测试学学期论文-作业.docVIP

An analysis of one test paper based on language testing 1. Introduction Generally speaking, language testing is a process of assessment, describing attributes or qualities of individuals. Good tests can precisely describe how well the learners master a foreign language. In general, good tests should at least abide by two basic principles: reliability and validity. It widely acknowledged that the primary purpose of language testing is to pinpoint strengths and weakness in the learned abilities of the testees (henning, 1987:1). Thus a test paper is qualified or not that related the authenticity and availability of testees s assessing. 2. Qualities of good tests The most important criteria to assess the quality of a test are reliability, validity, item discrimination and item difficulty. 2.1reliability Reliability is a necessary characteristic of any good test. No matter whether a test is valid or not, it must first be reliable as a measuring instrument . According to Bachman and Palmer (1996), reliability is the consistency of measurement. Henning (1987)defines reliability as a measure of accuracy, consistency, dependability or fairness of scores resulting from administration of a particular examination. Reliability can be measured in different ways. The traditional way is to give a test to the same examinees on different occasions. If the tests were perfectly reliable, the examinees would get the same scores. Another type is mark-remark reliability. Which denotes the extent to which the same marks are awarded if the same test papers are marked by two or more different examiners or the same examiner on different occasions. Reliability depends on many factors such as the type and length of the test，the range of ability of the students,and the scoring of the test etc. 2.2 validity Henning（1987）defines validity as“the appropriateness of a given test or any of its component parts as a measure of what it is purported to measure. Any test then may be valid for some purpo