Introduction

The needs of assessing the outcome of learning have led to the development and
elaboration of different test formats. This test has taken the form of testing knowledge
about language, usually the testing of knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. In this test
of English language, questions were prepared to measure learners’ productive language
skills through performances which allow students to demonstrate the kinds of language
skills that may be required in a real world context. This language test differ with respect to
how it is designed, and what it is for, in other words, in respect to the test method and the
test purpose. This test is a procedure for measuring ability, knowledge or performance
and to prepare the students for the national exam. It can be seen as a method of assessment
and improvement of the students. This model examination which is prepared for grade 8 is an
extremely multifarious task that ought to be based on method as well as exercise. The result
of this assessment is used for one or more purposes. So it has an effect on those who are
assessed. There are so many types of tests that are discussed below and which might have
been reflected on the examination.
Types of Tests That are Reflected or not on the Model Examination of Grade 8

Achievement test
An achievement test, also referred to as attainment or summative test, is devised to measure
how much of a language someone has learned with reference to a particular course of study
or program of instruction, for instance, end of year tests, mid-term tests are designed to show
mastery of a language. In more practical and pedagogical terms, Brown (1994, P. 259)
defines an achievement test as ‘’tests that are limited to particular material covered in a
curriculum with in a particular time frame. ‘’ This model examination designed primarily to
measure an individual’s progress rather than as a means of motivating or reinforcing
language. This test is constructed by Lemi Kura Sub city Woreda 9 Education Office for
grade 8. This kind of test has two-fold objectives. These are:
 To help the teacher judge the success of their teaching.
 To identify the weakness of their learners and prepare them for the national
examination.
There are two kinds of achievement tests these are final achievement tests and progress
achievement tests.
Final achievement tests:- are those administered at the end of a course of study.
Progress achievement tests:-as their name suggests, are intended to measure the progress
that the students are making.
 So this model examination is both final and progress achievement test because in
final achievement test the teachers are using this model examination as a final exam
which would be taken as an assessment in the mark-list out of 50 or 60, as a progress
achievement test this model examination is provided to the examinees to know
whether they are really prepared or not prepared for the national exam and try to
lift them up from where they are.
Diagnostic test
Unfortunately we don’t have a diagnostic one in this model examination of grade 8.As its
name denotes a diagnostic test is primarily designed to diagnose some particular linguistic
aspects. The term formative is sometimes used to designate a diagnostic test. One of the main
advantages of a diagnostic test is that it offers useful pedagogical solutions for mixed-
ability classes. One of the well-known diagnostic tests in English is Prator’s (1972)
‘’Diagnostic Passage.’’ It consists of a short-written passage that the learner reads orally;
the teacher then examines the tape recording of that reading against a very detailed
checklist of pronunciation errors. Diagnostic tests are designed to assess students’
linguistic knowledge and language skills before the course has begun. A diagnostic
language tests have three-fold objectives. These are:
 To provide learners with a way to start learning with their own personal learning
program or what would be called in the literature of testing learning paths.
 To provide learners with a way to test their knowledge of the language.
 To provide learners with better information about their weaknesses and strengths.

Language aptitude test

I know that this examination is not an aptitude test but, I think it should have, if we are
talking about ‘’Language aptitude’’ as a hybrid concept, partly linguistic and partly
psychological, refers to the genuine ability one is endowed with to learn a language. It is
thought to be a combination of several abilities:
Phonological ability:- the ability to detect phonetic differences like stress, intonation and
vowel quality in a new language. But, we don’t see such type of questions in this model
examination which makes it totally bad since it’s the core of a language.
Syntactic ability:-the ability to recognize the different grammatical functions of words in
sentences. Luckily, this was done perfectly in this examination we do have completion
questions with different tense and completing a conversation which is assumed as testing
the students speaking ability but in reality since it is provided in written form I don’t think it
serves the purpose. There is also an item which demands to choose the one that is the same
or nearly the same as the original sentence, choosing the best arrangement of the jumbled
words and choosing the sentence that is correctly punctuated.
Psychological ability:-rote-learning abilities and the ability to make inferences and inductive
learning. Actually I don’t really have an idea that where psychological ability has been
reflected on this exam.

Placement test
This exam is not prepared for a placement test. Of course if it is in a sense that to place the
student who have passed to the next level it could be but still it will be debatable to say this
kind of examination is for placement. A placement test is originally designed to place
learners at an appropriate level in a program or course. The term ‘’placement test’’ as
Richards et al. (1989) note does not refer to what a test contains or how it is constructed, but
to the purpose for which it is used. Various types or testing procedures such as dictation,
interview or a grammar test (discrete or integrative) can be used for placement purposes.

Proficiency test
As far as I can see this test is not about proficiency it’s about how much the students grab
what they have learnt so far. A proficiency test is devised to measure how much of a
language someone has learned. It is not linked to any particular course of instruction but
measures the learners’ general level of language mastery. Most English language proficiency
tests base their testing items on high frequency-count vocabulary and general basic grammar.
Some proficiency tests have been standardized by the world wide use, such as the well-
known IELTS and TOEFL. However, the Cambridge certificate of proficiency in English or
CPE, as it is generally referred to, is the most advanced remains the only British top-value
and high-prestige standardized language test.

Progress test
A progress test is an achievement-like test. It is usually administered at the end of a unit, a
course, or term. A progress test maybe viewed as similar to an achievement test but much
narrower and much more specific in scope (Richards et al., 1989). This model exam can be
considered as a progress test because it indicates where the students are and entails the
teacher and the student where to work hard in order to pass the national exam.

Test items
To prepare such a test item, we need to identify a relevant situation or a piece of necessary
knowledge that we wish to evaluate and ensure that the item is at the appropriate level of
competency or difficulty. The distractors affect difficulty as much as the key in MCQ
items. The multiple choice items have been used to measure both simple knowledge and
complex concepts. Since multiple choice questions can be answered quickly, the teachers
can assess students’ mastery of many topics on an hour exam. In addition, the items can be
easily and reliably scored. Test items can be either subjective or objective, the former like
essay questions, translation exercises, and interviews, and the later like multiple choice
questions, and filling in the blanks and so on which is reflected on this grade 8 model
examination. More importantly, by both objective and subjective we mean how tests are
assessed by the person, test itself and the way it is assessed but not the questions themselves!
On this examination the test item is only objective which includes MCQs and fill in the blank
spaces. There are two general categories of test items. These are:
1. Objective items
This exam enquire students to select the correct response from several alternatives or to
supply a word or short phrase to answer a question or complete a statement which is to be
considered as objective items. Objective items include multiple choice, true-false, matching,
and completion. Most of all objective tests are appropriate when the group to be tested is
large so this model examination is prepared to a whole sub city students in grade 8 and the
test may be reused, highly reliable scores must be obtained as efficiently as possible, and
when impartiality of evaluation, fairness; and freedom from possible test scoring influences
are essential.
 2. Subjective or essay items
Permit the students to organize and present an original answer but here we don’t have
learners experimented or original answer. In this examination we don’t actually have
subjective items that includes short-answer essay, extended-response essay, and problem
solving and performance test items. Because such kind of tests are appropriate when the
group to be tested is small and the test is not to be reused, you wish to encourage and
reward the development of student skill in writing, and when you are more interested in
exploring the student’s attitudes than in measuring his or her achievement. But, in this
examination they are more interested in measuring the student’s achievement than exploring
the student’s attitudes.
o Both essay and subjective tests can be used to measure almost any important
educational achievement a written text can measure, test understanding and ability to
apply principles, test ability to think critically, and test ability to solve problems. In
here I can say that the student’s achievement, cognitive and problem solving ability
has been measured but not in perspective of diagnostic test and of course it has
weakness in providing questions that covers all language skills evaluation.

Linguistic competence and communicative competence tests

There is a linguistic competence in this examination, which emphasises on specific
language aspects to measure how learner is knowledgeable in a specific area like vocabulary
or command of language elements. On the contrary, there is no communicative
competence in this exam, which is beyond linguistic elements, asks for a telephone place
for example and not necessarily as in language, gestures and other paralinguistic means of
communication can be used. But we don’t see this in the model examination. Additionally,
the aspect of appropriateness is very important here. In my opinion both are appropriate if
it is convenient I mean especially the communicative competence one.

Objectives of the model exam of grade 8

The main purpose of this exam is to find out what the students have achieved at the end of
the semester or what the progress of the student’s is during the semester. This kind of
assessment is known as formative and summative assessment. When teachers try to find out
the improvement of their students, to observe how they have developed and to point out what
they should have learned and finally use this information to modify their future teaching
plans. This kind of assessment is known as formative. It can also be a kind of advice to the
students.
Phases of test preparation/design/construction of grade 8 model exam in terms of:-
1. Reliability
This examination is reliable as long as it gives correct reading, consistency and similar
results.
2. Validity
A grocery scale is totally different from a jewellery scale, basically means you test what
you are supposed to test. This examination is prepared from what they have been
learning.
3. Discrimination
In this model exam too difficult questions have been differentiated from too easy
questions and put in orderly manner from easier to difficult one, not only low and high
level students have been taken in to consideration but also all other levels.
4. Practicality/usability
Person who does not have enough money to take the TOEFL test is an example of the
absence of practicality what is good in one maybe not good in another setting. This test
doesn’t have practicality or usability indeed.
Actually there are many formats for a test; in this test there is the most common
formats which is multiple choice questions (MCQs) and fill in the blank.

A checklist for evaluating an examination.

Checklist Yes No
Does the MCQs have a 
perfect key and good
distractors?
Is the instructions clear 
enough?
Is the instruction veg? 
Is there any AOTA in the 
choosing items?
Does it contain scrambled 
sentence and paragraph
questions?
Does it have sentence 
completion questions?
Does it have feel in the 
blank test form?
Does it have grammatical 
questions?
Is there a question about 
vocabularies? But only two questions
out of sixty
Are there any punctuation 
questions?
Is it valuable? 
Is the whole question 
meaningful, fair, and
reliable?
Reference
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