A study investigated the validity of an English listening skills test by comparing the results of native American and British English speakers with those of Dutch students of English as a second language. A hypothesis suggested that two-thirds of the items would test listening skills and the remaining third would test other knowledge. Test results were analyzed according to both classical test theory and the Rasch item response theory. The findings showed the test to be disappointing as a measure of listening comprehension skills, but did suggest that the language listening ability of first- and second-language learners can be measured along a single variable that can be distinguished from age and educational background. (MSE)