Issues in the Development of Standardized Proficiency Tests (Language Skills and Components): Academic: IELTS and TOEFL

 By: Marwa and Erlik Widiyani Styati

Standardized test is developed, administered, and scored using established procedures and guidelines. All the students are given test in the same test, under the same condition. The students are given opportunity to determine the correct answers and all the scores are established and intepreted using the criteria.

Test developers follow established procedures to create questions that reflect the curricula or the learning requirements in developing standardized tests. It is essential to develop the language proficiency test based on a good construct. To make sure the test have a good construct, it needs to make specification to define what specific language knowledge, skills or abilities are intended to be measured. The analysis of test is to ensure that it measures student performance accurately and reliably.

Standardized tests such at TOEFL and IELTS and others are usually administered to determine, or predict, a student’s likelihood of success in an English‐speaking academic setting. The test developer should also specify scoring procedure and reporting format. TOEFL is a test that assesses all four basic language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The test comes in the pBT and iBT forms ‐ meaning the paper‐based test (being phased out) and the Internet‐based test (to become the standard). The cBT or computer‐based test has been phased out. The TOEFL iBT tests all four language skills that are important for effective communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The TOEFL iBT (Internet‐based test) helps individuals demonstrate the English skills needed for academic success, as well as help institutions make better decisions about prospective students' readiness for academic coursework in colleges and universities.

The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test provides an evaluation of English for those who wish to study or train at the tertiary level in English. It is very similar to the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). IELTS is a jointly managed test by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council and IDP Education Australia. The test is accepted by many professional organizations in The UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Students take either the “Academic” or “General Training” sections in reading and writing—the listening and speaking sections are the same for both forms of the test. The total test time is about 2 hours and 45 minutes and consists of the following: Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and  Speaking (11–14 minutes). The Listening, Reading and Writing tests are done in one sitting. The Speaking test may be on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.

References

Brown, H. D. 2003. Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices. White    

Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/TOEFL_Tips.pdf