Reliability

Our final exam ensures high reliability based on many different factors. First,
reliability is built on unambiguous and high-quality items for students. The
items are designed to measure specific skills and knowledge that have been
covered within the curriculum. For instance, the error identification section
evaluates students' understanding of grammar rules presented in the syllabus
including passive voice with modal in unit 6, the superlative adjectives in unit 8,
the reported speech in unit 9. Besides, teachers can evaluate students' ability to
understand vocabulary by finding words or phrases with incorrect meanings in
item 3 of task 1. Similarly, the sentence transformation section assesses
students’ ability to comprehend and use suggested words, and grammar to
complete sentences both semantically and syntactically in task 2 with
conditional type 1 in unit 10, relative clauses in unit 7, and reported speech.
Through tasks 3 and 4 which are related to what is learned in units 8 and 9,
students’ proficiency in writing coherent and cohesive essays including using
ideas, supporting ideas, examples, and arranging them logically is measured.
Second, another reason why the test has high reliability is because of the scoring
process that consists of clear direction and a uniform rubric. Each item has a
specific score and is evaluated based on the high consistency of objective
scoring criteria. For example, in task 1, for each question with the correct
answer, the student will receive 0.5 points. The total score for 4 questions is 2
points. Similarly, based on the 5-level rating scale (poor, inadequate, need
improvement, adequate, good, excellent) and criteria (task response,
vocabulary, grammatical structure, coherence, and cohesion), teachers have
clear direction for scoring. Additionally, the rubric fosters inter-rate reliability
by minimizing discrepancies in grading between different sections or classes.
Lastly, the environmental factor and administration of the test contribute
significantly to the test's reliability. All students complete the identical test
simultaneously in a favorable environment without noise, variations in
photocopying, low light or sound quality in different parts of the room. The test
duration is 45 minutes and the width with 13 items are placed under the careful
monitoring of teachers providing high-reliability. This ensures equal
opportunities for all students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge.
In conclusion, the high reliability of the English writing end-term assessment is
attributable to the quality of test items, the objective scoring process, the
environment factor, and standardized administration procedures. These factors
collectively contribute to the generation of consistent and accurate results that
accurately reflect students' true abilities.
Practically
Our English writing summative test ensures high reliability. This can be
evaluated based on key factors: feasibility, time efficiency, ease of scoring and
interpretation, available material and human resources, costs, and amount of
time and effort involved for both designing and scoring. The test demonstrates
high practicality by assessing students' ability to write effectively in diverse
contexts, a crucial skill applicable to various real-world situations such as essay
writing, website advertisement, proposal construction, and articles. This
alignment with practical needs ensures the test's relevance to students' future
endeavors, be they academic or professional.
In terms of time efficiency, the test remains manageable for both students and
teacher. Its four sections can be completed within a reasonable time frame of 45
minutes. Besides, the time and effort for both design and score are reasonable.
Based on the curriculum in the textbook, teachers may take 2 to 3 months to
prepare after reviewing the midterm exam.
The practicality is highly appreciated based on the reasonableness of costs
related to taking the test, including printed materials, answer sheets, and scratch
paper, etc. This stays within the budgetary limits of the school and ensures not
exceed available material resources.
Besides, the teacher’s time commitment is reasonable within their workload so
we can utilise appropriately the available human resources such as teachers in
the English department.
The scoring and interpretation process is designed for ease and clarity. The error
identification section utilizes a rubric that identifies specific grammatical errors
presented as multiple-choice questions. Rewriting sentences without changing
the meaning section based on the accuracy of understanding and using
vocabulary and grammar. Logic and coherence are assessed based on filling in
the blanks of a paragraph. Finally, the essay that gives solutions related to
protecting the environment in unit 9 is evaluated based on the quality of
arguments presented and prompt requirements.