement test.

8. 3. Proficiency: To know if a person shows an overall
Proficiency
proficiency in a language, compared to native speakers
in real life contexts, e.g. The TOEFL test.
4. Aptitude: To know the talents of a person to do
Aptitude
something specific. Suitability of a candidate for a specific
program of instruction.
5. Diagnostic: It refers to entrance behavior or previous
Diagnostic
knowledge. To determine strengths and weaknesses
and to guarantee that potential problems will be
corrected (performed by the teacher).

9. 6. Achievement: To know if a determined objective has
Achievement
been covered successfully.
7. Progress: To check improvement achieved according to
Progress
a referential point in a program.

10. Depending on characteristics. 12 types:
characteristics
Direct Tests Indirect Tests
they give information about
they test what aspects that are not the focus
they are intended but are implicitly addressed
1. Direct Tests
to assess in a 2. Indirect Tests
(a reading comprehension
cloze may give an indirect
straightforward measure of vocabulary
manner. knowledge).
Discrete -Point Tests Integrative Tests
the focus is on answers demand the
combination of many areas of
restricted areas of the
3. Discrete Point language knowledge to
target Tests
language (a generate the product Tests
4. Integrative
cloze test on verb demanded. (oral interviews,
readings, essay writing, etc.).
tenses).

11. Depending on characteristics. 12 types:
characteristics
Criterion-referenced Tests Norm-referenced Tests
describe what a person test results are compared
can do in relation to the
so as to measure one
course objectives or
5. Criterion-referenced
predefined criteria. No
6. Norm-referenced:
Norm-referenced
person’s performance in
comparison between relation to a given
students. population.
Objective Tests Subjective Tests
No judgment is Judgment & opinions on the
involved. Answers are part of the rater are
7. Objective tests
either right or wrong. involved. No right/wrong
8. Subjective tests
answer, but a continuum.
(e.g. multiple choice (e.g. opinion/discussion
items) items)

12. Depending on characteristics. 12 types:
characteristics
Speed Tests PowerTests
Easy items that must be The difficulty of the items
answered in a very short
demands enough time to
time. They assess speed
9. Speed tests
of performance and
10. Power tests
respond. They assess
strategy, e.g. scanning actual control over the
exercises. aspects under scrutiny.
Knowledge Tests Skill Tests
They focus on listening,
They assess the speaking, reading
11. Knowledge tests
language components, and/or Skill tests e.g.
12. writing.
e.g. grammar quizzes. listening quizzes.