The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE-A), a widely used high-stakes language proficiency test for university admissions and migration purposes, underwent a notable change from a three-hour to a two-hour version in November 2021. The implementation of the new version has prompted inquiries into the washback effects on various stakeholders.…

University settings present a unique opportunity for young adults to develop characteristics constitutive of wisdom. One challenge for educators working to support this development involves effectively measuring these characteristics. In this article, we present results from a secondary analysis of cognitive interviews to examine challenges that…

Online examinations, commonly known as electronic examinations (e-exams), are becoming increasingly implemented in higher education institutions in Palestine. However, learners' perspectives on these exams remain unexplored. This study therefore examines learners' perceptions of the online examination practices at Palestine Technical…

This article reports on a mixed-method study that examined the washback of a local integrated theme-based high-stakes English language proficiency test that is used in a university English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program in Turkey. The assumption behind employing an integrated theme-based test, which resembles authentic language use, was that…

Language test preparation has often been studied within the consequential validity framework in relation to ethics, equity, fairness, and washback of assessment. The use of independent and integrated speaking tasks in the "TOEFL iBT"® test represents a significant development and innovation in assessing speaking ability in academic…

Test takers' beliefs or experiences have been overlooked in most validation studies in language education. Meanwhile, a mutual exclusion has been observed in the literature, with little or no dialogue between validation studies and studies concerning the uses and consequences of testing. To help fill these research gaps, a group of Senior III…

As homework and other aspects of education migrate to a computer-based format, on-paper exams are beginning to seem like an anachronism. Online delivery is attractive, but comes with a myriad of implications not apparent at first glance. It affects the kinds of questions that can be asked and complicates administration of the exam, but it may make…

The transcript of a six-part National Public Radio broadcast on standardized testing is presented. The first part focuses on the reasons tests are administered; these reasons are discussed by proponents and opponents of testing. Part Two contains a discussion of the possible bias of tests, and their validity. The third part discusses the…

An ethnographic study indicates that not all children's understanding of tests matches that of their teachers and their schools. Some testing problems experienced by minority children appear to relate to their lack of understanding or acceptance of tests as devices for judging personal success or failure in the classroom. (Author/GC)

Article presented a true story of how two cities ran testing programs and the lessons that can be learned from their failures. (Editor/RK)

The research literature on oral achievement testing is reviewed, and advantages and disadvantages of oral tests are described. A number of suggestions are made for improving the objectivity, reliability, and validity of oral tests. The results of a survey of the attitudes and experiences of a selected sample of college students with regard to…

Undergraduates responded to an objective test in electronics and classified each item by domain (one of 14 topics covered in their text), and by type of knowledge (definition, fact, principle, or interpretation). These judgments were compared to their instructor's "standard" judgments. From these data, an index of item-domain divergence…

One implication of attitude self-ratings, that scales may become recalibrated transiently, was investigated conservatively using hypothesized shifts of data from 368 college students rating the desirability of taking senior comprehensive examinations. Results support the validity and reliability of simple graphic rating scales as measures of…

It is suggested that little attention is given to understanding student concerns about testing: what will be tested, and in what depth. Reexamination is indicated for the purposes of testing, test quality and frequency, and instructor autonomy. Tests are seen as powerful determinants of learning that are often not used appropriately. (MSE)

Measures of adults' attitudes toward nuclear war are briefly discussed, and Mayton's Modified World Affairs Questionnaire (MWAQ) is described. The 23-item MWAQ was developed from Novak and Lerner's World Affairs Questionnaire, a nuclear war attitude measure by Mayton and Delamater, and related interview items by Jeffries. When the MWAQ was…