What makes a good test?

Question 1

Characteristics of a good test (11)

Answer 1

1) Reliable
2) Valid
3) Causing no negative effects
4) Showing the effectiveness of the teaching/learning items
5) Giving the students a sense of self-accomplishment
6) Putting stress on what students are able to do
7) Reflecting students actual level
8) Clear and direct instructions
9) Varied
10) Time = Length
11) Need students’ feedback

Question 2

Don’t forget… (8)

Answer 2

1) Assessing students’ performance
2) Form a positive attitude on the students towards tests
3) Sometimes not reflecting reality in your class
4) Not the only resource you have to see students’ progress
5) Prepare a portfolio of each student collecting writings and homework
6) Help students become aware of their strengths and weaknesses
7) Encourage them to keep a sort of diary with all their doubts and problems
8) Written and oral tests can be discouraging and cause loads of anxiety

Question 3

Validity Definition

Answer 3

Teach what is in the program (No more / No less)

Question 4

Validity Types

Answer 4

1) Content
2) Construct
3) Face

Question 5

Content validity

Answer 5

1) Does a test test what it is supposed to test?

2) Choose a selection of things to test what we think are representative of students’ ability in knowing language

Question 6

Construct validity

Answer 6

1) Establish what is valid (Is it wrong or right?)

2) Used to determine how well a test measures what it is supposed to measure

Question 7

Face validity

Answer 7

1) Transparency or relevance of a test as it appears to test participants
2) A test can be said to have face validity if it looks like it is going to measure what it is supposed to measure

Question 8

Reliability Definition

Answer 8

Its marking should be consistent, coherent, and objective

Question 9

Reliability Types

Answer 9

1) Test

2) Scorer

Question 10

Test Reliability

Answer 10

If it was possible to give the same person the same test at the same time, would the result be the same?

Question 11

Suggestions for test reliability

Answer 11

1) Make tests varied
2) Make tests familiar
3) Make instructions clear and at the appropriate level of language
4) Restrict the task

Question 12

Scorer reliability

Answer 12

If you gave the same test to two different people to mark, would they give the same score?

Question 13

Suggestions for scorer reliability

Answer 13

1) Multiple choice test is the most objective

2) Answer key or marking guide for an objective test

Question 14

Practicality

Answer 14

How practical a test is to administer

Question 15

Factors of Practicality

Answer 15

1) Time
2) Personnel
3) Space and equipment
4) Money

Question 16

Backwash

Answer 16

Effect that has a final test on the teaching programme that leads to it

Question 17

Form of evaluation

Answer 17

1) Norm-referenced testing
2) Criterion-referenced testing
3) Direct test items
4) Indirect test items
5) Discrete point testing
6) Integrative testing

Question 18

Norm-referenced testing purposes

Answer 18

1) Classify students
2) Highlight achievement differences between and among students to produce a dependable rank order of students across a continuum of achievement from high achievers to low achievers
3) Place students in remedial or gifted programs
4) Select students from different ability levels

Question 19

Norm-referenced testing ways in which content is selected

Answer 19

A representative group of students is given the test prior to its availability to the public.

Question 20

Criterion-referenced testing purpose

Answer 20

1) Determine what test takers can do and what they know, no how they compare to others
2) Report how well students are doing relative to a predetermined performance level on a specified set of educational goals or outcomes included in the school, district, or state curriculum.

Question 21

Direct test items definition

Answer 21

When the learner’s response involves actually performing the communicative skill or language recognition/production task that is being assessed

Question 22

Direct test items characteristics

Answer 22

1) Associated with the productive skills

2) There is an observable output that can be heard/seen.

Question 23

Indirect test items

Answer 23

1) Measure student knowledge and ability by getting at what lies beneath their receptive and productive skills
2) The design of procedures designed to tap into the enabling skills underpinning the macro skills results in indirect assessment devices of the skill in question

Question 24

Example of Indirect testing

Answer 24

Structure and Written Expression section in the TOEFL

Question 25

Discrete point testing definition

Answer 25

Assumes that language knowledge can be divided into a number of independent facts: elements of grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation, pronunciation, intonation, and stress

Question 26

Discrete point testing resources

Answer 26

Tested by pure items (multiple choice / fill in the blanks)

Question 27

Integrative testing definition

Answer 27

Argues that any realistic language use requires that coordination of many kids of knowledge in one linguistic event, and so uses items which combine those kinds of knowledge, like comprehension tasks, dictation, speaking and listening.

Question 28

Integrative testing risks

Answer 28

Ignoring the systematic relationship between language elements and accuracy of linguistic detail

Question 29

Integrative testing resources

Answer 29

Tested by exams of open-ended questions

Question 30

Types of tests

Answer 30

1) Proficiency
2) Achievement
3) Diagnostic
4) Placement

Question 31

Proficiency tests

Answer 31

Designed to measure people’s ability in a language regardless of any formal training they may had in that language

Question 32

Achievement tests

Progress / Final

Answer 32

Directly linked to language courses. Their purpose is to establish how successful students have been in achieving course objectives

Question 33

Diagnostic tests

Answer 33

Used to identify students strengths and weaknesses

Question 34

Placement tests

Answer 34

Provide information which help to place students in a certain stage in a language program

Question 35

Hybrid approach to test design

Answer 35

Make balance exams based on the topics that you are studying

Question 36

Language operation in naturalistic contexts

Answer 36

Lexical, grammatical, sociolinguistic as well as discourse features have to be tested as they would operate in naturalistic contexts

Question 37

Occurrence of natural language

Answer 37

Natural language occurs in discourse and in extralinguistic situational contexts, so test that embed these second language features should be given.

Question 38

Motivation of students | Materials

Answer 38

Students are more motivated if the materials seem relevant to their communicative needs

Question 39

Students should be concerned that…

Answer 39

Their instruments enable them to analyze students performance in terms of course objectives

Question 40

Convergent items

Answer 40

One right answer required

Question 41

Open-ended

Answer 41

Many possible answers

Question 42

Dichotomy of testing items

Answer 42

1) Sequences of single sentences or phrases unrelated to one another
2) Sequential, naturalistic disclosure