Abstract:

While the psychometric and statistical models underlying the design of computer adaptive tests (CAT) are well understood, relatively few working models exist for the purpose of foreign language assessment. Likewise, little has been published concerning the practical considerations affecting the implementation of such tests. in the process of constructing the Monash/Melbourne French CAT, we discovered much about putting testing theory into practice. The present paper reports this experience in three parts. In a preliminary section, we describe the academic context in which the French CAT was created and trialed. This is followed by a detailed consideration of the test presentation platform and operating algorithms. Lastly, we give an evaluation of the first administration of the French CAT, accompanied by a discussion of the test's reliability and validity as a placement instrument for first year Australian university students.

Author: Jack Burston