Testing terminology: a general quiz

Multiple-choice exercise

Choose the best answer for each question.
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  1. Validity is a measure of:
    1.   how the test will parallel results of other tests.
    2.   how well we can describe the abilities we are testing.
    3.   how fair a test is.
    4.   how well a test measures what it is intended to measure.
  2. Aptitude testing is:
    1.   assessing intelligence.
    2.   assessing general cognitive ability.
    3.   assessing how well learners will be able to acquire the targets.
    4.   assessing communicative success.
  3. Direct testing differs from discrete-point testing because:
    1.   the former gets the learner to undertake the skill being tested, while the latter attempts to test the underlying skills.
    2.   the former attempts to test the underlying skills while the latter gets the learner to undertake the skill being tested.
  4. Face validity is a measure of:
    1.   how well we can describe what we are testing.
    2.   a subjective judgement of a test's fairness.
    3.   how well a test actually targets the desired skills.
    4.   how well a test is designed.
  5. What is the guess ratio for a multiple-choice test with 5 possible answers to each question?
    1.   30%
    2.   33%
    3.   25%
    4.   20%
  6. Unique answer items have:
    1.   only true or false answers to select from.
    2.   only one possible right answer.
    3.   only three correct answers in a set of four possible ones.
    4.   no equivalents elsewhere in the test.
  7. Holistic scoring means:
    1.   marking items independently.
    2.   judging on the basis of an overall impression.
    3.   adding all the scores together.
    4.   assessing by direct testing.
  8. Integrative testing is another description of:
    1.   holistic testing.
    2.   discrete-point testing.
    3.   direct testing.
    4.   analytic testing.
  9. Benchmarking is:
    1.   the use of a few test scripts to standardise marking.
    2.   the use of one student to compare the performance of others.
    3.   ranking students' performance against a set of criteria.
    4.   establishing a set of usable marking criteria.
  10. A multiple-choice test contains:
    1.   a rubric and some distractors.
    2.   a choice of true or false.
    3.   a stem and a number of distractors.
    4.   distractors and a common core question.
  11. True score refers to:
    1.   the score measured as the difference from the mean score of all the test takers.
    2.   the learner's score minus an amount for guessing correctly.
    3.   the learner's total score without any subjective marking judgments.
    4.   a theoretical measurement of a learner's score excluding any problems of reliability.
  12. Achievement tests are:
    1.   tests of general ability to learn language.
    2.   tests to measure what learners know and don't know.
    3.   tests directly related to a language course designed.
    4.   tests designed to influence the teaching programme.
  13. Criterion referencing is:
    1.   measuring performance against a range of predetermined criteria.
    2.   choosing the most useful criteria when standardising test markers.
    3.   measuring performance based on overall communicative success.
    4.   measuring performance against a benchmarked student.
  14. Backwash is:
    1.   the affect of testing on teacher competence.
    2.   the affect of testing on learner performance.
    3.   the affect of teaching on test design.
    4.   the effect on the learning / teaching process of a test.
  15. The Cambridge First Certificate examination is a:
    1.   diagnostic test.
    2.   achievement test.
    3.   proficiency test.
    4.   performative test.
  16. If 40 out of 100 students get an answer right, that item has a value of 0.4. This is a measure of:
    1.   standard deviation.
    2.   facility value.
    3.   usefulness.
    4.   easiness.
  17. Paraphrase test items require the learner to:
    1.   correct what they read or hear.
    2.   re-express what they hear or read in a different form.
    3.   re-express what they hear or read in their own words.
    4.   summarise what they read or hear.
  18. What is the mean score of 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26?
    1.   22
    2.   23
    3.   25
    4.   21
  19. Analytic scoring involves:
    1.   adding up the marks to get an overall picture.
    2.   scoring for an overall impression.
    3.   breaking down the scores to produce a histogram.
    4.   scoring a mark for each component of a task.
  20. If a test is reliable, this means that:
    1.   the test will be objective.
    2.   the results will be comparable regardless of where and when the test is taken
    3.   the test will have a high facility ratio.
    4.   the results will be a valid measure of a test-taker's ability in the skill we are testing.