TEFL Assessment and Testing in EFL 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'rubric' in EFL writing assessment?
- A red-pen correction code
- A scoring guide that describes criteria and performance levels used to evaluate student writing (Correct answer)
- A checklist of grammar errors
- A model essay provided to students
Correct answer: A scoring guide that describes criteria and performance levels used to evaluate student writing
Rubrics make assessment criteria transparent and consistent by describing what performance looks like at each scoring level across multiple dimensions.
Question 2: What does 'criterion-referenced assessment' mean?
- Students are ranked against each other
- Students are assessed against fixed performance criteria regardless of how others perform (Correct answer)
- Assessment is based solely on attendance and effort
- Tests are graded on a curve
Correct answer: Students are assessed against fixed performance criteria regardless of how others perform
Criterion-referenced tests measure student performance against a defined standard — all students can pass if they meet the criteria.
Question 3: What is 'norm-referenced assessment'?
- Assessing students against fixed criteria
- Ranking students relative to a group, with grades distributed on a curve (Correct answer)
- Assessing students at the start of a course
- Testing only the most frequent grammar structures
Correct answer: Ranking students relative to a group, with grades distributed on a curve
Norm-referenced tests compare individuals to the group's performance — half must fall below average by design, which is inappropriate for most EFL learning contexts.
Question 4: What is 'self-assessment' and why is it valued in TEFL?
- Teachers grading themselves on lesson quality
- Learners evaluating their own language ability and progress, building metacognitive awareness and autonomy (Correct answer)
- Students grading each other's work
- Students choosing their own test topics
Correct answer: Learners evaluating their own language ability and progress, building metacognitive awareness and autonomy
Self-assessment develops learner autonomy and metacognition — skills that help students continue learning outside the classroom.
Question 5: What is a 'portfolio' assessment in EFL?
- A single high-stakes final exam
- A collection of student work over time that demonstrates learning and progress (Correct answer)
- A teacher's record of grades
- A placement test administered at the start of a course
Correct answer: A collection of student work over time that demonstrates learning and progress
Portfolio assessment captures growth over time through multiple pieces of work, offering a richer picture of a learner's development than a single test.
Question 6: What is 'inter-rater reliability' in speaking or writing assessment?
- Students and teachers agreeing on a grade
- The degree to which two or more assessors give consistent scores to the same piece of work (Correct answer)
- Using the same test in multiple classes
- Marking all tests at the same time
Correct answer: The degree to which two or more assessors give consistent scores to the same piece of work
High inter-rater reliability means different markers award similar scores — achieved through clear rubrics and marker training.
TEFL Assessment and Testing in EFL 2
What is a 'rubric' in EFL writing assessment?