Types of tests

Aptitude tests
1. They predict who will be a succesful language learner
2. They are based on factors which determine an individual´s ability to acquire a second foreign language
3. Cognitive abilities Implied (Carroll, 1981)
  1. Memorization, phonetic coding and recognition of grammatical analogies
4. Main characteristics
  1. They are large it takes a long time to administer and forward-looking.
Placement tests
1. They are used to make decisions about placing learners in an appropriate group.
2. They are based on a theory language proficency or on the learning objectives of the syllabus to be taken
3. Main Characteristics
  1. They are administred at the start of a course, they tend to be quick to administer and to mark. They are not reliable but students can be moved to the right level according their proficency.
Diagnostic Tests
1. They are used to determine the students´areas of strength and weakness in order to determine appropriate type and levels of teaching and learning activities
2. Main characteristics
  1. They are designed to provide detailed infromation about the content of a particular course or they are part of a general theory of language proficency
3. They can be based on theory or a syllabus
Progess Tests
1. They are used to provide feedback on the efectiveness of students' learning. Feedback is part of formative evaluation of a course
2. They provide feedback to teacher and learner to decide appropriate modifications to the programme
3. Main Characteristics
  1. They tests a small range of language, they are very informal and look back over recent work.
First generation tests
1. They are associated to grammar/translation approach to language learning.
2. Candidates are asked to complete questions, compositions, translations or answer activities devoid of context
3. They test grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, spelling, discourse structure,accuracy and fluency.
4. They have a subjective scoring derived from an experienced tester judgement.
Achievement Tests
1. They come at the end of a relatively long period of learning, and their content derives from the syllabus that has been taught over that period of time.
2. Main characteristics
  1. They may be internal, external, set by school or set by an examining body . They cover a wide range of language skills
3. examples of these tests
  1. KET, PET, FCE,CAE, CPE.
4. they may be used for a variety of purposes such promotion to a more advanced course, certification or to apply for a job
Proficency Tests
1. They look forward to a future language using situation. They are related to specific academic or professional situations where English is needed
2. They are based on a notional-functional syllabus of language study or on a theory of language proficency and specific language abilities to constitute language proficency
3. Main characteristics
  1. Large scale tests, used for selection in a university.They reflects the language requerimentsof the target situation level
4. Example: IELTS
Second Generation tests
1. Measure one item of language, known as a discrete point. ( example a verb, a preposition)
2. Test are very long
3. They developed techniques such objective and integrative, for example cloze tests.
Third generation tests
1. They test integrative language, they use subjective and objective testing formats.
2. Thay are part of CLT so they test items of real language use
3. They use contextualized and authentic techniques from real world situations.
4. More than one assessor is used to discuss and interpret ation of descriptors of performance in tests

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Types of tests

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	Created by mony dominguez almost 4 years ago