Assessment and Testing in EFL Flashcards

What is the difference between 'formative' and 'summative' assessment in EFL?

Answer: Formative is ongoing assessment to inform teaching during learning; summative is end-of-term assessment to measure achievement

Formative assessment (quizzes, observation, feedback) shapes instruction during learning, while summative assessment (final exams, proficiency tests) evaluates overall achievement.

What does 'validity' mean in the context of language testing?

Answer: The test measures what it claims to measure

A valid test genuinely assesses the skill or knowledge it is intended to measure — a speaking test must test speaking, not just vocabulary recall.

What does 'reliability' mean in language assessment?

Answer: The test produces consistent results under similar conditions and across different markers

A reliable test gives stable scores — the same student should score similarly if retested, and different markers should give similar grades.

What is a 'placement test' used for in an EFL context?

Answer: To assign students to appropriate level groups at the start of a program

Placement tests determine which class level best suits incoming students so instruction matches their current proficiency.

What is a 'diagnostic test' designed to do?

Answer: Identify specific areas of language weakness so teaching can target those gaps

Diagnostic tests pinpoint particular language problems (e.g., difficulty with articles, verb patterns) so teachers can address them directly.

What is 'washback' (or backwash) in language testing?

Answer: The influence that a test has on the curriculum and teaching practices that prepare for it

Washback describes how high-stakes tests shape (and sometimes distort) what and how teachers teach — ideally, tests should have positive washback.