June 2011

Language tests: Design and specifications (in Greek) 
by Vaso Tokatlidou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
[abstract] [html] [pdf]

Designing language tests is a demanding process as their design should guarantee that they are valid and reliable and that the whole process of test development and assessment is transparent. Based on these considerations, this article examines the specifications that allow language tests to comply with requirements of functionality, efficiency and form stability.

Drawing on a detailed literature review, the author attempts to describe these specifications, examining how they ensure accountability and to what extent they can be applicable. Moreover, the author records, compares and classifies the existing language tests as to their purpose, use, content, frame of reference, structure and approach. This is followed by the analysis of the various task types included in language tests, based on the criteria of time required, the objectives they respond to and their format. The purpose of this analysis is to illustrate whether and in what way the tasks meet the requirements of the test developer. The author concludes that the nature of language tests, depending on their design, can determine the direction and quality of foreign language education as a whole, given their backwash effect.

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