5 Cardinal criteria for “Testing a Test” : Practicality Reliability Validity Authenticity Washback

1. EFL Learners

2. 5 Cardinal criteria for “Testing a Test”
• Practicality
• Reliability
• Validity
• Authenticity
• Washback

3. Practicality
• Is not excessively expensive
• Stays within appropriate time constraints
• Is relatively easy to administer
• Has a scoring/evaluation procedure that is
specific and time-efficient.

4. Reliability
a. Student-Related Reliability
b. Rater Reliability
c. Test Administration Reliability
d. Test Reliability

5. Validity
a. Content-Related Evidance
b. Criterion-Related Evidance
c. Construct-Related Evidance
d. Consequential Validity
e. Face Validity

6. Authenticity
• The language in the test is as natural as possible
• Items are contextualized rather than isolated
• Topics are meaningful (relevant, interesting) for
the learner
• Some thematic organization to items is provided,
such as through a story line or episode
• Tasks represent, or closely approximate, real-
world tasks

7. Washback
• The test have on instruction in terms of how
students prepare the test
• To create classroom tests that serve as learning
devices
• Help students through a specification of the
numerical scores on the various subsections of
the test
• Achieved by a quick consideration of differences
between formative and summative tests

8. Applying Principles to The Evaluation
of Classroom Test
• Are the test procedures practical?
• Is the test reliable?
• Does the procedure demonstrate content
validity?
• Is the procedure face valid and ‘biased for best’?
• Are the test tasks as authentic as possible?
• Does the test offer beneficial washback to the
learner?