1.

​ Assessment & Evaluation

●​ A proficiency test is devised to measure how much of a language
Evaluation is a process of judging or determining a person’s performance or someone has learned. It is not linked to any particular course of
abilities at workplaces or in educational institutions and so on. In English instruction, but measures the learner‟s general level of language mastery.
language teaching also, the process of evaluation determines the level of the Most English language proficiency tests base their testing items on high
students. English language teachers need to focus on the achievement of the frequency-count vocabulary and general basic grammar. Some
students through constant evaluation. As it is applicable to the English language, proficiency tests have been standardized for worldwide use, such as the
it is applicable to the other subjects also. well-known American tests, the TOEFL, and the English Language
Proficiency Test (ELPT)3 which are used to measure the English
Assessment is the process of identifying the weaknesses or mistakes of the language proficiency of foreign students intending further study at
learners through evaluation and correcting them in a proper way for the English-speaking institutions, namely the USA.
betterment of students’ learning and their language skills. Assessment is the ●​ It is not based on a fixed or particular syllabus. Its main target is whether
process of identifying the weaknesses or mistakes of the learners through the learner can apply and handle the real life communicative situation
evaluation and correcting them in a proper way for the betterment of students’ outside of the classroom. Every time the learners have to communicate
learning and their language skills. with new people, with new situations. So, this test justifies whether the
learner is proficient in different situations, or not.
●​ Suppose, a student wants to take admission in a university in the USA
Evaluation Assessment and the university wants that student to qualify the TOEFL exam. In the
USA, the TOEFL exam is mandatory because they want to check whether
Definition ​ Evaluation is a process of judging Assessment is the recording and interpreting the learner is able to communicate in their country, or not. The TOEFL
someone based on their of various data to obtain an appropriate test falls under the category of Proficiency test. Because it justifies that
importance, knowledge, and merit measure of skills, knowledge, and attitude to
the learner is proficient to continue the purpose of communicative skill,
using rules and methods. improve the individual’s overall performance.
or not. Proficiency test helps to develop the eligibility of a learner. It is a
non-exhausted test where performances are predictable.
Continuation Means of ending an ongoing or This is a long-term process that continues. ●​ Proficiency tests are not confined to any specific course or curriculum
of the process existing process.
and measure general language competence. Proficiency tests measure
Result The result mainly highlights the The result is always constructive feedback. general language ability and desire to prepare testees for a particular
areas for improvement. communicative role
●​ Such tests are impersonal in nature. It helps to expose the present status
Criteria Decided solely by the evaluator. Decided by both parties involved in the
evaluation process by agreement. of the learner. In proficiency test, no attention is paid to formal structure.
These tests are designed only to evaluate entry level proficiency and are
Standards of Comparative. This helps to Absolute. It strives to achieve the most not the tools for the judgement of ability or achievement. These test can
Measurement understand the distinction between essential outcome. be conducted on the vast scale and have a little possibilities of the past
better and worse.
abilities of the student. In entrance tests such proficiency tests are
conducted to know the ability. In English Language Teaching courses,
2.​ Types of tests based on their purpose objective type and multiple choice questions related to Grammar and
Vocabulary can be designed for such type of Assessment.
a)​ Proficiency Tests
 succeed. Language aptitude tests usually consist of several different test
a)​ Achievement Tests items which measure such abilities as: Sound-coding ability, i.e. the
ability to identify and remember new sounds in a new language.
●​ An achievement test, also referred to as attainment or summative test, are Grammar-coding ability, i.e. the ability to identify the grammatical
devised to measure how much of a language someone has learned with functions of different parts of sentences. Inductive-learning ability, i.e.
reference to a particular course of study or programme of instruction, e.g. the ability to work out meanings without explanation in the new
end-of-year tests designed to show mastery of a language. An language. Memorization, i.e. the ability to remember and to recall words,
achievement test might be a listening comprehension test based on a patterns, rules in the new language.
particular set of situational dialogues in a textbook. The test has a twofold ●​ Aptitude tests are invented to measure a test taker's capacity and ability to
objective: 1) To help the teachers judge the success of their teaching. 2) learn a foreign language and success
To identify the weaknesses of their learners. ●​ The Aptitude Tests are not of past and present. They are concerned with
●​ Achievement tests are tests that are limited to particular material covered the future possibilities of tastees and have nothing to do with the learned
in a curriculum within a particular time frame. In other words, they are earlier. It helps to judge the natural ability of looking at the signs.
designed primarily to measure individual progress rather than as a means
of motivating or reinforcing language. Ideally, achievement tests are c)​ Diagnostic Test
rarely constructed by classroom teachers for a particular class.
●​ It is based on a particular syllabus but it cannot ensure the learners’ future ●​ As its name denotes, a diagnostic test is primarily designed to diagnose
performances. This kind of test is just a gateway of eligibility to get a some particular linguistic aspects. Diagnostic tests in pronunciation, for
particular job or admission. For example, a student has taken admission example, might have the purpose of determining which particular
in a M.A. course and he/she knows that there is a syllabus to follow phonological features of the English language are more likely to pose
during his/her course. At the end of the period, the student has to sit for problems and difficulties for a group of learners.
the exam. And finally at the end of the course the student will get a ●​ Basically, diagnostic language tests have a three- fold objective: 1. To
degree. So, this is a kind of Achievement test because there is a sense of provide learners with a way to start learning with their own personal
achievement but there is no guarantee. learning programme or what would be called in the literature of testing
●​ Such tests help to find out the level of acquisition of the skills of students learning paths. 2. To provide learners with a way to test their knowledge
being communicated through teaching. Such tests are essentially related of a language. 3. To provide learners with better information about their
to the assessment of formal courses. To administer these tests, the teacher strengths and weaknesses.
must make them a sort of common scheme of work. The achievement ●​ Ideally, diagnostic tests are designed to assess students' linguistic
tests are fruitful to make predictions regarding failure in learning and knowledge (knowledge of and about the language) and language skills
handling of material. Achievement tests are useful only for the promotion (listening, speaking, reading and writing) before a course is begun.
of the students for the next level. ●​ One of the main advantages of a diagnostic test is that it offers useful
pedagogical solutions for mixed-ability classes
b)​ Aptitude Tests ●​ It tests the shortcomings, negative qualities and positive qualities of a
learner. In an educational ambiance, it is important for both the teacher
●​ A language aptitude test tends to measure a learner's aptitude for and the learner to know where they stand. The learner should give more
language learning, be it second or foreign, i.e. students performance in a time to work on his/her shortcomings, and the teacher should also think
language. Thus, it is used to identify those learners who are most likely to that his/her students may need some remedial classes for the betterment
 of their learning. So, it can be said that the Diagnostic test is a kind of to assess the level of reading and writing skills of entering undergraduate
improvement test. students so that they can be placed in appropriate courses. Those
●​ Diagnostic tests are developed to diagnose a particular aspect of language undergraduate students who do not demonstrate college or
which test-takers need to build. They aim to determine the testees’ university-level skills will be directed to remedial courses or programmes
weaknesses and strengths in this aspect to help them attain these skills.
●​ Diagnostic Tests are also very significant in English language courses. It
is not a test of ability. The test seeks to classify and to identify 4. Qualities of a fair test
shortcomings in a learner's abilities. It set the ground to modify the
teaching skills to improve the level of acquisition in the learner. It works ❖​Validity
as a feedback essential for the formation of remedial teaching. In
diagnostic tests, one can take into consideration both past and present ●​ Validity of a test refers to its truthfulness. It refers to the extent to which a
with a view for better performance in future. test measures what it actually wishes to measure. Suppose we want to
know whether a Numerical Reasoning Test is valid. If it really measures
3. Placement Test the reasoning ability, the test can be said to be valid.
●​ It is meant to test the objective it aims to test. For example, the objectives
●​ The placement is determined by the judgement of the merits of the of teaching English are to give learning experiences to students to acquire
learners. Though it is not so popular in India but placement test is language skills. But in most tests, the skills are not tested. Students can
vehemently used by countries, like Singapore, USA. In case of this test, get through the examination by memorizing some passages. It is because
the performance of the learner is never static. The judgement is done in a of this, our graduates also are not able to use English, after having studied
very short time. There is a tendency of taking challenges among the English for many years.
learners as they have to improve their level of performance. So, ●​ A test is valid when it measures what it sets out to measure
placement of the learners according to their merits is a very much
scientific process. ​Types of valid test -
●​ placement tests are intended to assign testees to a program by their a)​ Face Validity
knowledge and abilities. These tests are planned to get information about ●​ It is a very simple one but it is not based on any scientific criterion, but it
test-takers to place them in the most appropriate program. They are is important nevertheless. Face validity deals with what the teachers and
generally for new students. These tests consist of items from the learners think of a test.
curriculum, they have content validity. Ideal placement tests should be ●​ Face validity refers to whether a test seems to be suitable and appropriate
neither easy nor difficult and should serve a diagnostic purpose. as to what is measured. Face Validity is 'if it seems as if it measures what
Placement tests give the opportunity to classify the academically similar it is supposed to measure
students together. ●​ As an example of face validity in a grammar test, vocabulary knowledge
●​ A placement test, as its name implies, is originally designed to place should not be tested; hence, the vocabulary ought not to be challenging.
learners at an appropriate level in a programme or course. Similarly, in a vocabulary test grammar should be simple.
●​ Various types of testing procedures such as dictation, interview or a ●​ Face validity is the appearance of validity the extent to which a test looks
grammar test (discrete or integrative) can be used for placement purposes. like it measures what it is supposed to, but without any empirical
The English Placement test (EPT), which is a well-known test in evidence that it does. There is no statistical measure of face validity, and
America, is an illustrative example of this test-type. The EPT is designed
 there is no generally accepted procedure for determining that a test does in a general way, if a measuring instrument measures consistently, it is
or does not demonstrate face validity. reliable. For example, a test is administered in English to the students of
●​ Example: a grammar test should test the grammar not the vocabulary. class VI. In this test, Ram scores 50. After a few days, the same test is
Thus, in the grammar test, the vocabulary should be easy and vice versa. administered and Ram scores 50. Here, the test is reliable because there is
consistency in the result.
b)​ Content Validity ●​ A test should not give different results in different situations. If so, the
●​ It deals with what goes into a test. ‘The content of a test should be test doesn't have reliability.
finalised after deciding what is to be assessed and then specifying the ●​ It means the objectivity of the test. A good test should be reliable when it
content.’ It clarifies the exact areas which are going to be tested. In other is only objective. If the testing and evaluation process is subjective, there
words, content validity discusses that the good questions should be will be some kind of tendency of being biased and prejudiced. Suppose
uniformly distributed someone measures his/her waistline with an elastic tape, the measurement
●​ Content validity is an attempt to demonstrate that the content of a test is a will not be appropriate. So, reliability means objectivity as well as
specimen from the domain to be tested. Content validity is a system in dependability. Because, the testing system should not be elastic. If it will
which the relationship between test items and the purpose of the test is be elastic, the testing system will be unreliable, undependable and
created. Each question item is supposed to match to the indicated content subjective.
area ●​ Reliability is defined as the consistency of test scores. Namely, reliability
●​ Namely, a test has content validity when it includes the correct samples of is getting the same results from the same test on different occasions and
appropriate structure. days
●​ Content validity is the extent to which the selection of tasks one observes ●​ External test factors, such as health, lack of interest, de-motivation, and
in a test taking situation is representative of the larger set of tasks of negative situations in the testing environment should be decreased to
which the test is assumed to be a sample. A test needs to have a increase reliability. The more minimised these various factors which are
representative sample of the teaching/ instructional contents as defined not related to language ability, the more maximised reliability is created.
and covered in the curriculum In other words, the less these elements affect test scores, the more
●​ To strengthen content validity, test-makers should always follow the excellent achieved the reliability of language scores
explicit test specifications, which are published by the authorities at
university. All course objectives and the contents that need to be tested ​Types of reliability
are listed in the specification. After finishing a test, test-makers should a)​ Mark - Remark/ Scorer Reliability
compare the actual test against the list to see how representative the test ●​ It is also known as Score Reliability. In that case, whenever the learners
items are. For example, if an essay writing course aims to teach how to are not satisfied with our results, we place it for a review. Because, the
write introduction, body, and conclusion, yet the test includes only the learner or the examinee may not be satisfied after marking. If the marks
introduction and the conclusion, the content validity of this test is are not satisfied, that means there is a loss of reliability. So, there should
affected. have been Mark-Remark Reliability. Whether examiner A or B examines
the paper, there should be some kind of clarity and consistency.
❖​Reliability
b)​ Test - Retest Reliability
●​ Reliability means the consistency of a measuring instrument (how ●​ It is a very critical concept. It is a measure of reliability which is obtained
accurately it measures). It refers to the faithfulness of the test. To express by the administration. The same test twice over a period of time to a
 group of individuals. The scores from first time to second time can be ●​ The problem arises here when the objectives of the course done during
correlated in order to evaluate the test for stability over time. So, any the study year differ from the objectives of the test. As a result we will
good test should have reliability. And more importantly, we should give have a negative backwash, e.g. the students were taught to write a review
prominence both, validity as well as reliability, though it is difficult to of a film, but during the test they are asked to write a letter of complaint.
maintain these in a balanced way for an examination. However, unfortunately, the teacher has not planned and taught that.
●​ Backwash or washback refers to the influence or reaction of testing on
❖​Practicality teaching (including teaching and learning) in the field of education.
●​ The "backwash effect," also known as the "washback effect," refers to the
●​ ‘Usability’ refers to the practicability of the test. In the teaching–learning impact of language testing on teaching and learning in English language
situation, by usability we mean the degree to which the test (or the education. This influence can be either positive (beneficial) or negative
measuring tool) can be successfully used by teachers and school (damaging), affecting how teachers teach and how students learn.
administrators. ●​ Positive Backwash - Occurs when a test encourages good teaching
●​ This issue is related to practical issues. A good test is not only concerned practices. For instance, an oral proficiency test might incentivize teachers
with the question paper, not only concerned with the awardees but also to focus more on speaking skills. Example : tests that accurately reflect
concerned with the management issues. The students will have to answer the skills needed for communication in a particular context can encourage
the questions in a proper time, and this proper time will be also more communicative teaching practices.
maintained by the evaluator to check the script. So, the testing should be ●​ Negative Backwash - Happens when a test's content or format constrains
practical in terms of time management, in terms of answering the the teaching/learning context. For example, a test that only focuses on
question, in terms of evaluation, in terms of manpower, in terms of multiple-choice writing might discourage teachers from emphasizing the
scoring, in terms of processing, in terms of administration and in terms of writing skill itself. Example : Teaching solely to prepare students for a
interpretation of the results. specific test, rather than focusing on overall language skills.
●​ For example, in a 10th standard board examination, if the oral based
examination starts to be valid, then it will need lots of manpower, time 5. Relation between reliability and validity
and money. Not only that the results will not be published in a particular
time, there will be some kinds of serious problems. So this is related to ●​ There is a close link between validity and reliability. Validity is important
practicality, it is related to idealistic issues. Practically, though this kind since it is the most important feature of a test, while reliability is a
of examination is possible but it is not visible. So, practicality refers to necessary condition of validity.
the acceptability of the test. ●​ Validity as a prior requirement of a good test. He also states that
everything to make a test reliable must be done to create a valid test. If a
❖​Backwash Effect test is not reliable, it cannot be valid
●​ Reliability is the precondition for validity. Similar to his definition about
●​ Backwash Effect is the effect of testing on the teaching and learning reliability, Validity is “the consistency of two attempts to measure the
process. It could be both negative and positive. Hughes believes that if same traits through different methods.
the test is considered to be a significant element, then preparation for it ●​ Before being valid, a test must be reliable. On the other hand in
will occupy the most of the time and other teaching and learning activities comparison validity and reliability in that Practicality and reliability are
will be ignored. particularly significant in norm-referenced placement and proficiency
 tests, whereas in criterion-referenced testing the most prominent role is time). Objective test is also known as discrete point test that means the
given to validity. test is conducted discretely one item by another item.
●​ Scientific and fair tests should have high reliability and validity. The ●​ Some major types of objective tests are – True or False with supportive
higher the reliability of the test, the more objectively and accurately it statements, MCQ, Matching, Completion and Rearrangement or
reflects the language competence of the subjects; and the higher the Transformation.
validity of the test, the more effectively it reflects the language use and ●​ The discrete-point test, also called discrete-item test, is a language test
communicative competence of the subjects. However, it has been found which measures knowledge of individual language items, such as a
that contradiction and opposition are the main characteristics of the grammar test which has different sections on tenses, adverbs and
relationship between reliability and validity. Validity requires language prepositions.
testing to emphasize the integrity, artistry, diversity of test subjects, and ●​ Discrete-point tests are based on the theory that language consists of
the content and form of the test as close as possible to the reality of different parts such as speech sounds, grammar and vocabulary, and
language use. The requirement of reliability makes language testing different skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing, and these
emphasize the scientific nature of language, divide language into different are made up of elements that can be tested separately. Tests consisting of
parts, pay attention to the homogeneity of test questions, and make the multiple-choice questions are usually regarded as discrete point tests.
content and form of language testing divorce from the reality of language ●​ Discrete point-testing only tests on thing at a time such as asking students
use. Therefore, it is difficult for any test to have both high reliability and to choose the correct tense of a verb
high validity. At present, the linguistic tests in educational circles tend to
be too standardized and scientific, and to pursue the reliability of the tests b)​ Subjective Tests
unilaterally and excessively, at the expense of the validity of the tests.
●​ As a proficiency test to monitor the teaching quality of maritime English, ●​ Subjective type tests include short answer type questions and essay type
the certificate test of maritime English has made positive and correct questions. Short answer type questions test mainly the semantic aspect of
exploration in the field of parallel development of reliability and validity. the content and the ability to recall by the pupils. Essay type questions
The increase of assessment examination and the test of both listening and are mainly used to know how well and deep the student knows the
conversation have ensured the high reliability of the test and the high particular topic of the subject.
efficiency of the test. It has played a positive role in the professional ●​ It is non impressionistic in nature. There is a lot of scope of being biased
teaching of maritime English. Backwash effect. scoring. It tests multiple skills at a time as well as multiple levels of
language at a time. Subjective test is also known as an integrative test
6. Different types of Testing techniques based on scoring because it tests so many skills of a learner at a time.
●​ Some major types of subjective tests are- Short-answer type, Essay type,
a)​ Objective Tests Translation and interview.
●​ An integrative test is one which requires a learner to use several skills at
●​ Objective type questions are used to test the knowledge of the student the same time.
about the topic and the subject. ●​ An essay-writing is an integrative test because it leans heavily on the
●​ It is non-exhaustive in nature. There is hardly any scope of biased knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and rules of discourse
scoring. It tests one skill at a time and also one particular level at a time ●​ Integrative test items expect students to use a variety of language at any
(that means it may test phonology, grammar or vocabulary in a particular one given time – as they will have to do when writing a composition or
doing a conversational oral test
 that learners must fill. Deletion can be done through a fixed-ratio or rational
c)​ Pragmatic Tests procedure.

●​ It is practical in terms and but not always scientific in nature. It evaluates a)​ Rational Deletion - This method focuses on deleting words that are
the real life communication of a learner. crucial for understanding the text, such as key vocabulary, grammatical
●​ Pragmatic Tests are of two types - structures, or words that are difficult to guess. This approach is designed
i) Cloze Test to be more challenging for learners because the deleted words are more
●​ This is a technique used to measure reading comprehension and general difficult to predict. Its purpose is to assess specific language skills, such
language ability. This is originated to assess the difficulty level of reading as understanding vocabulary, grammar, or discourse coherence. It is done
passages for the native speakers. The cloze test is derived from the by deleting words based on their significance in the text. It can be More
‘gestalt theory’. Though it looks like an objective test, that is not true. It challenging and may be more indicative of the learner's language
cannot create any answer key. Under this type, two types of scoring proficiency. However it can be more complex to create and score.
procedure are used; the exact word method and the appropriate or b)​ Fixed - Ratio Deletion - This involves deleting words at regular
acceptable word method. intervals, such as every 5th, 7th, or 8th word. This method is simple to
●​ A cloze test, also alternately referred to as cloze procedure, consists of a apply and is often used in Cloze tests. It is used to assess general reading
set of techniques for measuring, for example, reading comprehension. In comprehension and vocabulary. It deletes words at regular intervals. It is
a cloze test words are removed from a reading passage at regular simple to create and score. However it may not adequately assess the
intervals, leaving blanks. For example every fifth word may be removed difficulty of understanding the specific context or grammatical structures.
●​ The cloze test can also be used to judge the difficulty of reading
materials. If the cloze procedure is being used for language testing, the 8. Merits & Demerits of Objective Tests
test-taker is given a score according to how well the words guessed match
the original words, or whether or not they make sense ❖​Merits

ii) Dictation ●​ Can be conducted online or offline easily

●​ It should be done in a general communicative space. Though it is ●​ Easy to set a time limit, and also give ample time to attempt
unscientific in nature it increases the sub skills like receptivity and rote ●​ Can include a large number of questions which test for multiple concepts
learning ability of a learner. Among the four basic skills it passionately of a subject
develops the listening skill of a learner. This kind of test has validity as ●​ Easy to evaluate and present scores
well as reliability. ●​ A large number of students can be accommodated to attempt the test at
●​ A dictation is also an integrative test as it requires knowledge of one time
grammar, vocabulary and listening comprehension skills. ●​ It is completely unbiased
●​ To answer an objective test does not take a lot of time.
7. What is deletion and its types? ●​ Higher reliability when compared with test Essay, because judgment is
●​ objective.
In English language teaching, deletion refers to removing words from a text for ●​ Scoring and how to assess objectively test more quickly and easily
a specific purpose, often to assess comprehension or to create a gap in the text because it does not require special skills of the giver values.
 ●​ Easier and faster ways check it because it can use the key test results even ●​ Can find out how far learners explore a problem that tested
tools of technological progress.
●​ The examination can be handed over to others. ❖​Demerits
●​ Objective tests did not care about the mastery of the language, so it is
easy to implement. ●​ Consumes a lot of time since candidates should be given sufficient time
to attempt
❖​Demerits ●​ Designing subjective tests requires a lot of efforts since the subject matter
experts have to come with the right type of questions
●​ It cannot check in-depth knowledge of a candidate ●​ Subjective tests may have to be conducted offline, in the traditional way,
●​ The tests do not evaluate the candidate’s language or writing skills since online tests can be hard to prepare
●​ Scope of guesswork leads to average candidates getting shortlisted for the ●​ In the case of coding questions, the students can trick the coding tool or
interview round software used by the company to come to the right answer without
●​ Students often make a guess in providing answers, because they have not actually being aware of how to solve it
mastered the lesson material. ●​ Only a few candidates can take subjective tests at a time to keep the entire
●​ Indeed test sampling posed to students is quite a lot, and it only takes a session foolproof
relatively short time to answer. ●​ The limited scope of the lesson material and the difficulty of correcting
●​ Not used to take students to a high level of thinking. answers assessed objectively Low levels of validity and reliability
●​ It Is costly, because the sheet of test items should be as many as the because of a difficult-known aspect of the knowledge which the students
number of followers tested. who truly have mastered.
●​ Cooperation among learners at the time working on test questions was ●​ Less representative in terms of representing the entire scope of lesson
more open. material that will be tested because the question only some (limited).
●​ How to examine many elements influenced by subjective.
9. Merits & Demerits of Subjective Tests ●​ The examination is more difficult because it requires more individualized
consideration of the assessor.
❖​Merits ●​ Time for a correction is long and cannot be delegated to others

●​ Evaluates candidate’s understanding of the subject and its concepts 10. Merits & Demerits of MCQs
●​ Understand the thinking and problem-solving ability of the candidate
●​ Evaluate how each candidate approach the same question and select the ❖​Merits
one with the best approach
●​ Evaluates the writing and communicating ability of the candidate ●​ Quick and easy to score, by hand or electronically
●​ Easily prepared and compiled. ●​ Can be written so that they test a wide range of higher-order thinking
●​ Did not give many opportunities to speculate or chancy. skills
●​ Encourage students to dare to express opinions and to develop in the form ●​ Can cover lots of content areas on a single exam and still be answered in
of good sentences. a class period
●​ Provide opportunities for learners to express his point by style and his ●​ MCQs are straightforward for students to answer and are suitable for
own way. various learning levels, including beginning learners.
 ●​ MCQs can be designed to test specific language skills like grammar,
vocabulary, or comprehension. ❖​Merits
●​ When carefully designed with plausible but incorrect answer options
(distracters), MCQs can minimize the chance of guessing and encourage ●​ Quick and easy to score
students to think critically ●​ Used to measure ability to identify whether statements of facts,
●​ versatility in measuring all levels of cognitive ability. principles, generalizations, relationships, or evaluative statements are
●​ Highly reliable test scores. ... scoring efficiency and accuracy. correct
●​ Objective measurement of student achievement or ability. ●​ Can be factual or can be a thought question that requires reasoning
●​ A wide sampling of content or objectives. ●​ Can be used in most disciplines
●​ A reduced guessing factor when compared to true-false items. ●​ Used to quickly poll a class as an introduction to a discussion or
●​ Different response alternatives which can provide diagnostic feedback. determine knowledge of topic
●​ True-false items are especially useful for questions where there are only
❖​Demerits two reasonable answers.
●​ True-false items are especially useful in testing misconceptions.
●​ Often test literacy skills: “if the student reads the question carefully, the ●​ True-false items can be expressed in a few words, making them easy to
answer is easy to recognize even if the student knows little about the understand and less dependent on reading ability.
subject” ●​ the widest sampling of content or objectives per unit of testing time.
●​ Provide unprepared students the opportunity to guess, and with guesses ●​ scoring efficiency and accuracy.
that are right, they get credit for things they don’t know ●​ versatility in measuring all levels of cognitive ability.
●​ Expose students to misinformation that can influence subsequent thinking ●​ highly reliable test scores.
about the content ●​ an objective measurement of student achievement or ability.
●​ Creating effective MCQs with good distractors requires considerable time
and skill, and poorly designed questions can be confusing or misleading ❖​Demerits
●​ MCQs may not fully assess deeper understanding, critical thinking, or
creativity. ●​ Considered to be one of the most undependable forms of evaluation
●​ MCQs often focus on recall of facts rather than application of knowledge ●​ Often written so that most of the statement is true save one small, often
or higher-order thinking skills trivial bit of information that then makes the whole statement untrue
●​ Unprepared students may have a chance to guess the correct answer, even ●​ True-false items are especially subject to guessing. Half the items would
without understanding the material. be expected to be correct by chance. (But the likelihood of obtaining a
●​ MCQs primarily focus on reading and listening comprehension, and don't substantially higher score by guessing alone is very small).
directly assess writing or speaking abilities. ●​ In general, individual true-false items are less discriminating than
●​ Are difficult and time consuming to construct. individual multiple-choice items.
●​ Lead an instructor to favor simple recall of facts. ●​ There is a tendency to write trivial true-false items, which lead students to
●​ Place a high degree of dependence on the student's reading ability and verbatim memorization.
instructor's writing ability. ●​ No diagnostic information is available from incorrect responses to
true-false items.
11. Merits and Demerits of True and False Questions/ Yes or No Questions
 ●​ True-false items are not amenable to questions that cannot be formulated ●​ Solving rearrangement questions can be time-consuming, especially for
as propositions complex or lengthy passages.
●​ incorporate an extremely high guessing factor. For simple true-false ●​ May not fully capture the complexities of natural language.
items, each student has a 50/50 chance of correctly answering the item ●​ Some students may find rearrangement questions difficult or prefer other
without any knowledge of the item's content. methods of language assessment.
●​ Can often lead an instructor to write ambiguous statements due to the
difficulty of writing statements which are unequivocally true or false. 13. Merits and Demerits of Match the Following
●​ Do not discriminate between students of varying ability as well as other
item types. ❖​Merits
●​ Can often include more irrelevant clues than do other item types.
●​ Can often lead an instructor to favor testing of trivial knowledge. ●​ Matching questions are quick and easy to mark, saving teachers time.
●​ They can provide a more objective assessment of knowledge, as there are
12. Merits & Demerits of Re-arrangement/ Transformation predetermined correct answers, reducing subjectivity in scoring.
●​ They allow for the assessment of multiple concepts or relationships
❖​Merits within a single question, making them useful for covering a broad range
of material.
●​ Sort of controlled writing ●​ They can add some variety to assessments, keeping students engaged.
●​ Develop student’s awareness of sentence and paragraph structures ●​ They can be used to test vocabulary, grammar, and even higher-order
●​ Rearranging sentences requires students to analyze the relationship thinking skills like analysis and application
between words, phrases, and clauses, enhancing their understanding of ●​ Learners with poor vocabulary, poor grammar, poor handwriting, poor
grammatical rules and sentence construction. spelling are also able to make a reply
●​ Students must identify logical connections and relationships between ●​ Validity and reliability is higher than essay type of questions
sentences to create a coherent passage, fostering their critical thinking
and problem-solving abilities ❖​Demerits
●​ evaluate a student's ability to understand the flow of ideas and create a
readable and logical text. ●​ Students can sometimes answer correctly by guessing or using
●​ While not true writing, rearrangement questions can be a controlled way elimination, rather than understanding the underlying concepts
to practice writing skills and sentence construction. ●​ If not carefully crafted, matching questions can encourage rote
●​ Require students to analyze and apply their knowledge of language, memorization rather than deeper understanding
rather than just recall memorized facts. ●​ Creating effective matching questions that assess higher-order thinking
skills can be more challenging than multiple-choice questions.
❖​Demerits ●​ They are primarily suited for assessing recognition and recall, and may
not fully assess complex learning or higher-order thinking skills.
●​ Gives a chance of guessing ●​ The nature of matching questions can allow students to use clues from
●​ Limits student’s creativity other questions to answer correctly, even if they don't fully understand the
●​ Students can fail if they place even one word incorrectly, which can be concept
frustrating and demotivating.
 ●​ Since there are many choices elimination other possible answers is harder ●​ Essays cannot measure a large amount of content or objectives.
than compared to MCQs ●​ Essays generally provide low test and test scorer reliability. If a test is
●​ have difficulty measuring learning objectives requiring more than simple given on more than one occasion, the inherent plasticity of scope, content
recall of information. & style of the essay makes it unlikely that the students will perform
●​ Are difficult to construct due to the problem of selecting a common set of exactly the same way as on the previous occasion. Hence they may not
stimuli and responses. provide a good assessment
●​ They require an extensive amount of instructor's time to read and grade.
14. Merits & Demerits of Essay type questions ●​ Essays generally do not provide an objective measure of student
achievement or ability (subject to bias on the part of the grader). This is
❖​Merits because of variability in assessment by different examiners. The
unlimited scope of the essay leaves considerable room for subjective
●​ Essay items are easier and less time consuming to construct than are most judgement.
other item types. ●​ Encourage use of subjective criteria when assessing answers
●​ Essays provide a means for testing a student's ability to compose an ●​ If used in class, necessitate quick composition without time for planning
answer and present it in a logical manner. or revision, which can result in poor-quality writing
●​ Essays can efficiently measure higher order cognitive objectives (e.g., ●​ The material being measured is too little, so it is difficult to measure
analysis, synthesis, evaluation). students' mastery of the whole curriculum.
●​ Essays facilitate language development ●​ It's hard to get questions that have national and international standards.
●​ Offer students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and ●​ Essays have less validity because of large size of response and under/over
abilities in a variety of ways sampling of domain
●​ Can be used to develop student writing skills, particularly the ability to ●​ Essay questions are often framed in an non- descript phrase giving no
formulate arguments supported with reasoning and evidence idea to the student about the scope of answer expected.
●​ Learners can organize the answers to their opinion.
●​ Students cannot guess the answers to the questions. 15. Why are Essays considered as both objective & subjective types?
●​ This test is suitable for measuring and evaluating the results of a learning
process that is complex or difficult to quantify by using an objective test. Essays incorporate both objective and subjective elements. They aim to present
●​ The degree of accuracy and reliability of students can be seen from the factual information and analysis (objective), while also allowing for personal
sentences. interpretation and opinion (subjective). While essays often involve some degree
●​ Answers are disclosed in the words and sentences, so the test can be used of personal perspective, they should also be grounded in evidence and reasoned
to train the preparation of the sentence with good language, right, and arguments to maintain a level of objectivity.
quickly.
●​ This test is used to train the learners to choose the facts relevant to the Essays often require the presentation of verifiable facts, historical information,
issue, and organizing it is hard to accurately assess so as to reveal the scientific data, or evidence from research. This factual basis forms the
result of thinking that is integrated as a whole. foundation for the essay's analysis and arguments. Essays also involve the
writer's interpretation of the facts, their personal perspectives on the topic, and
❖​Demerits their opinions on the arguments presented. This subjective element allows for
the exploration of different viewpoints and the development of a unique ●​ Communicative competence is a term coined by D.H. Hymes (1972) to
argument. contrast Chomsky’s theory of competence.
●​ Communicative competence is a learner's competence using language
A well-written essay balances the objective and subjective. It presents facts and appropriately in a certain social context. To Achieve this aim, language
evidence while simultaneously allowing for the writer's individual perspective learners must have integrative knowledge in three components such as
to be expressed. Example - In a research essay, the writer might present linguistic form, meanings, and forms.
objective facts about a historical event while also offering their subjective ●​ Communicative competence refers to the knowledge possessed by the
interpretation of its significance. In an opinion essay, the writer might present language user, not only of the formal code, but the social implication of
objective data to support their viewpoint while also expressing their personal linguistics choice
opinions on the topic. ●​ Communicative competence also includes the ability of the speaker to
choose linguistic forms and this choice depends on the participants and
16. Different types of Competences speech event.
●​ Communicative competence doesn’t only represent the grammatical
a)​ Linguistic Competence competence but also the sociolinguistic competence

●​ Knowledge of the grammar, vocabulary and phonology of the language. c)​ Discourse Competence
●​ It's not just about memorizing rules; it's about a speaker's ability to
understand and use language creatively and effectively. This includes ●​ Discourse Competence, which means the ability to construct and maintain
knowledge of phonetics (sounds), phonology (sound patterns), in negotiation, properly coherent talk and text.
morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence structure), and semantics ●​ Discourses competence concerns mastery of how to combine grammatical
(meaning). forms and meanings to achieve a unified spoken or written text.
●​ Chomsky focuses solely on linguistic competence that allows native ●​ This competence involves the ability to interpret a series of sentences or
speakers of a language to create well-formed sentence structures. utterances in order to form a meaningful whole and to achieve unity of
However, linguistic competence cannot be seen as the only goal of text which area relevant to a given situation
language learning since the process of communication goes beyond ●​ This is concerned with organizational features of spoken and written texts
the mere knowledge of creating well-structured sentences (of any kind). There are two elements in this competence: cohesion and
●​ Linguistic competence means the system of rules that govern an coherence. Unity of a text is achieved through cohesion in form and
individual’s understanding of what is acceptable and what is not in the coherence in meaning. Cohesion deals with how utterances are linked
language. Operationally, it is the level of competence displayed by structurally and facilitates interpretation of a text.
students and teachers based on the adapted linguistic competence test for ●​ Discourse competence tends to the ability of the language user in
students and teachers, respectively composing a discourse cohesively and coherently. Cohesively means that
●​ While grammar is a crucial part of linguistic competence, it's also the idea or courses delivered in written or orally should be structurally
important to consider how language is used in different contexts. using appropriate cohesive devices while coherently means that the idea
or courses delivered should reflected the mind setting so the idea or
b)​ Communicative Competence courses delivered are easy to be understood
●​ The type of competence concerns mastery of how to combine
grammatical form and meanings to achieve a unified spoken or written
 text in different genres. By genre is the type of text (e.g., oral or written, ●​ This competence is composed of mastery of verbal and non-verbal
narrative, an argumentative, essay, a scientific report, a business letter, communication strategies that may be called into action to : 1)
and a set of instructions each presenting a different genre). compensate for communication breakdown due to limiting conditions in
actual communication., and 2) enhance the effectiveness of
d)​ Sociolinguistic Competence communication (e.g., deliberately slow and soft speech for rhetorical
effect.)
●​ Is involved in decisions about appropriacy of language to context ●​ Strategic competence is an ability related to the use of verbal or
●​ This is concerned with rules of use, including the probability of ‘whether non-verbal communication strategy in communicating caused by
(and to what degree) something is in fact done’ language knowledge limitation or other performance disruption such
●​ It is addresses the extent to which utterances are produced and understood as lack of vocabulary, grammatical errors, incomplete utterances, etc.\
appropriately in different sociolinguistic contexts depending on
contextual factors such as status of participants, purposes of the 17. Merits & Demerits of Translation Questions
interaction, and norms or conventions of interaction
●​ Sociolinguistic competence is the native speaker’s ability in adapting the ❖​Merits
language use with the social environment where the language is used
●​ Sociolinguistic competence relates to the appropriateness in the social ●​ Translation exercises highlight differences in sentence structure and word
context that the language rules will useless if the language user usage between languages, enhancing grammatical knowledge.
ignores all the grammatical rules ●​ Students encounter and learn new words and phrases through the
●​ Sociolinguistic Competence is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry having translation process.
to do with the social rules of language use ●​ Focusing on accuracy and clarity in translation strengthens reading
●​ This competence requires an understanding of the social context in which comprehension and writing abilities.
language is used. The context depends on some factors such as status of ●​ By translating, students can solidify their understanding of grammatical
participants, information they share, purposes of interaction, and norms or rules and vocabulary.
conventions of interaction. ●​ These questions can be readily prepared and used in various classroom
●​ This competence addresses the extent to which utterances are produced settings.
and understood appropriately in different sociolinguistic contexts ●​ Translation exercises can help students grasp the meaning of unfamiliar
depending on contextual factors such as status of participants (age, sex, words and phrases in the target language by relating them to their native
education, role, familiarity) and norms/conventions of interaction. language.
●​ Translation can reveal the grammatical structures of the target language
e)​ Strategic Competence and how they differ from the native language.
●​ Students can learn by comparing the structure and vocabulary of the
●​ Strategic Competence, which involves in decisions about how to repair target language with their native language.
breakdowns that occur in communication, or to enhance the message. ●​ Translation exercises can introduce new words and expressions,
●​ Strategic competence refers to the mastery of verbal and non-verbal expanding students' vocabulary.
communication strategies that may be used to compensate for breaks ●​ Translation can be used as a quick and easy way to assess students'
downs in communications because of limiting conditions in actual understanding of new concepts and material.
communication and to enhance the effectiveness of communication.
 ❖​Demerits
●​ Interviewers may unconsciously exhibit biases, leading to unfair or
●​ The focus on translation can overshadow the development of spoken inaccurate evaluations of the interviewees.
language skills. ●​ Interviews require careful planning and preparation from both the
●​ Translation-based methods may not effectively promote conversational interviewer and the interviewee, including creating questions, setting up
skills. the environment, and organizing the interview.
●​ Depending on the specific approach, teacher preparation can be ●​ The pressure of being evaluated in a spoken setting can be stressful for
substantial. learners, potentially affecting their performance and confidence.
●​ Students might rely on memorizing rules and translations without truly ●​ While interviews allow for some flexibility in language use, there is still a
understanding them. risk of learners making errors in grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation.
●​ Translations may not accurately represent how language is used in ●​ The effectiveness of the interview depends greatly upon the skill of the
real-life situations. interviewer which everyone do not ordinarily possess. It takes time to
●​ Over-reliance on translation can hinder the development of fluency and master this skill.
the ability to use the target language naturally in real-life conversations. ●​ There is a constant danger of subjectivity on the part of the interviewer.
●​ Translation exercises often focus on reading and writing skills, neglecting ●​ An interview is very difficult to employ successfully because even in the
oral and aural practice. presence of a skilled interviewer some interviewees do tat respond freely,
●​ Translation can lead to an overemphasis on memorizing grammatical frankly and accurately.
rules without understanding their contextual application. ●​ Since memory and retention are highly selective processes, interviewees
●​ Translation tests can be time-consuming to administer and grade. generally provide accurate and vivid accounts of the most recent or
●​ Translation tests may not allow students to express themselves creatively intense experiences, or of situations that they encounter most frequently.
or use the language spontaneously. Painful or embarrassing experiences are forgotten or consciously avoided
by the interviewees. In such cases the responses lack accuracy.
18. Merits & Demerits of Interview

❖​Merits

●​ Interviews allow for the collection of in-depth information and can

capture nuances that may be missed with other methods.
●​ The interviewer can adapt questions based on the interviewee's responses,
allowing for a more natural and engaging conversation.
●​ Interviews are well-suited for exploring complex topics and gaining a
deeper understanding of participants' experiences.
●​ Beyond language accuracy, interviews assess communication skills such
as listening comprehension, non-verbal communication, and overall
conversational fluency.

❖​Demerits