PREFACEThis February 2008 edition of the Handbook for the American Language Course Placement Test (ALCPT !ro"ides information and instructions for obtaining# administering# scoring# inter!reting#and controlling the ALCPT$%t su!ersedes the !re"iously !ublished Handbook for the American Language Course Placement Test (ALCPT# A!ril 200&$There are currently '0 forms of the ALCPT a"ailable for !urchase( ne) test forms are de"elo!ed each year$Pre"iously a"ailable ALCPT forms may still be used$%f these e*ams ha"e been ke!t secure and ha"e been used solely for testing !ur!oses# they should yield reliable +nglish com!rehension !roficiency scores$,cores achie"ed on currently a"ailable ALCPTs (Forms -./00 do not re1uire the use of a con"ersion table$%n1uiries concerning this handbook# including re1uests for co!ies# should be addressed to23L%+LC4L+,L22'5 Andre)s A"e$Lackland Air Force 6ase# Te*as &82'-/5250or+/7ail2L+,L8lackland$af$mil9ecommendations for im!ro"ing this handbook are encouraged$Letters should be addressed to23L%+LC4L+AT22'0 Andre)s A"e$Lackland Air Force 6ase# Te*as &82'-/520&or+/7ail23L%Testing8lackland$af$mil iHANDBOOK FOR THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE COURSEPLACEMENT TEST (ALCPT)CONTENTSPAGEP9+FAC+iTA6L+ :F C:;T+;T, iiCHAPTER 1 - DESCRIPTION OF TEST.A$P,%CAL C:;T9:L :F T+,T 7AT+9%AL,2C$P9+?+;T%:; :F T+,T C:7P9:7%,+23$P9:C+3= ?8 / ?= ?;69 7? / 8; 86 >? ?; / ?? ?=66 86 / 8< 8; >: ?= / ?: ??6> 8; / ;6 8< >< ?? / ?< ?:67 8< / ;7 ;6 79 ?: / :6 :968 ;6 / ;; ;7 76 ?< / :> :9@6; ;7 / ;? ;; 7> :9 / :7 :9@6= ;; / ;< ;? 77 :6 / :8 :9@6? ;? / =6 ;< 78 :> / :; :9@E ALCPT and +CL scores of 20 or belo) cannot be considered "alid indicators of a studentCs !roficiency$,tudents at this le"el should be !laced in a!!ro!riate books based on instructor e"aluation$3$ RELATIONSHIP OF THE ALCPT TO THE ECLThe content s!ecifications (item ty!es and formats# obJecti"es# instructions# etc$ of the +CL and the ALCPT are# by design# consistent$The t)o tests are generated using the same com!uter !rogram based on %tem 9es!onse Theory (%9T# and they are statistically e1ui"alent$Hhen administered under secure# controlled conditions# the tests yield com!arable scores$The correlation bet)een uncom!romised forms of the t)o tests is $05 or higher$Further information on the reliability of the +CL and ALCPT test/generating system can be found in the follo)ing article2Henning# A$ (.00@# OAutomated assembly of !re/e1uated language !roficiency tests#P Lan)(a)! T!&t'n)+ // (/)+ .5/28$CHAPTER 6OBTAINING THE ALCPTA$ 3L%+LC is the sole source for !rocurement for all ALC materials$Procedures for ordering the ALCPT are included in the current catalog of ALC materials$%nformation is !ro"ided on %7+T !rogramming and %7+T re1uisitions# as )ell as on direct re1uisitioning from 3L%+LC and on F7,/funded !urchases$All re1uests for !urchase of ALCPT materials must be screened by the 3L%+LC Test R 7easurement 6ranch$:rganiDations interested in !urchasing the ALCPT should submit an OALCPT 9e1uestP form found online at2 htt!244)))$dlielc$edu4testing4ALCPT$html$6$ The catalog may be accessed on the 3L%+LC )ebsite# htt!244)))$dlielc$edu# under Co(r&!& and Mat!r'a"&$To recei"e a hard co!y of the catalog# contact the Logistics 6ranch (L+,L at 3,; @&'/@&.. (FAS @&'/'0-'# commercial 2.0/-&./@&.. (FAS 2.0/-&./'0-' or email2L+,L8lackland$af$mil$