While several test concordance tables have been published, the research underpinning such tables has rarely been examined in detail. This study aimed to survey the publically available studies or documentation underpinning the test concordance tables of the providers of four major international language tests, all accepted by the Australian…

This is the first study that examines the comparative validity of the Chinese National College Entrance Exam (known as Gaokao) to a Western end-of-secondary-school performance measure, Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), as admission criteria to an Australian undergraduate degree programme. The study offers a strong warning about using just…

This study investigates the relationship between performances on the speaking component of the TOEFL iBTTM with performances on academic oral assessment tasks. For the academic tasks, we recorded and transcribed the performances of five local and five high-achieving international undergraduate students on oral assessment tasks in core first-year…

Although the teaching of children's oral language is critical to both their social development and academic success, the assessment of oral language development poses many challenges for classroom teachers. The aim of the study is to develop an approach that: (i) enables teachers to assess oral language in a reliable, valid and comparable manner…

This article reports on the development and piloting of a vocabulary recognition test designed for Indigenous Australian children. The research is both application oriented and development oriented. The aims of the article are to determine how well the test is used as a test instrument and the extent to which children recognize vocabulary items in…

This study evaluates the concurrent validity of an on-line Yes/No test of recognition vocabulary as a placement tool at an Australian English language school. Newly entering students (n = 88) completed a Yes/No test, which measured accuracy and speed of response, and a school placement battery consisting of grammar, writing, speaking and listening…

An extensive adaptation exercise was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) when it was decided to modify the 1998 version of the American "SIGI Plus" (System for Interactive Guidance, plus more) for Australian conditions. Although the same language was involved, there are substantial differences in…

READING AND WRITING SKILLS CAN BE TESTED OBJECTIVELY WITHOUT USING TRADITIONAL TRANSLATION TESTS. WHEN READING FRENCH, STUDENTS NEED TO RECOGNIZE WORDS IN BOTH UNINFLECTED AND INFLECTED FORMS TO ATTACH MEANING TO WORDS IN CONTEXT, AND TO REACT TO THE MEANING IMPLICATIONS OF FRENCH SENTENCE STRUCTURE. WHEN WRITING FRENCH, THEY NEED TO PRODUCE…

Two methods used in the determination of student aptitude in adult language instruction programs in Australia are described and compared in this article. The first method screens potential students into homogeneous classes on the basis of previous education, while the second utilizes test results derived from the administration of the short form…

Examines bias in Australian school examinations as it affects learners of languages other than English from different primary language backgrounds. Argues that the determination of whether tests are biased depends on how the test construct is defined and on whom is defining it. This issue is discussed within the context of a plan to compensate…

The role of item response theory (IRT) in determining the validity of second language tests is examined in the case of one specific test, the listening subtest of the Occupational English Test (OET), used in Australia to measure the language skills of non-native English-speaking health professionals. First, the listening subtest is described. Then…

Results of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) battery trials in Australia are reported. The IELTS tests of productive language skills use direct assessment strategies and subjective scoring according to detailed guidelines. The receptive skills tests use indirect assessment strategies and clerical scoring procedures.…

The topic of differential diagnosis and its application to the use of the Revised Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) is discussed. The theoretical bases for differential diagnosis and the properties of assessment instruments with diagnostic properties are presented.…

The role of different types of testing instruments in second language programs is discussed. Knowledge-based tests, including discrete-point and integrative tests are contrasted with direct tests, including the Foreign Service Institute Scale and the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ASLPR). The ASLPR is described in detail in terms…

Issues in testing proficiency in languages for special purposes (LSP) are examined in the context of the development of an advanced oral test in Japanese for tour guides. The test, designed at an Australian university for use in the Australian tourism industry, was to be designed to evaluate both language proficiency and skills in appropriate…