Features of Good Language Tests

Features of Good Language Tests

Foreign Language tests of the type used in out schools and Language tests in general should have the following features:
1. Accuracy
By accuracy we mean the test paper should be free from grammatical, stylistic, spelling and punctuation errors. The test paper should be planned carefully and worded accurately.

2. Reliability
Reliability concerns the accuracy of measuring instrument. This is largely a technical matter. Other things being equal, the longer the test its, the more reliable it will be. A reliable test is the one which covers a wide range of materials. It is the one whose scores are stable. A reliable test demands a reliable scoring scheme by which the examiners can carry out the process of scoring with a maximum of objectivity.

3. Objectivity
Objectivity is a feature that enables two different scorers to give the same mark to the same student or students. An objective test is the one that rules out any personal feeling or subjective judgment on the part of the scorer.

4. Validity
Validity has to do with how well a test actually measures what it purports to measure. For example, a dictation or a composition test would not be valid for the purpose of testing pronunciation.

5. Practicality
Some tests cannot be administered because they are not practical. Tests that require the use of complicated machinery or those that cost a lot of money are not practical tests. An oral test would be impractical if it were to be administered to tens of thousands of testees on a nation – wide level.
And yet this is done. For example, by the examining boards in the United kingdom for the testing of French and German. In most cases it is not the oral test itself which is impractical but the local administrative machinery which is inadequate to deal with administration of the test.

Best Regards
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