Summative Student Assessment

Student assessment, whether by standardized tests or classroom-based measures, is a foundation of effective teaching and learning.

At various stages during their learning, students may need or want to be tested on their ability in the English language. Summative assessments, for example, are regarded as powerful devices for influencing what happens in schools and classrooms, and as such, assessment studies are regularly carried out to measure the strengths and weaknesses of students. Results from summative assessments, along with other measures of achievement, are regularly used to determine whether students can advance to the next grade, and to evaluate the quality of schools and the professors who work in them. (Harmer, 1998) A learner’s

General proficiency test

Proficiency test measures language ability regardless of any experience students may have had, and therefore it is rarely related to any syllabus or teaching programs. (Harmer, 1998) It is based on requirements about what one should know and be able to do with the target language to be considerate proficient.

Many students decide to do public examinations such as those offered by the University of Cambridge ESOL, TOEFL and International English Language Testing System (IELTS). These proficiency tests are designed to show what level a student has reached, and are used by employers and universities, for example, who need to have a reliable measure of a student’s language abilities. (Huges, 2007) This test (TOEFL) is also used when applying for a scholarship or a job, and there are usually no differences in tests made in different countries or for different institutions. (E.g. appendix no.2) It consists of four sections: listening, structure, reading and writing and it takes up to four hours to complete the test.

5.2. Placement

(Harmer, 1998) Their results on this test may determine what class they will be placed next year (in some schools, failing students have to repeat a year). Typically, achievement tests include a variety of test types and measure the students’ abilities in all four skills, as well as their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. It measures what learners have learnt on a language course, and helps the teacher to assess the degree of his/her success and identify leaners’ weaknesses or difficulties. For example, the learners have finished units 1 - 5 of a course book and they are being tested now on what they have seen in these units. The test may be taken from the teacher 's book or the teacher can create one on his/her own.

5.5. Aptitude test

It measures learners’ probable performance in a foreign language which they have not started to learn yet. “Aptitude tests assume that individuals have inherent strengths and weaknesses, and are naturally inclined toward success or failure in certain areas based on their inherent characteristics.” It does not test knowledge and therefore, one cannot study for that test. For example, one can take The Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT). (E.g. appendix no. 5)

5.6. Diagnostic