Chapter one of "Testing in language programs" by James Dean Brown (2005) discusses "Types and uses of language tests". It's about norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests.
2. Different Types of Tests
1. Norm Referenced Tests
Measure global language abilities.
Compare students’ performance to others.
2. Criterion Referenced Tests
Measure specific instructional objectives
Compares students’ performance to a specific
criterion (Objectives or Standard)
3. NRT & CRT
NRT
1. Administrators
2. Proficiency tests
(TOEFL)
3. Percentile
4. Normal Distribution
5. Predictability of form
& content
CRT
1. Teachers
2. Achievement Tests
3. Percentage
4. Criterion (objectives,
Standards)
5. Unpredictability of
form & content
4. NRT & CRT Differences
1. Type of Interpretation
2. Type of Measurement
3. Purpose of Testing
4. Distribution of Scores
5. Test Structure
6. Knowledge of Questions
5. Type of Interpretation
NRT Relative
Student’s performance is compared to those
of other students in percentile terms.
CRT Absolute
Student’s performance is compared to the
percentage of material learned.
6. Type of Measurement
NRT: Measures general language
abilities or proficiency
CRT: Measures specific objective-
based language points
7. Purpose of Testing
NRT: Spreading students out along a
continuum of general abilities or
proficiency
CRT: Assessing the amount of material
learned by each student
13. 1. Program Level Proficiency
Decisions
Proficiency tests assess the general knowledge or
skills required to entry into a group of similar
institutions.
Proficiency decisions requires knowing the
general level of proficiency of each student in
comparison to other students in order to admit the
students who fit the standards of a specific
institute.
Thus
Proficiency tests should be made on the basis of NRT
14. Fairness in Program Level
Proficiency Decisions
Since proficiency decisions can have a drastic effect on
students’ lives the issue of fairness must be considered
with extreme care.
Proficiency tests might sound unfair because of the
arbitrary way they are handled in some settings but
they are often necessary.
Proficiency tests might be unfair if they are used to
make comparison among different programs
(Solution = Program Fair Tests).
15. 2. Program Level Placement
Decisions
Placement decisions intends to group students of
similar ability levels together to make the classes
homogeneous.
To do so, students’ relative knowledge or skill levels
must be assessed compared to other students
Thus
NRT is needed for program level placement decisions.
16. Proficiency Tests & Placement
Tests
Proficiency tests are very general while
placement tests are specifically related to a
specific program.
The purpose of program, the range of
abilities within the program, and the type
of students involved are the factors that
may make a proficiency test inappropriate
for purpose of testing placement.
18. 1. Classroom level Achievement
Decisions
Achievement decisions are decisions about the
amount of learning that students have
accomplished.
Achievement tests should be designed with
very specific reference to a particular course
and its objectives.
Thus
Achievement tests should be criterion referenced
19. 2. Classroom level Diagnostic
Decisions
Diagnostic decisions are made at the beginning or
middle of the term to foster achievement by
promoting strengths and to eliminate weaknesses
of students.
Diagnostic tests are used to determine the degree
to which the specific instructional objectives of the
course have been accomplished.
Thus
Diagnostic tests should be criterion referenced.
20. A Single Test to Fulfill All
Test Functions
There is no single test that can fulfill all
four functions of proficiency, placement,
achievement, and diagnostic
Because:
1. The ranges of ability tested by the four
types of tests are very different.
2. The content varies in each type of test.
21. Differences in the Range of
Abilities
NRT proficiency tests measure a very wide range
of abilities, for example, TOEFL measures from
virtually no English to native-like ability.
Placement tests are very different in the range of
abilities they assess depending on the abilities
handled by the particular institution involved. So
the range of such tests is much narrower than
TOEFL.
Then:
Then neither a TOEFL test can be used for placement
decisions, nor a placement test for TOEFL.
22. Differences in Variety of
Content
Content of a proficiency test covers the whole
range of content types and ability levels covered
across many institutions.
Content of a placement test, on the contrary,
should be more narrowed to meet the needs of one
specific institution.
Content of diagnostic or achievement test should
also be even more narrowly defined to reflect the
exact content of the course, as expressed in
objectives for that course.