Criteria of Good Language Test Unit III

 

A language assessment typically seeks to assess the comprehensive knowledge a student has acquired about a language, encompassing all four essential skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The examination must align with the designated syllabus and employ clear and straightforward language. The questions should strike a balance, being neither overly challenging nor overly simple. Hence, the importance of a robust language evaluation process is paramount. Achieving this necessitates a well-designed language test that incorporates all the relevant attributes.The criteria of a good language test are:

Validity:- It suggests that a test should align with its intended testing objectives. To put it simply, the validity of a test refers to how accurately it measures what it is designed to measure

Validity is of three types:

(a) Face Validity, When someone looks at the test, even at a quick glance, they should be able to recognize its relevance and connection to what has been taught during the course or learning process. In other words, the test items should reflect the knowledge and skills that were taught, making it apparent that the test is an appropriate measure of what the students were expected to learn. When there is a strong match between the test and the teaching content, the validity of the test is enhanced.

Face Validity

 Lowest level of determining validity of the test.

Degree to which a test appears to measure what it claims to measure.

Looking into the question items.

 (b) Content Validity, which means the test should contain questions on every important content in appropriate proportion so that nothing remains unchecked.

It is degree to which a test measures an indented area The other names of content validity are rational validity/logical validity/curricular /internal/intrinsic validity.

Ex.   A test  is designed to measure knowledge of biology facts would have good items validity if all the items are relevant to biology but poor sampling validity if the test items are about vertebrates only .

 

(c) Empirical Validity, also known as statistical validity, attempts to empirically validate the test by co-relating the scores of the students with their scores on the criterion test.

Reliability:- Reliability in the context of testing refers to the consistency or stability of test scores. If a test is reliable, it means that if the same individual takes the test multiple times under similar conditions, the results obtained should be highly consistent or very similar each time, regardless of any minor changes in circumstances. In other words, the test should yield reliable and reproducible outcomes.

Usability:- This aspect pertains to the pragmatic considerations of the test. Several practical factors need to be taken into account when creating a language test. For instance, the test's length should strike a balance between being neither overly long nor excessively short. It should also be designed for easy administration. Additionally, scorability is a crucial factor that demands significant attention during test preparation.

Objectivity:- test can be considered objective when each of its questions has a clear and precise answer, leaving no room for differing opinions among examiners. The efficiency of an objective test lies in its ability to ensure that the personal thoughts or biases of the examiner do not influence the evaluation or results. The evaluation process should be entirely free from subjectivity. Therefore, a test should strive to maximize its objectivity. In this context, Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) or Objective Type Questions are highly advantageous as they eliminate subjective elements in the examination process.

Comprehensiveness:- The questions asked in an examination should aim to encompass both the core content knowledge and the related qualities or skills associated with the subject being tested.This approach guarantees that all aspects of the measured or tested ability are thoroughly evaluated and nothing essential is overlooked. By covering a diverse range of relevant topics and skills, the examination can provide a more holistic view of the individual's capabilities and understanding in the given subject.

Feasibility-The test should be practical and easy to administer, considering factors such as time constraints, available resources, and the number of test takers

.