Various techniques of testing

          Test Techniques

Test techniques means of eliciting behaviour from candidates that will tell us about their language abilities. We need techniques that: 

• will illicit behaviour which is reliable and valid indicator of the ability in which we are interested.
• will illicit behaviour which can reliably scored.
• are as economical of time and efforts as possible. 
• will have a beneficial backwash effect, where this is relevant. 

      Types of test techniques

a.  Informal testing

Informal testing is carried out to evaluate and observe the learners. This is done by giving the learners homework assignment and asking them to solve the textbook exercises. The teacher can also ask learners questions during the routine give and take of the classroom lessons. The teacher can also take surprise test and dictations to evaluate the level of their knowledge. For example, the teacher can carry out informal test of the learner during speaking activities throughout the course by keeping notes about how well individuals are doing in speaking and uses the data gathered to evaluate the learners at the end of the course.

b.  Formal testing

In formal testing the teacher evaluates learners level of language in a formal way such as through an exam for structured continuous assessment. For such exams testees are told in advanced what they need to know, what are the criteria of success and so on. For example, a discrete item grammar test. Formal test are useful for making valid assessment of learner's knowledge and performance.

c.  Elicitation technique

  1. Questions and answers

This can be used to test almost anything. The more 'closed' the question is; the easiest the item will be tomorrow. It is fairly easy to compose and grade closed- ended questions; more open, thought provoking ones are more difficult, but may actually test better. The questions can be short or long. Simple questions, very often following reading, or as part of an interview, may require short or long answers.

2. True/False

This does not directly test writing or speaking ability. This test is generally used to test different aspects of language such as vocabulary, grammar, content of reading or listening passage. This is the type of test in which statement is given which is to be marked either true or false or yes or no. It is fairly easy to design. It is also easy to administer this test either oral or written.

  3. Multiple choice

In multiple choice questions a candidate would be given a number of set answers for each questions and the candidate must choose which answers or group of answers is correct. In terms of administration, multiple choice questions usually requires less time for test takers, very easy to score and grade, provide greater coverage of material, allowed for a wide range of difficulty, and can easily diagnose a test takers difficulty with certain concepts.

  4. Gap-filling and completion

It is tedious to compose, though not so difficult as multiple choice. In this technique of fill- in -the -blank item provides a test taker with identifying characteristics and requires the test taker to recall the correct term. The hardest variety of such a test is a fill- in -the -blank test in which no word bank is provided at all.

  5. Matching

This usually tests vocabulary, and is rather awkward to administer orally: thus it is best presented written on board or on paper, the responses may be either oral or in writing. Items can be time consuming and difficult to compose, and again, there may be alternative write answers to any particular item. Answers are fairly easily checked. 

  6. Dictation

This mainly tests spelling, perhaps punctuation, and, perhaps surprisingly on the face of it, listening comprehension people can only usually write words down accurately from dictation. It is very easy to prepare and administer; it is relatively easy to mark, though there may be a problem deciding how much weight to attribute to different mistakes.

  7. Essay

This is a good test of general writing abilities. This test require a test taker to write a response to fulfill the requirements of the essay. It is relatively easy to provide a topic and tell the class to write an essay about it but marking it extremely difficult and time consuming.

  8. Monologue

 This tests oral fluency in 'long turns'-something not everyone can do in their mother tongue. It also tells overall knowledge of pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. To choose a topic and allot it is not so difficult; to access is very difficult indeed, demanding concentration and a very clear set of criteria and weighting system.

  9. Close

This test generally tests the knowledge of a learner about a language and test the ability of the learner to master the language system for particular purposes with particular people in a particular situation. This test tests reading, spelling and to some extent knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. It is fairly easy to prepare an administer. Marking can be tricky.

  10. Transformation

This item is relatively easy to design, administer and mark, but its validity may be suspect. It tests the ability of the testee to transform grammatical structures, which is not the same as testing grammar:  a testee may perform well on the transformation items without knowing the meaning of the target structure or how to use it in context. Marking is fairly straightforward.

  11. Rewriting

This tests the same sort of thing as transformation, but is likely to reflect more through knowledge of the target items, since it involves paraphrasing the entire meaning of a sentence rather than transforming a particular item. It is, however, more difficult to compose, and the marking maybe more subjective. It is, as its name suggests, usually done in writing.

          Conclusion

Thus, test techniques are used to find out the learner's educational level. In general, these techniques are used in different fields to find out the experts are the required professionals.