Assessment

proficiency test

A test taken to assess candidates' language ability regardless of any course of study. E.g. IELTS, FCE, CAE etc.

progress test

A test used during a course in order to assess the learning up to a particular point in the course.

PET

Preliminary English Test - Cambridge English Exam

constructed response

a written response to a prompt (usually a paragraph) which directly addresses the question or petition in the prompt and provides specific evidence with explanations for support

TOEFL

Test of English as a Foreign Language - standardized test used by universities to measure level of English

backwash (washback)

The effect that knowledge of the contents of a test may have on the course which precedes it. It may be positive or negative.

content validity

The extent to which the items on a test are representative of the entire domain the test seeks to measure.

indirect testing

a candidate is tested on abilities which underlie the skill we wish to measure

summative assessment

also known as assessment of learning, which involves the summarising of students' progress at particular points in time for: reporting, monitoring and evaluation of progress. Summative assessment is usually administered at the end of a course, and is often used as a way of deciding whether students can move on to a higher level. Because it tends to be administered at the end of a learning programme, a lot of the information gained from the summative assessment does not feed back into the learning process and is therefore often wasted.

diagnostic assessment

identifies a student's strengths and weaknesses, helps provide a detailed student profile and highlights what further teaching is required. It is usually carried out at the beginning of a course.

peer assessment

is a process whereby students grade assignments or tests for each other based on a teacher's benchmarks. The practice is employed to save teachers time and improve students' understanding of course materials as well as improve their metacognitive skills.

norm-referenced test

is a type of test, assessment which estimates the position of the tested individual in a predefined population, regarding the thing being measured, i.e. measuring a learner's performance by comparing their score with that of other learners. Assigning scores on this kind test may be described as relative grading, marking on a curve or grading on a curve.

norm-referenced testing

is a type of test, assessment which estimates the position of the tested individual in a predefined population, regarding the thing being measured, i.e. measuring a learner's performance by comparing their score with that of other learners. Assigning scores on this kind test may be described as relative grading, marking on a curve or grading on a curve.

formative assessment

is also known as assessment for learning (AfL), which helps both students and teachers to review progress. Practice in a classroom is formative to the extent that evidence about student achievement is elicited, interpreted, and used by teachers, learners, or their peers, to make decisions about the next steps. eg: ask students to: draw a concept map in class to represent their understanding of a topic, submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture, or turn in a research proposal for early feedback.

integrative language testing

is based on the unitary trait hypothesis, which states that language is indivisible. It attempts to assess a learner's capacity to use many parts of language all at the same time. Two common integrative language assessments include cloze test and dictation.

informal assessment

is collecting information about students' performance in the normal classroom environment, without establishing test conditions. Informal assessment involves strategies such as: observing students' behaviour and interactions and listening to what they say. measuring observational evidence against assessment criteria (sometimes phrased as 'can do' statements). encouraging students to reflect on their progress, and to think together about how to improve.

face validity

is simply whether the test appears (at face value) to measure what it claims to. A Test where the purpose is obvious, even to naïve respondents, is said to have high face validity.

self-assessment

is the ability to assess one's own progress, which is seen as crucial in the development of autonomy as a learner. The accuracy of self-assessment increases when learners are given clear descriptors of language ability to use. The Common European Framework provides such descriptors in the form of can do statements, e.g. I can express myself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.

placement assessment

is used to assign students to classes at different levels. Entry/Placement tests are one of the most frequent assessment activities for initial assessment. They can be paper-based or computer-based. If computer-based (CBT), then they tend to be computer-adaptive (i.e. the test adapts to the examinee's ability level by successively selecting questions based on what is known about the examinee from previous questions).

fixed response

items on a survey that allow only for prescribed answers

subjective testing

some judgment is required by the scorer during the scoring process

criterion-referenced test

uses test scores to generate a statement about the behavior that can be expected of a person with that score by assessing a learner's performance based on a list of criteria. Examples include Advanced Placement exams and the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which are both standardized tests administered to students throughout the United States.

direct testing

when the test actually requires the candidate to demonstrate ability in the skill being sampled

discrete-point testing

works on the assumption that language can be reduced to several components and these components can be tested. Examples of discrete-point test items in language testing include multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and spelling. Consists of several items, each of which tests a single point of knowledge at a time (e.g. a test in which each part tests a different grammatical structure). If we want to know if a learner can recognise or produce a specific language item, then we use discrete item techniques. Such tests are usually objective and require short answers.

discrete-point testing

works on the assumption that language can be reduced to several components and these components can be tested. Examples of discrete-point test items in language testing include multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and spelling. This test consists of several items, each of which tests a single point of knowledge at a time (e.g. a test in which each part tests a different grammatical structure). If we want to know if a learner can recognise or produce a specific language item, then we use discrete item techniques. Such tests are usually objective and require short answers.

collaborative assessment

or co-assessment, is concerned with measuring how effectively learning is occurring, which is undertaken by students in conjunction with teachers.

TOEIC

reading and listening test for Reading and Listening in the workplace

reliability

refers to how well a score represents an individual's ability, and ensures that assessments accurately measure student knowledge. Because reliability refers specifically to score, a full test or rubric cannot be described as reliable or unreliable.

BEC

Business English Certificate from Cambridge

BULATS

Business Language Testing Service is a flexible online tool that assesses English language skills for business, industry and commerce

CAE

Cambridge Advanced English Exam

CPE

Cambridge English Proficiency exam

FCE

First Cambridge English Exam

ICFE

International Certificate in Financial English is a high-level qualification between B2-C1 level and was developed for accountancy and finance professionals.

IELTS

International English Language Test for work, study, migrate to another country, reading, writing, speaking and listening

ILEC

International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) was a high-level English language qualification for lawyers. The ILEC exam was discontinued in December 2016.

KET

Key English Test is the easiest of Cambridge English exams

objective testing

Multiple-choice, matching, true/false, short-answer, and fill-in tests; scoring answers does not require interpretation.

formal assessment

carried out under test conditions, is the systematic, pre-planned tests that measure what and how well the students have learned.