Module 24
Assessment
What’s inside
• Continuous assessment
• In house test development
• ESP test questions
Assessment is a process of measuring, and
one formal method of measuring is to test.
Test vs. continuous assessment
Continuous
assessment
tests
How long is there?
Often no time limit
A set time limit
When is it done?
Over a period of time
One block of time
Where is it done?
In class, at home, in a
library
In classroom or hall
How is it done?
May be able to ask
questions, may discuss
with others, may use
books
Usually in silence,
usually own work,
may use dictionary
Who sets the tasks?
Teacher, teacher and
learner
Teacher or outsider
Who “grades’ the
work?
Teacher, learner, peers
Teacher or outsider
Teacher assessment
Continuous teacher assessment is important for
the feedback that both teacher and learner’s
receive.
Classroom tests
• Placement test
• Progress test
• Proficiency test
Characteristics of tests
C.A.R.E : (Comparability, Acceptability,
Relevance and Economy)
FAIR VP: (Fairness, Authenticity, Impact,
Reliability, Validity and Practicality).
In-house test development
What is being tested
Look at course objectives
materials and test specifications
Select what will be tested
Collect ideas for input,
questions to modify or
use as ‘models
Draft questions and answer key and mark
scheme
How well do the
questions work?
Circulate questions only for answers and
comments
Use responses to redraft questions,
adjust answer key and mark scheme
Does everyone and
everything agree?
Circulate redrafted questions
Repeat step 6 and then step 7 until
the answer is YES
Are we organized?
Type the question papers
Have the papers proofread
Check details again
Print/copy the papers
ESP Test Questions
There are no question types specific to ESP; what
my different is the frequency with which a
question type is used.
The advantage or disadvantage of different
question types in testing are thoroughly
discussed by Weir (1990, 1993)