C2 Assessment and Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'washback effect' in language testing describes:
- The negative impact of poor test design on learner motivation
- The influence a test has on the teaching and learning that precede it (Correct answer)
- The statistical regression of scores toward the mean on retakes
- The process of reviewing and revising test items after administration
Correct answer: The influence a test has on the teaching and learning that precede it
Washback (or backwash) refers to how the existence and nature of a test shapes classroom instruction and learner behavior.
Question 2: Which statistical measure indicates how well a single test item discriminates between high- and low-performing test takers?
- Item facility index
- Item discrimination index (Correct answer)
- Cronbach's alpha
- Standard error of measurement
Correct answer: Item discrimination index
The item discrimination index compares the proportion of high scorers vs. low scorers who answered an item correctly.
Question 3: Portfolio assessment is considered particularly valuable at advanced proficiency levels because it:
- Provides a single quantifiable score for ranking
- Captures growth, process, and a range of competencies over time (Correct answer)
- Eliminates subjectivity through standardized scoring keys
- Measures performance under strict timed conditions
Correct answer: Captures growth, process, and a range of competencies over time
Portfolios document a learner's developmental trajectory and diverse abilities, which is especially meaningful at C2 level.
Question 4: In a proficiency interview, an examiner increases task complexity when a candidate responds with ease. This technique is called:
- Scaffolding
- Ceiling testing
- Adaptive assessment (Correct answer)
- Standardized prompting
Correct answer: Adaptive assessment
Adaptive assessment dynamically adjusts task difficulty based on the test-taker's demonstrated performance.
Question 5: Which principle requires that assessment tasks resemble real-world language use as closely as possible?
- Reliability
- Transparency
- Authenticity (Correct answer)
- Objectivity
Correct answer: Authenticity
Authenticity requires that test tasks reflect genuine communicative purposes and contexts encountered outside the test setting.
Question 6: Self-assessment is most effective when learners:
- Evaluate their performance without any reference criteria
- Use clear descriptors or rubrics to reflect on their own work (Correct answer)
- Compare their output to that of the highest-performing peer
- Receive only summative feedback from the teacher
Correct answer: Use clear descriptors or rubrics to reflect on their own work
Without transparent criteria, self-assessment becomes arbitrary; rubrics give learners concrete standards to apply to their own work.
Question 7: A test that consistently produces very similar scores when re-administered under the same conditions is said to have high:
- Validity
- Reliability (Correct answer)
- Authenticity
- Impact
Correct answer: Reliability
Reliability refers to the consistency and stability of test scores across repeated administrations or raters.
C2 Assessment and Evaluation 3
The 'washback effect' in language testing describes: