Diagnostic Assessment in Theory and Practice

Most students in Japan experience a wide range of language tests in their ten-year long language-learning career. These include tests in different situations, starting with classroom tests which range from short vocabulary tests to long end of term tests. Secondly there are university entrance exams, where the stakes are high. Finally there are optional proficiency tests such as the eiken graded tests in seven different grades suited to junior high to university major level students, or the TOEIe test for university students and older candidates. Students themselves are normally aware of two characteristics of a test, namely the skills tested and the purpose of the test. The former is normally expressed by the students in their question to the teacher "What's it on?" and the latter is tacitly understood: for school tests, getting a good grade in an end of term test will result in a good grade for the course, while university entrance tests are self-explanatory, and optional tests both motivate the candidates to study and increase their educational chances. In some situations a clear pass mark criterion is set, as in the Eiken proficiency tests, whereas in others, such as classroom tests, there is no need to think of pass and fail. From an academic perspective, there are four broad types of test: proficiency, placement, achievement and diagnostic. (Alderson et al. 1987) For his part, Brown focuses on the type of decision rather than the type of test. (Brown