BA-Language Testing-Week 3-Types of Tests

8/8/2019 BA-Language Testing-Week 3-Types of Tests

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Types of

Tests

Language testing

Le Hoang Dung, PhD

Vietnam National University HCM

University of Social Sciences & Humanities

Department of English Linguistics & Literature


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1. Discussion questions

What are the reasons for the

test?

How far is it possible to predictstudent success in language

learning?


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2. What is the objective(s) of your test?

The best basis for setting valid tests is to

ask questions at every stage, but especially

at the beginningof test development

process, so that specification is as clear astatement as possible of

why assessment is being made,

what it will contain and the consequences for teaching, learning and

administration.


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3. Two major families of tests

Brown, 2005, p. 3)


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Example -CRT

Criterion: refers to the standard, also calleda criterion level orcut-point against which

each student's performance is judged.

Ex:if the cut-point for pas

sing a CRT

is set at70%

CRT score interpretation: a student scored 85%,

which means that the student knew 85% of the

material. Notice that no reference is made to the

performances of other students in that score

interpretation.


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Example -NRT

Each student's performance is interpreted relativeto the performances of the other students in thenorm group.

NRT scores are sometimes expressed with no

reference to the actual number of test questionsanswered correctly. E.g.: a student scored in the 84th percentile, which

means that the student scored better than 84 out of100students in the group as a whole (and by extension,

worse than 16 out of100 students). How many questions did the student answer correctly?

We have no way of knowing because a percentile scoreonly expresses the student's position relative to the otherstudents.


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Brown, 2005, p. 7)


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4. Different categories ofESL tests

Contrasting

categories of

ESL test

Knowledge tests

Subjective tests

Productive tests

Language sub-skill test

Norm-referenced tests

Discrete point tests

Proficiency tests

Performance tests

Objective tests

Receptive tests

Communication skills test

Criterion-referenced tests

Integrative tests

Achievement tests


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Norm-referenced test

Compare each

students with his

classmates

Proficiency test

Measure overallmastery of English

Discrete-point test Each item tests sth.

Specific, i.e. voc.,

prep.

Criterion-referenced tests

Rate students against

certain standards,

regardless of how other

students do

Achievement test

Measure progress/ gains ofknowledge presented in

the course

Integrative test

Combine various skills/

subskills


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Proficiency Test

Measures a candidate's overall ability in alanguage, it isn't related to a specific course (They

rarely take into account the syllabus that students

have followed)

Measure students' achievements in relation to aspecific task which they are later required to

perform (e.g. follow a university course in the

English medium; do a particular job).

Reference forward to particular application of

language acquired: future performance rather than

past achievement.


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Achievement/Progress tests

Most classroom tests take this form Test the students' knowledge of the material

that has been taught on a course.

Designed to show mastery of a particularsyllabus (e.g. end-of-year tests, school-

leaving exams, public tests) though similar

(re-syllabus) to progress tests.

Designed primarily to measure individual

progress rather than as a means of

motivating or reinforcing language.


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Diagnostic Tests

Can include Progress, Achievement andProficiency tests

Enable teachers to identify specific

weaknesses/difficulties so that anappropriate remedial programme can be

planned

Primarily designed to assess students'

knowledge & skills in particular areas before

a course of study is begun. (Reference back

to class-work, motivation, remedial work.)


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Placement Tests

Sort new students into teaching groups sothat they are approx. the same level asothers when they start.

Test the present standing, general abilityrather than specific points of learning.

Variety of tests necessary

Reference forward to future learning. Results

of Placement Tests are needed quickly.Administrative load.

*A prognostic test attempts to predict how astudent will perform on a course.


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Discrete-point tests

Advantages:

Yield data which is easily quantifiable

Can be accurately and objectively marked even bymechanical scanning methods

Disadvantages:

Correct/Incorrect judgements depend on context e.g. certaincommunities exist where "I be" and "I were" are acceptedforms.

De-contextualised sentences are a tenuous basis forjudgements about a person's mastery of language.

Cannot be pragmatic (no ordinary discourse situation andno normal language use context where a learner might beasked to listen and distinguish between "ship" & "sheep" orperform active to passive transformations)


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Integrative Tests

Attempt to assess a learner's capacity to usemany bits all at the same time.

Are often pragmatic, since

They set tasks which cause the learner toprocess sequences of elements in a languagethat conform to the normal contextual constraintsof that language,

They require the learner to relate sequences of

linguistic elements via pragmatic mappings toextralinguistic context

Naturalness criteria:Integrative tests areoften pragmatic


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Objective tests vs.Subjective tests

Objective tests: Ss may produce no language at all, e.g.

multiple choice, they only select alternatives.

Ability to recognise appropriate forms isdeemed sufficient.

Scored quickly & consistently

Subjective tests: The ability to produce the language is crucial

Scores are not consistent


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Formal Tests vs. Informal tests

Formal tests Standardized

Designed to be givenaccording to a standard

set of circumstances,(with time limits andsets of directions/instructions to be

strictly followed). Ex.:TOEFL, IELTS,

SAT

Informal tests Do not have a set of

standard directions.

Have great flexibility in

how they areadministered.

Constructed byteachers and have

unknown validity andreliability.

Ex.: Review games;Quizzes


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Static (Summative) Tests

Measures what the student has learned. Examples: End-of-chapter tests; Final

examinations; Standardized state tests

Measures the students' grasp of material that

is currently being taught; measure readiness.Formative tests help guide and inform

instruction and learning.

Examples: Quizzes; Homework; Portfolios

Dynamic (Formative) Tests


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Alternative assessment

Alternative assessment is any type ofassessment in which students create aresponse to a question or task.

Is opposite traditional assessments, i.e.students choose a response from a given list,such as multiple-choice, true/false, ormatching.

Alternative assessments can include short-answer questions, essays, performanceassessment, oral presentations,demonstrations, exhibitions, and portfolios.


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References

Bachman, L. F. & Palmer, A. S. (1996). Language testing in Practice:design and developing useful language tests. Oxford:Oxford UniversityPress.

Brown, J. D. (2005). Testing in language programs A comprehensiveguide to English Language Assessment. New York: McGraw-HillCompanies, Inc.

Hubbard, P., Jones, H., Thornton, B. & Wheeler, R. (1991)A Training

Course for TEFL. Oxford University Press. Hughes, A. (1992). Testing for language teachers. New York:

Cambridge University Press.

Madsen, H. S. (1983). Techniques in testing. Oxford:Oxford UniversityPress.

McNamara, T. (2000). Language Testing. Oxford:Oxford University

Press. http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/assessment/typestests.htm,

retrieved Sep. 28, 2009

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/test-question-types,retrieved Sep. 28, 2009


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Thankyou

Documents

BA-Language Testing-Week 3-Types of Tests