It is not easy to construct a good test to measure what you want. Writing good effective test items is a difficult job as it needs much practice and experience. These items must achieve many things to be considered good ones. The following are some. Functions of the Test Measuring achievement A test may be […]
Category: Testing and Assessment
How to Avoid Negative Effects of Tests on Students
Some educators argue against using tests saying that students study for tests only at the end of the semester or when the school year is about to finish while not work throughout the course and once the test has finished, students forget all that had been learned. Others added that students become focused on passing […]
Writing Effective Test Questions: The Definitive Guide. Now Released
I’d like to announce that my new eBook: “Writing Effective Test Items: The Definitive Guide” is now RELEASED. What is This eBook About? It is a practical guide to constructing effective test questions. It provides teachers with step-by-step instructions they need to go deeper, further and faster toward making a success in preparing effective classroom […]
How to Prepare Learners for ESL/EFL Exams
Most students who are studying English have to take an exam at the end of their course, others are planning to take a public examination in order to get a certificate which demonstrates their level of English. Whenever there is an exam involved, the teacher should consider doing the following things to prepare students for the exam. […]
Practical Guidelines for Developing Good EFL Test Items
Before providing you with some important guidelines for writing good EFL test items, I want to assure that you know the following terms used in testing. Test Blueprint (or Test Specifications) identifies the objectives and skills which are to be tested and the relative weight on the test given to each. Being aware of this […]
English Language Achievement VS. Proficiency Tests
Definition & Meaning “Achievement” is defined as how well students have learned or what they are expected to know. On the other hand, “proficiency” is the ability to do something very well. Take for example a driver’s test, the paper and pencil questions on the knowledge related to driving and traffic rules represent the achievement test, while a proficiency test determines […]
Top 7 Questioning Techniques in the Classroom
As a teacher, you always use questions in the classroom. There are lots of reasons for using them. You could use questions to: engage your students, check for understanding and comprehension, seek opinions, encourage creative and critical thinking, review information, help students see other ways of thinking. The techniques that you should use in questioning depends […]
12 Characteristics of a Good Language Test
A good test should be: 1- Valid: It means that it measures what it is supposed to measure. It tests what it ought to test. A good test which measures control of grammar should have no difficult lexical items. 2- Reliable: If it is taken again by ( same students, same conditions ), the score […]
Cambridge English Exams & How They Are Mapped to the CEFR
There are five main Cambridge English exams: Key English Test (KET), Preliminary English Test (PET), First Certificate in English (FCE), Certificate of Advanced English (CAE), and Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). These exams are designed to assess competency in English for learners of English as a second or foreign language. KET is the easiest of […]
Top 5 Characteristics of a Good Language Test
A good language test should have a positive effect on learning and teaching. Such a test should aim at specifying areas of difficulties experienced by the class or the individual students so that additional practice and corrective exercises can be given. A good language test should also measure students’ performance without setting “traps” for them. […]