Reliability and Validity of the Electronic English Placement Test (EPT) conducted by the Language Centre, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (Published)
This study aims to investigate the validity and reliability of the electronic English language test administered by the Language Centre, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training. 5 EFL teachers were interviewed by the researcher using a semi-structured interview. 10 EFL freshmen students were asked to perform the EPT for the second time and then participated in a semi-structured interview as well. The researcher used the mixed method design in his study, the quantitative and qualitative methods, which added strength to the data analysis. The finding showed that EPT had deficient levels of validity and reliability. The reasons behind this result varied from ignoring writing, listening, and speaking when designing the EPT to poor instruction procedures and proctoring. The lack of new and advanced computers did affect the validity and reliability in a significant way. This study ends with recommendations to improve EPT’s validity and reliability levels.
Keywords: Education, Reliability, Training, electronic English placement test (EPT) language centre, public authority, validity
IELTS Academic Reading Module Test: Validity and Reliability (Published)
The testing of reading comprehension seems deceptively simple when compared to the testing of other abilities. The basic problem is that the language tester is expected to set tasks that will not only lead the candidate to use reading skills but will also result in behavior that provides clear evidence of the successful use of those skills. This paper aims to evaluate the IELTS Academic Reading Module Test in detail, examining its validity and reliability and discussing how far its format, operations, conditions, and techniques meet its purpose. The paper focuses mainly on the test scoring rules, which appear to be strict in terms of spelling, grammar, and the number of words required for written responses. It concludes with some recommendations on ways in which the validity and reliability of IELTS reading scoring rules could be improved.
Keywords: Conditions Validity, Evaluation, Format, IELTS Academic Reading Module Test, Operations, Reliability, Scoring Rules