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.

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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Just days after we reported on Canada’s new immigration policy, English authorities have moved to implement mandatory language testing for immigrants.

Interestingly, the move in England has caused a near panic amongst fans of English football, who fear that the new English proficiency test would keep some of the world’s great football prospects, mostly African and Latin American, from playing on England’s club teams.

As reported in the Daily Post, England’s immigration minister, Liam Byrne said, “Footballers are not exempt from language tests. There will be no special treatment. One set of rules for everyone. There will have to be a basic standard of English, not GCSE or A-Level, but a basic command. They will be more successful members of society if they can speak a bit of English.”

English football fans are shouting foul, some even declaring that the language test will spell the end for English football. These fans certainly don’t have much faith in the capabilities of their favorite athletes to learn English. Perhaps, the English have unfairly surmised the intellectual prowess of the typical footbal star by the famous quote from an unnamed German footballer when he stated, “Football is a lot like chess, but without the dice.”

With all of the international attention being raised by language testing and immigration policy, it makes me wonder. How do you think a similar policy would be received here in the U.S.?

In a controversial move, Ottowan officials have proposed mandatory language testing for immigrants who want to enter Canada as skilled workers.

As reported in The Toronto Star, supporters of the mandatory English and French proficiency tests claim that, “the measures would make the process of proving they can fluently speak one of Canada’s official languages more transparent.”

Criticism of the proposal ranges from accusations of racism to claims that the mere annoyance of mandatory testing for immigrants from France, the United States, or England might dissuade potential immigrants from contributing to Canada’s economy.

What are your thoughts on the issue?