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What Is Testing

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20 views

What Is Testing

Uploaded by

peepooabdo.3
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is testing?

Definition:

 “A test is an activity whose main purpose is to convey how well the test taker
knows or can do something”
 Language Testing is the practice and study of evaluating the proficiency of an
individual in using a particular language effectively.
 Evaluation: The broadest term; looking at all factors that influence the learning
process (syllabus, materials, learner achievements, etc.)
 Assessment: Part of evaluation; variety of ways of collecting information on
language ability or achievement
 Testing: Sub-category of assessment; formal, systematic procedure used to gather
information

1. Formative assessment: It’s an assessment with the purpose to check on students’


progress or to see how far they have mastered and what they should learn. All
kinds of informal and ongoing assessment are formative.
2. Summative assessment: It’s an assessment with the purpose to check on students’
progress or to see how far they have mastered and what they should learn. Final
exam is a summative assessment.

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1. Proficiency test: Proficiency tests are designed to measure people’s ability in
language, regardless any training they may have in that language. The content
of a proficiency test is not based on the content of the objectives of language
courses. It’s based on a specification of what candidates have to be able to do
in the language in order to be considered proficient.
2. Achievement test: The content of the course in achievement tests are directly
related to language courses. The purpose is being able to establish how
successful individual students, group of students and the course in achieving
the objectives. It is teacher-produced. It is administered at various stages
throughout a course to see what students have learned; achievement tests are
generally administered at mid- and end-point of the semester
 There are two kinds of achievement tests:
a. Final achievement test: It’s administered at the end of a course. The
content of the test must be related to the courses with which they are concerned
and should be based directly on a detailed course syllabus or the books and
other materials used. The disadvantages:

i. If the syllabus, the books and other materials are badly designed, the
result of a test can be very misleading.

ii. Successful performance on the test may not truly indicate successful
achievement of course objectives.

• b. Progress achievement test: it is narrower in focus

3. Diagnostic test: It’s used to identify learners’ strengths and weaknesses. It’s
intended primarily to ascertain what learning still needs to take place. For example, a
test in pronunciation might diagnose the phonological features of English that are
difficult for learners.
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4.Placement test: It’s intended to provide information that will help to place
students at the stage of the teaching programme most appropriate to their abilities.
Typically, it’s used to assign students to classes at different levels.

5. Direct and Indirect testing: direct testing requires the candidate to perform
precisely the skill that we wish to measure. Direct testing is easier to carry out when it
is intended to measure the productive skills of speaking and writing.

Indirect testing attempts to measure the abilities underlying the skills in which we
are interested.

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