Lorena Reyes

Testing and Evaluation

09 Mar 15

Tasks to produce language as an evidence of

ability.

Learners do not get support with tests.

Test items have to be clear, simple and unambiguous.

They are expected to be valid and reliable.

The method effect.

Cloze tests

• There might be a form of “short-text” reading.

Multiple-choice tests

• Students can make incorrectinterpretations.

• May not be good at testing someabilities.

Use more than one test method for testing any ability.

What an item is actually testing?

Every “correct” answer must be checked with

coleagues.

Which is the odd one out?

A rabbit

B hare

C bunny

D deer

D is the odd one out

But: C, because it is in “baby-langauge”

“Why hasn’t your mother come?”

“Well, she said she________leave the baby

A can’t

B won’t

C couldn’t

D mayn’t

There may be more

than one acceptable

answer according to

what is taught in a

textbook

Multiple-choice items should be presented in context

Select the option closest in meaning to the word underlined

Come back soon

A shortly

B later

C roday

D tomorrow

Fill in the blank with the most suitable option:

Visitor: Thank you very much for such a wonderful visit.

Hostess: We were so glad you come. Come back ______

A soon

B later

C roday

D tomorrow

The correct alternative should not look so different

from the distractors.

Select the option closest in meaning to the word underlined:

He began to choke while he was eating the fish.

A die

B cough and vomit

C be unable to breath because of something in

his windpipe

D grow very angry

Items must test what they are intended to test.

(After a text about trees)

Who gets food from trees?

A only man

B only animals

C man and animals

True/False or Yes/No items

• Include a third category: not given or does not say.

Matching

• Give more alternatives than the matching task requires

Ordering tasks

• More than one answer might be acceptable

• Marking is difficult.

Editing

• Make sure there is only one mistake per line.

Gap-filling

• Provide more options than gaps in the text.

• The marking is difficult if more than one option isacceptable.

Cloze

• Words are deleted mechanically. Every sixth wordmight be removed.

• There may be many possible answers.

C-Test

• Every second word is deleted, and half of eachdeleted word remains in the text to give a clue to thelearner.

…Ore another th_____ can he_____ scientists est_____ when…

Dictation

• Time consuming and boring to mark.

• Make learners fill in the gap as they listen.

Short-answer questions

• Answers from a word or phrase to one or twosentences.

• Clear instructions must be given.

Complete the following sentence, using the correct form of the verb “to

be”:

I_________________________ here since yesterday.

Write two sentences containing “since”.

Compositions and essays

• Terminology

• Lenght

• Register

• Marking system

Travel broadens the mind. (J. Smith) Discuss.

Write a formal essay for your English teacher saying whether you

agree with the saying, “Travel broadens the mind”

You should write about 200 to 250 words.

Marks will be given for:

1. Structure of the essay, e.g. the use of paragraphs (20%)

2. 2. claruty of argument (20%)

3. ……….

Summaries

• Poor summaries: poor comprehension or poor writing skills?

• Marking can be difficult.

Oral interviews

• Topics may require limited vocabulary.

• Interviews need to be carefully structured.

Information-gap activities

• Difficult to construct.

• They should be pretested.

•Respond

•Reflect

•Compare