Week 3

Types of tests and assessments

Pre-test 3

Why do we test?
Purpose of tests?
Types of assessments?
Types of measurements?
Types of language tests?

Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

Why test?

Heatons (1990, Classroom testing)

reasons for testing (p.9-22)

Dr Lee

Finding out about progress

Encouraging students
Finding out about learning difficulties
Finding out about achievement
Placing students
Selecting students
Finding out about proficiency
TE30503 LTA Week 2

Why test?

Henning, Grants (1987, A guide to Language

Testing) Purposes of Language Tests. (p.1
4)
Diagnosis and feedback
Screening and selection
Placement
Providing Research Criteria
Assessment of Attitudes and
Sociopsychological Differences

Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

A. Types of tests
Just as there are many purposes for which language
tests are developed, so there are many types of
language tests.
Some types of tests serve a variety of purposes while
others are more restricted in their applicability.
There is some confusion regarding the terminology used
to denote the different types of language tests in use.
Most test specialists, however, agree on the following
broad divisions: achievement tests, proficiency tests,
aptitude tests, diagnostic tests and placement tests
Try to define the differences among them.

Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

Types of tests
1. Progress Test
Purpose - to find out how well the students have
mastered the language areas and skills which
have just been taught. Looks back at what
students have achieved.
2. Achievement Test
Like progress test but it is usually designed to
cover a longer period of learning than a progress
test. It is usually given at the end of the school
year/the course.
Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

Types of tests
3. Diagnostic Test
The purpose is to help check students progress for
specific weaknesses and problems they may have
encountered.
Just as it is necessary for doctors to diagnose an
illness in order to cure their patients, so teachers must
diagnose problems in order to teach effectively.
4. Placement Test
Enables teachers to sort students into groups
according to their language ability at the beginning of
the course.
Looks forward to the language demands which will be
made on students during the course.
Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

Types of tests
5. Proficiency Test
Used to measure how suitable candidates will be for
performing a certain task or follow a specific course.
The test looks forward to the actual ways in which
candidates will use English in the future.
Unlike achievement test, a proficiency test is not
concerned with comparing the degree of success
someone may have in doing something.
6. Aptitude test
Used to predict the success or failure of students
prospective in a language-learning programme. Usually
used as a screening instrument in langange testing

Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

B. Formative vs Summative
Assessment
Think of the differences
What?
When?
Which type of tests are usually used in
Formative and Summative assessment?

Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

Formative Assessment
Is used to monitor learning progress during
instruction.
purpose - to provide continuous feedback to
both student and teacher concerning learning
successes and failures.
Feedback to students provides reinforcement
of successful learning and identifies the
specific learning errors that are in need of
correction.
Feedback to the teacher provides information
for modifying instruction and for prescribing
group and individual work.
Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

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Summative Assessment
typically comes at the end of a course (or
unit) of instruction.
Designed to determine the extent to which
the instructional goals have been
achieved
Is used primarily for assigning course
grades /for certifying student mastery of
the intended learning outcomes.
Dr Lee

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C. Norm-referenced vs. CriterionReferenced Measurement

Can you tell the differences between
them?
How the results of tests and other
assessment procedures are interpreted
also provides a method of classifying
tests.

Dr Lee

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Norm-referenced vs CriterionReferenced Measurement

There are two basic ways of interpreting
student performance.
Norm-referenced interpretation describes
the performance in terms of the relative
position held in some known group.
Criterion-referenced interpretation
describes the specific performance that
was demonstrated.

Dr Lee

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NRT VS CRT
Norm-referenced Test
A test designed to provide a measure of
performance that is interpretable in terms of an
individuals relative standing in some known group.
(e.g. typed better than 90 percent of the class
members)
Criterion-Referenced Test
A test designed to provide a measure of performance
that is interpretable in terms of a clearly defined and
detailed domain of learning tasks. (e.g. typed 40 words
per minute without error)
Read the notes on - The Great Divide -- NRTs and
CRTs
Dr Lee

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CRT VS NRT
These two types of tests are best viewed as the ends of
a continuum, rather than as a clear-cut dichotomy. As
shown in the following continuum, the CRT emphasizes
description of performance and the NRT emphasizes
discrimination among individuals.
CRT

COMBINED TESTS

Description of
performance

Dual Interpretation

Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

NRT

Discrimination among
individuals

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Other types of Tests

Just as there are many purposes for

which language tests are developed, so
there are many types of language tests.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Objective vs. Subjective tests

Direct vs. Indirect tests
Discrete-point vs. Integrative tests
Criterion- or Domain-Referenced vs. NormReferenced or Standardized tests
5. Speed tests vs. power tests

Dr Lee

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1. Objective vs Subjective tests

These types of tests are distinguished on the
basis of the manner in which they are
scored.
An objective test is said to be one that may
be scored by comparing responses with an
established set of acceptable responses or
scoring key.
Conversely a subjective test requires scoring
by opinionated judgement, based on insight
and expertise, on the part of the scorer.
Could you identify test items which lend
themselves to either objective / subjective
testing?
Dr Lee

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2. Direct vs. Indirect Tests

Certain tests, such as ratings of language use in
real and uncontrived communication situations,
are testing language performance directly
Whereas other tests, such as multiple-choice
recognition tests, are obliquely or indirectly
tapping true language performance, and therefore
are less valid for measuring language proficiency.
Many language tests, however, can be viewed as
lying somewhere on a continuum from naturalsituational to unnatural-contrived.

Dr Lee

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3. Discrete-point vs. Integrative Tests

Another way of slicing the testing pie is to view tests as
lying along a continuum from discrete-point to integrative.
The distinction was originated by John B. Carroll (1961).
Discrete-point tests, as a variety of diagnostic tests, are
designed to measure knowledge and performance in very
restricted areas of the TL.
A test of ability to use correctly the perfect tenses of
English verbs or to supply correct prepositions in a cloze
passage termed as discrete-point test.
Integrative tests, on the other hand, are said to tap a
greater variety of language abilities concurrently and
have greater value in measuring overall language
proficiency.

Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

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3. Discrete-point vs. Integrative tests-2

Examples of integrative tests are random
cloze, dictation, oral interviews, and oral
imitation tasks.
Carrolls belief: should use tests that are
both discrete (i.e.. measure precise
analytical bits of language) and integrative
(i.e., measure connected discourse) while
maximizing our mix of language skills and
testing methods.
Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

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4. Criterion- or Domain-Referenced vs.

Norm-Referenced or Standardized tests
Criterion-referenced tests are usually devised before
instruction is designed.
Test must match teaching objectives perfectly thus
teach to the test would be permissible.
A criterion or cut-off score is set in advance (usually 80
to 90 percent of the total possible), and those who do not
meet the criterion are required to repeat the course.
SS not evaluated by comparison with the achievement of
other SS, but instead their achievement is measured
with respect to the degree of their learning or mastery of
the pre-specified content domain.

Dr Lee

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4. Criterion- or Domain-Referenced vs.

Norm-Referenced or Standardized tests 2

Norm-referenced or standardized tests

must have been previously administered
to a large sample of people from the target
population (e.g. > 1000).
Acceptable standards of achievement can
only be determined after the test has been
developed and administered.
Such standards are found by reference to
the mean or average score of other
students from the same population.
Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

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5. Speed Tests vs Power Tests

A pure Speed test is one in which items are so easy that
every person taking the test might be expected to get
every item correct, given enough of time.
But sufficient time is not provided, so examinees are
compared on their speed of performance rather than on
knowledge alone.
Power tests tests that allow sufficient time for every
person to finish, but contain such difficult items that few if
any examinees are expected to get every item correct.
Most tests somewhere between two extremes since
knowledge rather than speed is the primary focus, but
time limits are enforced since weaker SS may take
unreasonable periods of time to finish.
Dr Lee

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Other Test Categories

The few salient test categories mentioned
in the lecture by no means exhaustive.
The following Figure provides a partial
visual conceptualization of some types of
language tests.

Dr Lee

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Dr Lee

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Post-test 3

Why do we test?
Purpose of tests?
Types of assessments?
Types of measurements?
Types of testing?

Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

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Conclusion
1. Introduction to basic concepts in LTA
2. Relationships between teaching,
testing, and learning
3. Types of tests and assessments

Dr Lee

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Tutorial Tasks
1. Why do we test our Learners?
The question Why do we test our learners? may look
very simple and obvious. But think about it carefully and
you may find that there are several different answers.
Begin by making some notes yourself and then discuss
your thoughts about the question with other people in
your group. Prepare a group response.

Dr Lee

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Tutorial Tasks
2.What Do We Look for in a Good
Language Test?
How can we tell whether a test is a good
one or not?
Follow the same procedure make your
own notes, discuss your ideas with other
people in your group, and then prepare a
group response.
Dr Lee

TE30503 LTA Week 2

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