We’ve all had the experience of taking a multiple choice test — one is given a question, and then has to choose the correct answer from a group of choices, usually “a,” “b,” “c,” and “d.”
From a test-taker’s perspective, these can sometimes be very intimidating. Does the following line of reasoning sound familiar?
Okay, the correct answer is there somewhere, and “a” looks pretty good — but wait, so does “c.” But “c” was the answer to the last three questions. Would they have made “c” the correct answer to four questions in a row? I doubt it. So maybe it’s “a.” But it could be “c” also. I just don’t know…It’s definitely not “d”, but “b” is also looking like a possibility now. Yeah, “a” could be right…
While test-takers have the difficult job of actually taking the test, the test-developers have a difficult task as well. Certainly, they are concerned with how the test questions are written, but another chief concern is how the answer choices perform. This includes all of them — the right ones and the wrong ones.
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You may have had an experience where you took a test for a class, and the instructor showed you the class’s results afterwards. The results probably mapped out into the infamous “bell-shaped curve”, with a few people scoring on the low end of the curve, the majority clustering in the middle, and a few people scoring on the high end. What you may not have known is that this is a normal distribution found in norm-referenced testing.
Norm-referenced tests (or NRTs) compare an examinee’s performance to that of other examinees. Standardized examinations such as the SAT are norm-referenced tests. The goal is to rank the set of examinees so that decisions about their opportunity for success (e.g. college entrance) can be made.
Criterion-referenced tests (or CRTs) differ in that each examinee’s performance is compared to a pre-defined set of criteria or a standard. The goal with these tests is to determine whether or not the candidate has the demonstrated mastery of a certain skill or set of skills. These results are usually “pass” or “fail” and are used in making decisions about job entry, certification, or licensure. A national board medical exam is an example of a CRT. Either the examinee has the skills to practice the profession, in which case he or she is licensed, or does not.
ALTA’s exams, which measure the candidate’s performance against pre-defined criteria (the performance levels), are also an example of criterion-referenced tests. Based on the passing level set by ALTA or the client, the results can then be used to determine whether or not the candidate meets the performance requirements of the job from a language standpoint.
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Language testing has been all over the news lately, from new immigration policies requiring language testing for working immigrants, to globalization studies on hiring multi-lingual employees to conduct business in emerging markets throughout the world. Some business and government agency leaders may be considering language testing, but may not be sure who to trust to create, administer, and evaluate statistically valid assessments.
Test customization is one of the many services that ALTA provides, and clients often ask whether they should use a standard, general test, or whether they should have one created specifically for their organization. When answering this question, there are several factors to consider, such as how the test will be used, what type of test will be used, and what the goal of customization is.
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To verify that an employee or potential employee can speak or write another language at the level you need, you must test. In most professional circumstances, it takes more than a simple interview: you need to be confident that the language testing methodology you employ is both valid and reliable. Validity requires that the test accurately reflects the skill level required to perform the job. You want to know whether an employee or potential employee can use the language at the level you need, and legitimate testing services will offer protocols to measure performance versus a standard. ALTA’s language testing services address these needs for validity and reliability by providing the following:
- Valid testing methodology supported by statistical analysis
- Native speakers administering the tests
- Security of the test materials and results
- Process for reviewing and appealing test results.
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