ANSWER

Chapter 8: Common Test Techniques

1. Techniques used in testing, particularly when referring to general aspects of test structure
such as the interview, are frequently preferred over the term formats.
2. A significant drawback of YES/NO and TRUE/FALSE items is that the candidate has a
50% (or fifty per cent) chance of selecting the correct response by chance alone.
3. The main advantage of short-answer items, compared to multiple-choice items, is that the
amount that guessing contributes to the test score is reduced significantly.
4. One potential disadvantage of short-answer items is that scoring may take longer and
thereby reduce the possible number of items that can be included in the test.
5. Short-answer items work best when there is only one (or one unique) possible correct
response, for instance, in certain reading comprehension items.
6. The Gap Filling item type demands that the test taker must produce language, which
increases test validity compared to multiple-choice items.
7. Gap filling items often work well for testing specific points of grammar or vocabulary.

Chapter 9: Testing Writing

8. The first of the three criteria required to test writing ability directly is that the writing
tasks set must be representative of the population of tasks the students are expected to
be able to perform.
9. The second major criterion is that the tasks must be set so they elicit valid samples of the
students' actual writing ability.
10. The third essential criterion for a direct writing test is that the samples of writing must be
able to be scored validly and reliably.
11. A requirement for eliciting a valid sample of writing ability is to set as many separate
tasks as is feasible.
12. One specific type of text used in setting writing tasks is a report.
13. Eliciting a narrative by using a series of pictures is one technique for stimulating a
writing response.
14. Scoring writing based on an overall impression, assigning a single score to a piece of
writing, is known as holistic scoring.
15. Holistic scoring is also sometimes referred to as impressionistic scoring.
16. Analytic scoring is highly useful because it provides diagnostic information by assigning
separate scores to different components of the writing ability.
17. In analytic scoring, distinct scores are given to components such as grammar,
vocabulary, organization, and mechanics.
18. The overall impression a scorer has of a script sometimes dictates the score they give for
individual components, which is known as the halo effect.

Chapter 10: Testing Oral Ability

 19. The traditional oral testing interview often fails to elicit a natural sample of oral ability
because the relationship between the tester and candidate frequently places the candidate
in a subordinate role.
20. In an oral interview, a request such as "What exactly do you mean?" serves as a request
for elaboration.
21. An effective elicitation technique to test a candidate's communication repair strategies is
for the interviewer to appear not to understand.
22. One technique to elicit a valid sample of oral ability is Role play, where candidates may
interact with each other while the tester observes.
23. The format of using responses to audio- or video-recordings provides uniformity of
elicitation procedures, often leading to high reliability, but lacks inflexibility.
24. To maximize the sample of oral ability demonstrated, the test should be structured to give
the candidate as many 'fresh starts' as possible.
25. It is advised that an oral test should be carefully planned and structured to avoid revealing
patterns that might give candidates an unfair advantage.

Chapter 11: Testing Reading & Listening

26. When selecting texts, it is important to avoid passages made up of information that might
be part of candidates' general knowledge, as this tests knowledge, not reading skill.
27. Texts chosen for expeditious reading should typically be of a length up to 2,000 words or
more.
28. When testing reading skill, texts should be selected to have both acceptable content
validity and acceptable reliability.
29. For the purpose of testing listening, the great advantage of using recordings is the high
degree of uniformity provided by administering a test in this format.
30. The technique called Partial dictation requires candidates to fill in blanks in a spoken
passage and is effective for measuring short-term memory alongside comprehension.

Matching Key:
1. A
2. S
3. G
4. R
5. E
6. I
7. A
8. K
9. J
 10. N
11. L
12. F
13. M
14. Q
15. O
16. P
17. D
18. H
19. B
20. U
21. T
22. V
23. W
24. X
25. Y
26. Z
27. AA
28. BB
29. CC
30. DD

This response provides the answers to the 20 True/False and 20 Matching questions based on the
content available in the sources for Chapters 7, 12, and 13.

Part I: 20 True/False Questions (Chapters 7, 12, 13)

1. Writing explicit specifications for the content of the test should be the first necessary
stage in test development. True.
2. During the test validation stage, concurrent validation measures test performance against
tutors’ subjective ratings of the students. True.
3. The final stage of test development involves checking the validity against the list of
structures and criteria defined in the specifications. True.
4. Item analysis typically includes finding the item facility, which is the percentage of
candidates who correctly answer an item. True.
5. A high discrimination index (close to 1.0) indicates that the item does a poor job of
distinguishing between strong and weak candidates. False. (A high discrimination index
means the item discriminates better between strong and weak candidates.)
6. The primary advantage of using audio recordings for a listening test is the high degree of
uniformity provided in administering the test, which aids reliability. True.
7. A major drawback of using recorded stimuli in a listening test is its inflexibility, as there
is no way to follow up on a candidate's responses. True.
8. Multiple-choice questions are suitable for testing lower-level listening skills, such as
phoneme discrimination. True.
9. The technique known as Transcription, where candidates write down exactly what they
hear, is generally considered the most appropriate method for scoring overall listening
comprehension. False.
10. The speed of speech in broadcast radio monologues is generally faster than the speed of
speech found in interviews. False. (Radio monologues are reported at 160 words per
minute (wpm), while interviews are reported at 190 wpm.)
11. Information transfer items in listening require candidates to extract information and
record it into a non-verbal format, like labeling a map or chart. True.
12. Partial dictation tests both comprehension and the candidate’s short-term memory. True.
13. Grammar proficiency tests should contain a representative sample of all possible
grammatical elements. False. (A proficiency test cannot contain a good sample of all
possible grammatical elements).
14. One reason to test grammar is for diagnostic purposes, to identify a learner's strengths
and weaknesses. True.
15. Paraphrase items require the student to write an equivalent sentence to the one given,
primarily testing vocabulary knowledge. False. (Paraphrase items primarily test
structural knowledge).
16. The testing of vocabulary productively is highly recommended and practical for large-
scale language proficiency tests. False. (Testing vocabulary productively is so difficult
that it is practically never attempted in proficiency tests).
17. Asking candidates to choose a definition that matches a given word tests vocabulary
recognition. True.
18. When choosing items for vocabulary tests, the distractors for a word should generally be
words that have a less frequent usage than the word being tested. False. (It is noted that
distractors should generally be words that have more frequent usage).
19. If grammar tests are administered in isolation, it is argued that they cannot accurately
predict ability in integrated skills like writing or speaking. True.
20. Using pictures to elicit responses is a useful technique for testing productive vocabulary.
True.
Part II: 20 Matching Questions (Chapters 7, 12, 13)
Column A
Answer Column B (Description/Characteristic) Source(s)
(Term/Concept)

Ensures that the test is a representative sample of

1. Content Validity C
the relevant language structures and skills.

Checks are carried out against students’

2. Predictive Validation F
performance in their future course of study.

The consistency of test measurements across

3. Reliability G
different administrations or markers.

An early stage of test development where items

4. Trialling O are administered to a group of non-native
speakers for analysis.

The proportion of candidates who answer an item

5. Item Facility D
correctly.

A measure of how well an item distinguishes

6. Discrimination Index H between high-scoring and low-scoring
candidates.

Assigns scores based on fixed correct answers,

7. Objective Scoring A
such as in multiple-choice questions.

Scoring relies on human judgment and

8. Subjective Scoring L interpretation, resulting in potential score
variance.

Uniformity The main advantage of administering a listening

9. K
(Listening) test using recorded materials.

Phoneme Identifying the sounds of the target language,

10. B
Discrimination often tested via multiple choice items.

Involves students extracting information from the

Information
11. J recording and placing it onto a table, map, or
Transfer (Listening)
chart.

Requires candidates to fill in gaps in a spoken

12. Partial Dictation T
passage, testing memory and comprehension.
 Requires candidates to write down the spoken
Transcription
13. M input exactly, word-for-word, which can be time-
(Listening)
consuming.

Speed of Speech The speed of spoken material in wpm, often

14. P
(Interviews) higher than monologues.

A method of testing grammar and structural

15. Paraphrase Items E knowledge by requiring the writing of an
equivalent sentence.

Vocabulary Involves selecting the correct definition or

16. S
Recognition synonym for a given word.

Vocabulary
Generally impractical to test in proficiency
17. Production R
examinations.
(Proficiency)

Grammar Placement Measures grammar ability to classify learners

18. Q
Test into appropriate courses or levels.

Grammar Diagnostic Tests designed primarily to find out a student's

19. I
Tests strengths and weaknesses.

Expeditious Reading Recommended text length for expeditious

20. N
Text Length reading passages.

Here are the answers to the 20 gap-filling questions reviewing key concepts from Chapters 7, 12,
and 13, based on the provided source material.

Chapter 7: Stages of Test Development

1. The first necessary stage in test development is the writing of explicit specifications for
the content of the test.
2. Trialling is the process of administering test items to a group of non-native speakers for
analysis before the test is officially administered.
3. Concurrent validation is assessed by comparing a student's test performance against
subjective ratings, such as those provided by tutors.
4. The Item Facility (or facility) is the percentage of candidates who answer a specific test
item correctly.
5. An item's discrimination index measures how well that item distinguishes between high-
scoring and low-scoring candidates.
 6. When an item is either extremely easy or extremely difficult, its discrimination index is
often close to zero (or 0).
7. The final step in test development, Validation, involves checking the test content against
the structures and criteria defined in the specifications.

Chapter 12: Testing Listening

8. The great advantage of using recordings when administering a listening test is the high
degree of uniformity provided, which enhances reliability.
9. A major drawback of using recorded stimuli in a listening test is its inflexibility, as there
is no provision for follow-up questions from the tester.
10. Multiple-choice questions are frequently used to test lower-level listening skills, such as
phoneme discrimination.
11. The speech rate in conversations (210 words per minute) is reported to be generally
faster than that found in radio monologues (160 words per minute).
12. Information transfer items require candidates to extract information from a listening
passage and represent it in a non-verbal format, like a map or table.
13. The listening technique known as Partial dictation requires candidates to fill in gaps in a
spoken passage and tests both comprehension and short-term memory.
14. Writing down the spoken input exactly, word for word, is known as Transcription.

Chapter 13: Testing Grammar and Vocabulary

15. Tests designed primarily to identify a learner's strengths and weaknesses in grammar are
known as diagnostic tests.
16. If grammar tests are administered in isolation, critics argue that they cannot accurately
predict ability in integrated skills like speaking or writing.
17. The testing technique that requires students to write a sentence equivalent in meaning to a
given sentence, focusing on structural knowledge, is called Paraphrase.
18. The testing of productive vocabulary is considered practically never attempted in large-
scale language proficiency tests due to its difficulty.
19. In vocabulary tests, asking candidates to select the correct definition or synonym for a
word tests their recognition.
20. When developing vocabulary items, the distractors for the target word should generally
be words that have more frequent usage.