Assessment and Test

Dear, Ebs!

Alhamdulillah, after reading a book which has gotten from the super lecturer, here are the point of the differences between Assessment and Test. Check them out!

Assessment is “appraising or estimating the level or magnitude of some attribute of a person” (Mousavi, 2009, page 36). In eductional practice, assessment is an ongoing process that encompasses a wie range of methodological techniques. 

 

Test, on the other hand, are a subset of assessment, a genre of assessment techniques. They are prepared administrative procedures that occur at identifiable times in a curriculum when learners muster all their faculties to offer peak performance, knowing that their responses are being measured and evaluated.

In scientific terms, a test is a method of measuring a person’s ability, knowledge, or performance in a given domain.

First, a test is a method. It’s an instrument-a set of techniques, procedures, or items-that requires performance on the part of the test-taker. Second, a test must measure, which may be defined as a process of quantifying a test-taker performance according to explicit procedures or rules (Bachman, 1990, pp.18-19). Some test measure general ability, whereas others focus on very specific competencies or objectives. The way the result or measurements are communicated may vary. Some test, such as a classroom-based, short-answer essay test, may earn the test-taker a letter grade accompanied by the instructor’s marginal comments. Next, a test measures an individual’s ability, knowledge, or performance. Testers need to understand who the test-takers are. A test measres performance, but the result imply the test-taker’s ability or, to use a term common in the field of linguistics, competence. Most language tests measure one’s ability to perform language, that is, to speak, write, read, or listen to a subset of language.

Finally, a test measures a given domain. For example, in the case of a proficiency test, even though the actual performance on the test involves only a sampling of skills, the domain is overall proficiency in a language-general competence in all skills of a language. 

A well-consructed test is an instrument that provides an accurate measure of the test-taker ability within a particular domain. 

Ok, that's all can be pointed. See you next week, Language Assessment!
Bye!