Testing and test construction part i mirna
- 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.
- 4. rs d teache rners an aknesses orm lea and we What are tests for? To inf rengths t o f the s ess. c of t he pro • 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.