Types of testing

Tests can be categorized according the information that they provide. Tests give us the information that we need. There are four types of tests that we are going to mention they are: Proficiency tests, achievement tests, diagnostic tests, and placement tests.

Proficiency Tests

This test measures people’s ability in language and any kind of training that they might have in the language that they have learned, but  proficiency tests are not based on the content, they are based on a specification of what candidates are able to  do in the language to be considered “proficient”. An example of a proficiency test is the Cambridge First Certificate in English examination (CPE).

Achievement test

These tests are related to language courses; we use these tests to establish how successful students or groups of individuals or the courses have been in achieving objectives. There are two kind of achievement test: 1) final achievement test and 2) progress achievement test.

Final Achievement test is related to the content of the course with which it is concerned; also they are written by members of teaching institutions, ministries of education, etc. These tests are administered at the end of the courses. Some testers think that final achievement tests should be based on the books or material used during the course, but the problem would be if that material or the book were not chosen well or if the syllabus is badly designed.

One alternative to avoid this problem is to base the test content directly on the objective of the course.

Progress Achievement test. This test intends to measure what progress students are making.  We must remember that “progress” is towards the achievement of course objectives, so these tests should relate to objectives. To avoid any kind of problems because students could feel frustrated because their bad grades during these type of tests, teachers should establish well-defined short-term objectives and show the students a clear progressions towards the final test. An example of this test might be “pop quizzes” because such tests will not form part of formal assessment or any other test made by the teacher that leads students to the final objective.

Diagnostic test. This tests is used to identify learners weaknesses and strengths; the problem is that we, as teacher can create our diagnostic test with the objective of measuring a student’s learning process, but unfortunately, there are no good diagnostic test. It would be better to use a proficiency test if we really want to see the weak or strong areas of our students. As it was mentioned because the lack of good diagnostic tests to measure any specific area of learners there are possible tests that might help us that has been developed trough the computer system.  This interesting web- based development is called DIALANG, and was created to make diagnostic tests in many countries of Europe.

Direct versus indirect testing

Direct Testing. We use it when the candidate is required to perform precisely the skill that we wish to measure. If we need that our candidate to speak, write or do any other activity, we have to use the most authentic material or elements possible. The acts of speaking or writing provide us the necessary information about the candidate abilities, but also the candidate has to do the activities successfully. Although we can make our own direct test in a very valid and high reliable way, we still don’t have tests that accurately measure the abilities of candidates.

Indirect testing. It tries to measure the abilities that underlie the skills in which we are interested. An example of this exam is when you answer a test of pronunciation ability identifying pairs of words which rhyme with each other.

It is possible that the main appeal of indirect testing is that it offers the possibility of measuring a finite number of abilities instead of the large number of manifestation of them. An example of this test is the TOEFL because you might be reading a sentence and the objective is to find the wrong word, so automatically you are being evaluated in writing.

There exists another type of test which is called Semi-direct. This test although it is not direct stimulates direct testing. An example is the TOIC test, when somebody asks you a question and you answer while your voice is recorded.

Discrete point versus integrative testing

Discrete point testing, It refers to a te sting of one element at a time, item by item, example testing grammar we focus on one element after other and other. Discrete point test are always indirect.

Integrative testing: The candidate has to combine many languages elements in the task, example you are listening a play recorder taking notes. Integrative testing will tend to be direct.

Norm- reference versus criterion- referenced testing

Norm reference: It gives information about a candidate performance to the of other candidates, but we are not told what directly what the candidate is capable of doing in the language; for example, in your evaluation you are into the 10% who did the better than 100% who took it. Exam with this characteristic is the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) or the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency.

Criterion- referenced testing: The purpose of this test is to classify people according whether or not they are able to perform some task or set of task satisfactorily. This kind of test sets a meaningful standard for students.  Example: Berkshire German certificate. 

Objective testing versus subjective testing

Basically the difference between them is between methods of scoring. If we don’t have to judge one part of the scorer, then the scoring is objective. When there is a multiple choice test with correct responses unambiguously identify, that would be a case in point. If judgment is called for the scoring is said to be subjective.

Computer adaptive testing

This system of testing is an easy way to predict people performance of low ability on difficult topics simply by seeing their consistently incorrect responses in easy items. There is no need that strong candidates to attempt easy items the computer will predict everybody’s performance. We have to remember that computer adaptive testing offers a potentially more efficient way of collecting information on people’s abilities. This exam is done in the computer.

Communicative language testing

This kind of test wants to assess the communicative ability of the student, including reading and listening.