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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College              2010


   I.      INTRODUCTION

   Testing is one of the powerful tools to measure students’ abilities as well as enhance their
   attitudes towards learning. Depending on variable purposes in testing, there are compatible
   differences in types of testing as the followings:

   1. Achievement test: A test which measures how much of a language someone has learned
        with reference to particular course of study or program of instruction.

        (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
        Linguistics, 1992, p. 3)

   2. Diagnostic test: A test which is designed to show what skills or knowledge a learner
        knows and doesn’t know. It may be used to find out how much a learner knows before
        beginning a language course.

        (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
        Linguistics, 1992, p. 106)

   3. Language aptitude test: A test which measures a person’s aptitude for SECOND
        LANGUAGE or FOREIGN LANGUAGE learning and which can be to identify those
        learners who are most likely to succeed.

        (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
        Linguistics, 1992, p. 198)

   4. Placement test: A test which is designed to place students at an appropriate level in a
        program or course.

        (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
        Linguistics, 1992, p. 279)

   5. Proficiency test: A test which measures how much of a language someone has learned. It
        is not linked to a particular course of instruction, but measures the learner’s general level
        of language mastery.

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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College             2010


      (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
      Linguistics, 1992, p. 292)

   6. Progress test: An achievement test linked to a particular set of teaching materials or
      particular course of instruction. Tests prepared by teachers and given at the end of a
      chapter, course, or term are progress tests. Progress tests may be regarded as similar to
      achievement tests but narrower and much more specific in scope.

      (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
      Linguistics, 1992, p. 295)

   Why test? The answers appear differently based on the tester’s purposes. According to Henry
   L. Roediger, III, Mark McDaniel, and Kathleen McDermott (2006), they emphasize “testing
   as an aid to learning” In addition; J.B Heaton (1988) asserts one of the functions of a test is
   “evaluation of student performance for purposes of comparison or selection” (p. 6). He added
   more “the test should also enable the teacher to ascertain which parts of the language
   program have been found difficult by the class. In this way, the teacher can evaluate the
   effectiveness of the syllabus as well as the methods and materials he or she is using.” (p. 7).
   Since testing is an important part in students’ progress, testers must have a clear picture about
   the purpose of testing in order to get the right conceptions about language testing. If not,
   misconceptions about language testing may cause problems (Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S.
   Palmer, 1996, p.7, table 1.1). And why placement test is chosen? Being aware of functions
   and clear purposes of testing, placement test is chosen out of others in order to “place
   students at an appropriate level in a program or course” (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi
   Platt, 1992, p. 279). This type of testing is designed for five-hundred first year students at
   HCMC Industry and Trade College after they have passed the entrance exam. Since the
   students who have just been admitted to the College have different English knowledge
   background. Most of them come from different regions, provinces; some are from the
   neighborhoods; and some are from cities and towns. Due to the differences from their
   origins, it’s no wonder that students have different English background. Students from towns
   and cities have more conditions and advantages in using and developing their English. They


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College              2010


   may also advantage from tourism potentials. For instance, those from Nha Trang or Phan
   Thiet City obviously have chance to orally practice English frequently. On the contrary,
   those who come from rural areas have little chance in oral production but mostly in written
   form. Depending on their high schools, some have experienced English with 3years or 7
   years and on their living conditions, some have chance to learn English from the very
   beginning, especially those come from towns and cities. Therefore, they must be better than
   those who don’t. Surprisingly, some of them even never learn English before. They learn
   French instead. This will cause troubles when they take the same English course with other
   English learners. In the current situation, the school has not set that kind of test system.
   Currently, all of the students are put at the same level of English. Some are very excellent
   and need to learn something higher and newer to make progress in their English proficiency,
   while some need English in a very beginning stage. Thus, it is unfair to treat the same, which
   may rust and hold back some excellent ones in their progress or cause boredom to those who
   cannot reach that kind of English with their little English background. All above lead to a
   crucial decision, it is necessary to use placement test in order to place them to the right place.
   Now that this is a placement test for those who have just passed the college’s entrance exam
   and in the hope of completely exploit their English ability, four skills are required.

   II.    PURPOSE OF THE TEST

   1. Why is the placement test important to the school?

   Continuously enhancing educational effectiveness is the main concern in schooling. This is
   not an exception for HCMC Industry and Trade College. With an intention, the college has
   done many things so as to promote learning and teaching English such as upgrading
   infrastructure and classroom facilities. However, testing system is still put little, even aside
   the attention. Since students are being placing in the wrong levels, the college is hard to get
   high quality in education which is measured by scores of achievement tests. The school is
   facing with a big problem – some students are not able to continue their projects and leave
   school just because they can’t afford to finish their English courses. Some of them are taking
   the specialized English, but still they got stuck from English one and two. Hence, it’s crucial

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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College             2010


   that the college should amend the current testing system in the main purpose of raising the
   school’s educational quality. Then, the school will advantage from students’ contentedness.
   That would contribute to step up the school’s reputation.

   2. Why is it important to the teaching staff?

   If placement test is administered, it will be a compass to orient the teachers in choosing right
   materials and methods to teach the right students. Furthermore, teachers can gain more
   confidence when they enter the classes which they know exactly the students’ knowledge
   background. Consequently, they know what they should bring to the classes so as to suit their
   students’ needs, interests and levels. As the teachers know their students’ levels, they are able
   to focus on preparing the lesson plans with appropriate activities for those subjects. Once
   they meet the students’ needs and interests, which can activate the classes. In other words,
   students will really enjoy the lessons and make themselves join in the class’s activities when
   the lessons touch their needs and interests. It’s undeniable one of factors that impacts on the
   teachers’ energy and motive in teaching is students’ attitudes towards learning. Their positive
   attitudes towards learning can create great motivation for teachers. Concurrently, that helps
   teachers stand firm and be non-stop creative in their teaching career.

   3. Why is it important to the test takers?

   Placement test is used to determine how much their English proficiency is. From that, they
   are placed to the appropriate level in order to enhance their studying. On the other hand, it
   enhances recall for previously presented materials. This helps them in the coming knowledge
   indeed. There is the fact that most of students just learn when they are required to do it.
   Testing is one of the effective ways to promote their attitudes towards learning. Therefore,
   this is an opportunity for them to revise what they learned. This sets a firm base or a
   springboard for students to step forwards. For the previous semesters, students with different
   English knowledge ranks are placed at the same level. As the school regulation, the first-year




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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College                      2010


     students from all majors take English one (E1)1 in their first semester. I myself underwent the
     two semesters teaching those classes. For the matter of facts, I found too difficult to fairly
     treat the class with nearly two hundred students in different levels. Instead of teaching
     something new and interesting for those excellent ones, teachers let them step on their foot
     due to the imbalanced English language background. While the minority of learners with no
     English background found it hard to catch up with the others in the class. These students
     usually sat at the back of the class and always kept quite in English but easily got distracted
     by the surroundings. As a result, for the two semesters I taught, I got unpleasant results.
     Obviously, putting students in inappropriate levels causes the sharp distinction among scores.
     With the effort to solve this problem, placement test must be executed.

     In brief, the placement tests are implemented; not only the students but also the school and
     the teachers gain some advantages from this. Knowing clearly about their subject helps them
     in designing interesting lessons. Accordingly, students achieve motivation in learning thanks
     to interesting activities the teacher gives. These foster teaching and learning effects. As the
     result, the school gets benefits from this outcome. The following figure shows the influence
     of placement test in teaching and learning.




1
 Using New Headway Elementary – Third Edition, Liz & John Soars, unit 1-7 for collegiate, unit 1-6 for both
professional and vocational training


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College                2010



                                  PLACEMENT TEST



                                                      Students' desire
       • Clearly know about the                       and motivation           • Raise high
         level of subjects                                                       quality in
       • Promote creativity                     • Involve in                     education
       • Build desire in learning                 interesting activities       • Get qualified
         among students                         • Build confidence               output
                                                • Enjoy learning
                    Teacher's                                                         School's
                    motivation                                                       reputation




      Figure 1: The influence of placement test on teaching and learning

      III.      DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF TEST TAKERS


      1. Personal characteristics:
             Since this kind of test is designed for the students who have just been admitted to the
             college entrance examination, their age range is between eighteen and twenty-five. The
             range appears to vary because some are high-school graduates, some learn while
             working. In addition, they come from different corners of Vietnam, their English must be
             different. Therefore, it’s a mistaken thought when putting them all at the same level.
             Because this is a test to place students at appropriate levels, most of them are eager to
             take the test in the hope of high scores so as to sit in the classes they expect. However,
             some of them are not really keen on placement test since they are under the influence of
             their majors which they think no need to learn English. There is an imbalance about
             gander among majors2. Some majors3 are almost boys and others majors4 are almost girls.

2
    There are all twelve majors in HCMC Industry and Trade College

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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College              2010


      2. Knowledge:

           Now that most of students have just graduated from high schools nationwide, their level
           is generally intermediate, but mainly for grammar proficiency and type of education is
           formal and academic. Since they are high-school graduates, most of them have eight
           years of English education. However, some have less, others have more and even some of
           them have no chance to learn English. This depends on their conditions and schools’
           policy and regulations. In fact, some schools want to use French to teach their students
           instead of English. These students have no English knowledge background. In many
           cases, these students are put the same level with the others students who have
           experienced with English for years. That causes problems for those from the very
           beginning. They cannot catch up with others just simply because the knowledge supplied
           is over their abilities. In general, the knowledge they are assumed to know is in pre-
           intermediate level. Finishing high schools, they are required to master all basic grammar
           points such as twelve tenses, active and passive voice, direct and reported speech, and the
           like. As for speaking, they have to be able to speak out and discuss some very basic
           topics such as self introduction, entertainment, weather, education, and so on. About
           listening, they might be able to listen to questions, conversations and very short talks
           related to familiar topics in the limitation of their psychology, ages and interests. Those
           topics concerning to this matter are sports, entertainment, free-time activities, everyday
           life, education, and the like. For reading skill, students who finished high schools must be
           able to read the short text using scanning and skimming skills. And the topics for reading
           skill are the same as for listening and speaking. Last but not least, for listening skill,
           Students are capable to write letters for invitation, confirmation, request, and application.
           In addition, they can describe things, report something, and narrate a story in their
           writing.



3
    Related to technique
4
    Related to economics


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College                      2010


         In short, the knowledge students supposed to cover is closely related to their personal
         characteristics. General speaking, students are expected to cover such an amount of
         English so that they have enough condition to enter the college environment. In reality,
         not all of them can reach such knowledge as they appear as distinct individuals. For that
         reason, I strongly recommend that it is extremely important to set up a placement test
         system in order to help students to find their right positions.

         In the other aspect, students’ personal characteristics and knowledge are the two main
         components to determine characteristics of the language use or test tasks (Lyle F.
         Bachman, Adrian S. Palmer, 1996). The figure below approves this matter.




Figure 2: Some components of language use and language test performance5

         To know more about these interactions, we come up to the two next sections.

5
 Taken from Language testing in practice: designing and developing useful language tests by Lyle F. Bachman,
Adrian S. Palmer, Oxford university Press, 1996, p.63


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College                 2010


      IV.      DESCRIPTION OF THE TARGET LANGUAGE USE TASK TYPES


            With an attempt to help the students in the high-school graduate examination, teachers
            have familiarized the students with the format and test task types to enable them to deal
            with the test. Therefore, the target language use task types are originated from the test
            task types from the MOET6. For example, there are some very common test task types
            used for testing grammar and reading such as matching, gap filling, completion, multiple-
            choice items, true/ false, short-answer questions, information transfer and the like.
            What’s more, based on the curriculum which is specified from learning activities,
            concepts and skills, and task types as mentioned in figure 3. The task types for listening
            are similar to those for grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and reading in the interaction
            with high-school topic scope. The preferable tasks are true/ false, short-answer questions,
            blank completion, and multiple-choice items. In many cases, most of high schools do not
            test speaking, which embedded some reasons such as the lack of human resource,
            conditions for administering, and a big population of students. Again, the most important
            reason is that speaking is not one of the skills tested in the high-school graduate
            examinations. In the run of the illusory results, high schools seem to blindly bind up to
            the scores and graduation rates. Still, speaking is a required skill in schools. Activities for
            speaking are closely tied to the curriculum. Thus, interviews and questions about topics
            listed above are kinds of speaking task types in the classrooms. As mentioned, figure 2
            shows clearly the relationship between strategic competence comprised by personal
            characteristics, language knowledge and topical knowledge (listed in Description of
            characteristics of test takers) and the characteristics of the language use task. The writing
            tasks mainly focus on narration, description about something, and letters of invitation,
            confirmation, request and application. In short, language target use task types are
            somehow limited in a very common and traditional way.




6
    Ministry of Education and Training


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College           2010


      V.       DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST TASK TYPES
           Unlike achievement tests, the test makers do not know exactly the test task types students
           are familiar with in placement tests. Yet, in order to gain reliability and validity of
           testing, the test task types must be compatible with target language use task types. But
           how can we do this with our little notion about the test takers. Obviously, students are
           from different corners of the country, equipping with different English knowledge
           background, and experiencing target language use task types differently. Fortunately, the
           curriculum is the same for high schools nationwide. In condition of the time pressure, the
           project cannot be more perfect by conducting surveys about task types new students used.
           Still, we can use some common test task types from the MOET. Hence, with an intention
           on choosing and selecting the most common test task types among students, placement
           test task types are varied based on the MOET’s samples of test task types. Besides,
           According to Hugh Burkhardt (2009) the curriculum specified by three dimensions:
           learning activities, concepts and skills, and task types (p.12) as the figure below.
           Therefore, by looking at the curriculum for high schools, the test makers must know what
           will be in the test.




                              Figure 3: Three dimensions in specifying a curriculum7


7
    Extracted from On strategic Design, Hugh Burkhardt, 2009


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College           2010


      In combination between the curriculum for high schools and the common test task types,
      placement test appears reliable and valid enough.

      Once, to emphasize the importance of reliability and validity, the test task types are
      chiefly selected from the most common use for tests from MOET in combination with
      topic range for high-school students. There is a tendency to access all four skills and sub-
      skills under the form of gap filling, sentence building, blank completion, multiple-choice
      items, word formation, short-answer questions, and sentence transformation. These tasks
      are referenced from Violet Online Library (Thu vien truc tuyen VIOLET), Writing
      English Language Test (J.B. Heaton, 1988), British Council web page, text books for
      high school, and some exercise textbooks for grade twelve. Generally, not only objective
      but also subjective test items will be tested to evaluate actual performance in this kind of
      test. According to J.B. Heaton (1988, p. 27), “a good classroom test will usually contain
      both subjective and objective test items.” Regardless of its disadvantages, each task type
      has its own advantages, so these test task types mutually support. Those tasks are chosen
      for some following reasons. First, multiple-choice items can provide a useful means of
      teaching and testing in various learning situations and prove useful in measuring
      examinees’ ability to recognize correct grammatical forms (J.B Heaton, 1988, p. 27). In
      fact, multiple-choice test is one of the most powerful tools to test grammar, vocabulary,
      pronunciation, reading, and listening. Next, transformation type of item is formed to test
      students’ abilities to produce structures and paraphrase in the target language (J.B.
      Heaton, p.46). Furthermore, transformations are extremely useful for testing grammar
      and understanding of form. Gap-filling is the third task type. Gap-fills can be used to test
      a variety of areas such as vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and are very
      effective at testing listening for specific words. The fourth type is word formation to test
      how students are aware of functions of words in context.
      Test structure
      With an attempt to test all skills, we have to great consider the time which can afford
      examinees to deal with the test. With such great care, the test structure will be described
      as following table

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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College           2010



       SECTION        TIME                      DESCRIPTION                         NUMBER
                    (minutes)                                                       OF ITEMS

      Listening     20          Part 1 (gap-filling)                                10
                                There is a printed passage with 10 blanks,
                                examinees listen to the CD player and fill in the
                                blanks with one word for each.
                                Part 2 (Short-question answer)                      5
                                Examinees will listen to a short talk and answer
                                the five printed questions.
      Grammar       60          Grammar
      Vocabulary                       Multiple-choice items                       10
      Reading                   Examinees will choose the word or phrase from
                                the four options which best completes each
                                sentence, and then circle it.
                                       Sentence transformation                     10
                                Examinees have to finish each of the sentences
                                in such a way that it means exactly the same as
                                the sentence printed before it.
                                Vocabulary
                                       Multiple-choice items                       10
                                Examinees will choose the word or phrase from
                                the four options which best completes each
                                sentence, and then circle it.
                                       Word formation                              10

                                Testees will complete the passage, using the
                                most suitable form of the word given in the
                                right column.



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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College              2010


                                    Reading                                             5

                                    The passage is followed by comprehension
                                    questions. Examinees choose the correct
                                    answer from the printed answer choices.
         Writing        30          Examinees write an essay based upon one of          1 task
                                    two optional topics.

         Speaking       3-5    for Examniers will interview examinees questions
                        each        related to these common topics: personal
                                    identification, education and future career, free
                                    time and entertainment, travel, shopping,
                                    hobbies, weather, sports, food and drink.



   VI.      REQUIRED RESOURCES AND A PLAN FOR TEST ADMINISTRATION


   1. Required resources
         1.1. Human resource
            The test cannot be administered without using human resource. If implemented, we
            need one project director who designs this project to examine the procedure and solve
            problems if happen. This project designer will be also in charge of designing the
            placement test. Also, proctors can contribute to the reliability of the test result. In
            order to reduce cheating in testing, it’s important to employ enough proctors. The
            number of proctors is corresponding to a certain number of examinees per room as
            the table 1. With five-hundred examinees, thirty proctors should be employed. At the
            present, there are just fifteen teachers in the English faculty. Therefore, the other
            fifteen teachers are invited from Center of Foreign Studies, University of Agriculture
            and Forestry. Besides, four lobby proctors is to strengthen the reliability of the test
            results by their overall observation. It’s necessary to have two technical assistants
            check facilities and equipment prepared for the test. With such an amount of
            examinees, fifteen examiners, who are proctors as well, will be needed to score test

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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College             2010


              papers which detachable heads are cut out. And four clerical assistants who are in
              charge of delivering, collecting test papers, and entering examinees’ marks will be
              included. The number of administrators is thought twice under the finance
              consideration.




                                        Table 1: Examinee and Proctor Ratios8
          1.2.Facilities and equipment
              Contribution to the reliability of the test; testing rooms, CD players and CDs, lights,
              fans, clocks, rest rooms, desks and chairs, one electric generator in case of power cut;
              that’s sufficient enough for conducting the placement test for five hundred examinees.
              First of all, we need one large room with air-conditioner for examiners and proctors
              sitting before and after testing. Before testing, proctors will be here to be popularized
              about some warnings and regulations in testing. After testing, examiners will be here
              for grading the papers. Next, we need fifteen rooms for five hundred examinees in
              total, thirty to thirty-five examinees in each. Inside each room, facilities are equipped
              relatively sufficient in order to create favorable conditions for examinees in doing the
              test. To contribute to reduce cheating in testing, the space between examinees must
              spacious enough. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange thirty-six two-seat desks
              divided into two straight rows. One desk and two chairs are needed for proctors each
              room. Four lights in each room supply sufficient brightness, five fans accommodate
              examinees with the cool, and one wall-clock at the front of the room makes
              examinees know how to balance the time. Additionally, to support in testing listening,
              one CD player and one CD is equipped for each room. Besides, five alternative CDs

8
    Extracted from TOEIC Test Administration procedures, , TOEIC BRIDGE, 2005, p.7


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College         2010


         and CD players are used in case some unexpected problems may happen. With such
         an amount of examinees, four restrooms are enough in serving examinees’ needs. We
         also need one printer and at least one photocopier for making booklets and answer
         sheets,… Last but not least, one electric generator should be prepared in the condition
         of power-cut, especially on these days deficient water cause deficient electricity. The
         number is demonstrated in detail as below
              Description of facility    Quantity       Total quantity (items)
                 and equipment          per room

              Testing room                                         15

              Grading room                                         1
              Air-conditioner                                      1

              Rest room                                            4

              CD player                      1             15 + 5 alternatives

              CD                             1             15 + 5 alternatives

              Light                          6                     90

              Electric fan                   5                     75

              Clock                          1                     15

              Two-seat desk                 36                    540

              Desk for proctors              1                     15

              Chair for proctors             2                     30

              Electric generator                                   1

              Printer                                              1



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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College          2010


              Photocopier                                           1




               Table 2: The quantity of facility and equipment used in testing

      1.3. Administration time
         1.3.1 Time for test design
         With a great effort to design a good placement, we need a certain amount of time.
         Time needed for collection of common test task types and getting familiarized with
         the curriculum for high schools is one day. In addition, it takes one day for designing
         the test with criteria and answer keys and one day for revision. In total, three days
         afford enough to design a good test. Because this is a placement test which is for
         those who have just been admitted to this college, there is no need to separate the test
         designer in a room.
         1.3.2 Time for giving regulations before the test
         To reduce problems and unexpected things happening in test time such as retardation,
         regulation delivery and the like, we need thirty minutes to do this. In details, the
         proctors spare about ten minutes for place arrangement including numbering students’
         places and naming with careful check in case of cheating. Then, after stabilize the
         orders of students; proctors disseminate regulations in the testing rooms such as what
         they should or shouldn’t bring into the rooms; when they get warnings, when they are
         prohibited to continue testing… It takes about ten minutes to conduct. The rest time,
         proctors instruct them to fill in their information and guide them how to choose in
         multiple-choice items.
         In the information technology era, there are innumerable ways of cheating the
         proctors should pay much attention such as long-sleeved shirt method, desk notes,
         notes in gum wrapper, copying, mobile use,…
         1.3.3 Time for collecting test papers
         In order not to miss out any papers, time for collecting is quite sufficient, twenty to
         thirty minutes. However, during that time proctors have to ensure all examinees put


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College            2010


         their pens down right after verbal command “time is over” is spoken out by proctors.
         After collecting the papers, proctors will carefully count to check whether there are
         any missing papers (examinees are still in the rooms now). After collecting with
         careful check, proctors let examinees out the rooms and number the papers in order
         because detachable heads will be cut out, marking down some absent examinees.
         There are plenty of things to do; proctors shouldn’t be in the rush.
         1.3.4 Time for grading/ scoring
         To limit the negative side of scoring, time is one of an important factor that can affect
         the true results. Time for grading which is too short can force the examiners to score
         carelessly and in the rush. Therefore, a half of day is affordable for examiners to
         score; two examiners will score two rooms with 30-35 examinees in each. This time
         will be in the afternoon at 2p.m after proctors (as examiners as well) have refreshed
         by a nap. Two proctors will be responsible for two rooms so they mutually score the
         papers, especially writing. As for speaking, the two proctors will be in charge of
         examiners to interview them, proctors (examinees) will get the average from the two
         scores, discuss if there is any big gap between the two scores.
         1.3.5 Administration space
         Space is also another factor that may affect final result. As mentioned, because this is
         placement test, there is no need to arrange test designer in a separate place. We need
         one room with air conditioner for examiners sitting on before and after the test. We
         need fifteen rooms for five hundred test takers with lights, electric fans, and clocks. In
         addition, we need one room with air-conditioner for grading.
      1.4. Finance issue
         Quantity                  Description                    Estimated          Estimated
                                                                   unit cost         total cost
                                                                    (VND)              (VND)

             1       Projector director (test designer)             500.000           500.000




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               1        Test designer                                     350.000            350.000

               30       Proctor                                           100.000           3.000.000

               4        Lobby proctor                                     100.000            400.000

               2        Technical assistant                               100.000            200.000

               15       Examiner                                          100.000           1.500.000

               4        Clerical assistant                                100.000            400.000

                        Stationery (pens, chalks, erasers…)                                  100.000

                        Test      materials   (booklets,     rough                           700.000
                        papers, answer sheets, cardboard
                        envelope, …)
               1        Ink for printing                                 1.000.000          1.000.000

               20       CDs                                               10.000             200.000

               15       Clock                                             150.000            225.000

               50       Bottle of mineral water                            5.000             250.000

               25       Coffee for making                                  7.000             200.000

               25       Lunch meal                                        15.000             400.000

                        Other extra expenditure9                                            5.000.000

                                                                     Total estimated cost: 18.000.000


         9
             There is a budget for extra expenditure in case there are some malfunctioned equipment such as
         lights, fans, tables and chairs...




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      2. Test administration - Procedure10
          2.1. Before the test
               Designing and restoring test materials
               It takes three days to design the test. And then, to ensure the quality of the test, it is
               vital to double-check by the Dean and teachers at the faculty. After checking without
               errors in writing, irrelevance in content, appropriateness in format, and clearness in
               instruction, it’s about time to print the test paper in five hundred and fifty copies
               (fifty extra copies for defective ones). Then, the training bureau will take on
               counting testing papers, putting them into cardboard envelopes with thirty-five
               booklets in each, sealing off all, and then store them in secure area to which only
               authorized persons have access.
               Selecting testing rooms
               To minimize the possibility of distraction such as noise, poor lightning, extreme
               temperature, humidity, and inadequate writing surfaces, there must have careful
               selection of testing rooms. The testing rooms should be in good acoustic conditions.
               The fifteen testing are selected from Block A, the new building with good
               conditions.
               Selecting proctors
               Proctor staff should be chosen with a great care. They have to be knowledgeable
               about testing procedure. There are fifteen teachers in English Department in this
               school. Thus, the other fifteen must be employed with care from Center for
               Language Studies, University Of Agriculture and Forestry. Those proctors are fluent
               in English and have experience in testing. During writing and listening tests, proctors
               must not engage in tasks which are not related to their test administration duties.
               Room arrangement and seating chart



10
     Adapted from TOEIC Test Administration procedures, , TOEIC BRIDGE, 2005


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          To make sure that every examinee faces the same direction. Also, there must be 1.5
          meters between examinees. This is clarified in table 3.
          Restrooms
          Rest rooms should be located nearby and should be easy to find for those examinees
          that are not familiar with the testing area. In addition, restrooms must be clean up.
          Lobby proctors have to be sure that examinees don’t use mobile phones in
          restrooms. Restrooms must be inspected for any materials examinees may have
          stored.
          Noise
          The testing rooms must be selected carefully and located in a section of the building
          least likely to be affected by noise from construction work, traffic…
          CDs and CD players

          We need some extra CDs or CD players in case they are damaged, lost. We also
          need to check to make sure it functions properly. Last but not least, we have to check
          the acoustics of the room(s) in which the equipment will be used.
          Lighting
          Lighting must be adequate for reading and for marking answer sheets. Be sure to
          check lighting conditions in all testing rooms early on the day of the test so that any
          problems can be corrected before the examinees are admitted.
          Clocks
          Each testing room must have a clock, preferably at the front of the room, so
          examinees can see it easily without turning their heads. At regular intervals proctors
          must post the amount of test time remaining, so examinees can pace themselves.
      2.2. On the day of the test
          Identifying and admitting examinees to the testing room
          Before allowing them to enter the testing rooms, proctors have to carefully check
          their presence by their identifications, or other papers embedded with their
          photographs. In case, they have someone do the test. This helps in reducing cheating
          in testing.

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               Giving regulations in testing11
               In order to not confuse examinees as well as reduce possibilities of cheating, giving
               clear instruction is crucial. The following regulations apply during the entire test
               session:
                         No test takers will be admitted after test materials have been distributed for
                          fifteen minutes.
                         Books, dictionaries, notes, rulers, calculators, watch alarms, mobile phones,
                          listening devices, recording or photographic equipment, highlighters, or aids
                          of any kind are not allowed in the testing room.
                         You must have the supervisor’s permission to leave the testing room. Any
                          lost time cannot be made up.
               Dismissal from the test session

               Proctors are authorized to dismiss the examinees from a test session due to
               violations:

                      Attempting to take the test for someone else or having someone else takes the
                       test for you.
                      Using a telephone or cell phone during the test session
                      Using any aids in connection with the test, such as pagers, books, pamphlets,
                       notes, rulers, highlighter pens, stereos or radios with headphones, cell
                       phones, dictionaries, translators, and any handheld electronic devices
                      Attempting to give or receive assistance. The first time is for warning. Then,
                       proctors will deduct 25% from the test papers. The third time, examinees will
                       be dismissed from the testing room.
               Seating the examinees
                      To avoid examinee cheating, direct examinees to their seats. Do not allow
                       them to select their own seats.



11
     Adapted from TOEIC examinee handbook, 2006


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                 Examinees must face the same direction in any level seating arrangement and
                  must be separated on each side by a minimum of 1.5 meters.
                                            SEATING PLANS
                                               = one testee

                                                  = one two-seat table



                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            

                      At least 1.5 meters                      At least 1.5 meters


                                      Table 3: Sample seating plan

          Distributing the test materials
          As for listening session:
             Hand a sheet of rough paper and answer sheet directly to each examinee. Give
              them to examinees one at a time, in seating order, as proctors go along a row.
              One proctor will go from the front back, and the other from the back up. Because



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              the testing rooms are up to fifteen rooms, keep a record of the test booklets
              (number, test form, and serial number, etc.) issued to each administrator.
          As for written session:
             Hand a test booklet and answer sheet directly to each examinee. Give them to
              examinees one at a time, in seating order, as proctors go along a row. One
              proctor will go from the front back, and the other from the back up.
          Maintaining security after the test begins
             The number of test books distributed must equal the number of examinees
              present.
             If there are defective booklets, inform the examinees that they will be given extra
              test booklets and request that those defective booklets be returned.
             To prevent attempts to copy or to remove pages from test booklets, have each
              proctor monitor a designated area in the test room.
      2.3. After the test
          2.3.1 Collecting test materials and dismissing examinees
             Collect the test booklets individually from each examinee. Handle answer sheets
              carefully.
             Once you are certain you have all the test booklets, collect and count the answer
              sheets. Make sure examinees have not left their answer sheets inside the books.
             After you have dismissed the examinees at the end of the test session and put the
              test materials in a safe place, make a final check of all testing rooms to be certain
              nothing has been left behind.
          2.3.2 Returning materials
          The two proctors once again recount the test papers in compare with the numbers of
          present examinees to make sure there are no papers left or missed.




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   VII. DESCRIBING THE SCORING METHODS
         All of the test papers are hand-scored. In order to be more convenient, scoring will
         happen right in the afternoon of the testing day, after proctors who are chosen as
         examiners have taken a rest in a room with good conditions for refreshing. There are
         fifteen testing rooms which need fifteen examiners to score. These examiners are
         from English Faculty of the school. In written test, for section A and B, examiners use
         transparency to score. For section C and D, they score basing on the possibility from
         the answer key. Especially, in composition, examiners must look at the writing
         criteria for grading. Since those examiners all are teacher in English they must have
         knowledge background about the topics. Still, in order to grasp high reliability, there
         should be two examiners in scoring the papers. In speaking test, the two proctors will
         be examiners as well. Based on speaking criteria given, they interview the examinees
         in turn, giving marks and discuss if there is any big different; if not, get the average
         from the two scores for the final score. Finally, in listening test, examiners just simply
         look at the answer key and give the scores.
         After scoring, students will be classified according to their results. The final score
         will be the average of the three tests: written, speaking and listening. English one is
         for beginners who get below average (under 5), English two for higher level when
         they get from five to seven, and English three for those who are excellent in scores,
         from eight to ten.


   VIII. DESCRIPTION AND ILLUSTRATION OF THE SIX QUALITIES
         OF THE TEST DESIGNED


         1. Reliability
             According to Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt (1992), “reliability in testing
             is a measure of the degree to which a test gives consistent results. A test is said to
             be reliable if it gives the same results when it is given on different occasions or
             when it is used by different people.” (p.314)

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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College          2010


                   Checking errors or mistakes before printing test papers is one of the ways
                    to fortify the test reliability.
                   The test is constructed with clear instructions in order not to confuse
                    examinees.
                   The objectives of the test are also clarified.
                   In writing and speaking sessions, detail criteria set to avoid subjectiveness
                    and enhance objectiveness in scoring.
                   Because this is placement test for examinees from different corners of the
                    country, it’s important to have a great consideration on test task types
                    which must be familiarized among them. Therefore, test task types are
                    carefully selected from forms of the MOET. This helps to avoid the
                    possibility which examinees cannot do the test just because they don’t
                    understand what the test required them to do.
                   The test is conducted in appropriate time, which may partly contribute
                    examinees’ work.
                   Before the testing day, the equipment controllers will examine testing
                    rooms in case there are some corrupted sources such as facilities in testing
                    rooms, CD players… In addition, the Dean and some teachers in English
                    will examine the test carefully before it’s printed to ensure there are no
                    errors.
                   The distance which is at least 1.5 meters between two examinees is
                    sufficient enough to reduce cheating among them. Hence, this strengthens
                    reliability in testing.
                   Fifteen testing rooms are carefully selected with an effort to create good
                    conditions for examinees. These rooms must be located in Block A, which
                    is new-built with good equipment and quite quiet.


         2. Construct validity



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                  According to Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer (1996), construct validity
                  pertains to the meaningfulness and appropriateness of the interpretations that we
                  make on the basis of test scores”. “Measure what we want to measure”. Placement
                  test is designed to be administered under consistent procedures so that the test-
                  taking experience is as similar as possible across examinees. This similar
                  experience increases the fairness of the test as well as making examinees’ scores
                  more directly comparable. Typical guidelines related to the test administration
                  locations state that all the sites should be comfortable, and should have good
                  lighting, ventilation. Interruptions and distractions, such as excessive noise,
                  should be prevented. The time limits that have been established should be adhered
                  to for all test administrations. The test should be administered by trained proctors
                  who maintain a positive atmosphere and who carefully follow the administration
                  procedures that have been developed.

              3. Authenticity
                  Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer (1996) define “authenticity as the degree
                  of correspondence between the characteristics of a given language test task to the
                  features of a TLU12 task.” In other words, we can state briefly that authenticity is
                  ensured when we test what we teach.
                          Since examinees from different corners of the country, there is no wonder
                           that they have different English background, dealing with different target
                           language use tasks. Therefore, it’s very important to determine test task
                           types which cannot cause confusion for them. There are nearly no
                           innovation in test task types. Conversely, it’s favorable to use some
                           common test task types from MOET’s standard tests and high-school
                           exercise textbooks.
                          In listening section, the test is carefully chosen from a web for learning
                           English and matches with testees’ topical knowledge.

12
     Target Language Use


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                   The format of the test is organized logically and clearly enough. The test
                    structure and test task types are enough familiar for examinees to deal with
                    the test without interference or confusion
         4. Interactiveness
             Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer (1996) define interactiveness which is
             “the extent and type of involvement of the test taker’s individual characteristics in
             accomplishing a test task” (p. 25)
                   Consider examinees’ psychology, levels and background,
                   In writing session, in order to gain interactiveness in testing, there are two
                    options for them to choose the topic they like. Therefore, they don’t have
                    an obligatory feeling of being force to deal with the topic they are not
                    interested in.
         5. Impact
                   Because all of test task types are taken from common tasks which are
                    quite familiar with high-school students. Therefore, it is fair for all testees.
                    In other words, it is necessary to be sure all of the examinees are familiar
                    with the test format and test task types.
         6. Practicality
                   We realize the reality of the school. Thus, rooms, equipment and facilities
                    are under the consideration of finance matters and what available in
                    school. In fact, the rooms equipped by air-conditioners create a good
                    condition for examinees in doing the test. However, with the current
                    conditions of the school, this cannot currently be applied.
                   We have to be realistic about sources available to put the test to use. Such
                    concerns include whether available resources will cover the demands of
                    test administration and scoring in terms of time, money, expertise, and
                    personnel.
                   There is also a careful explanation about processes of administration and
                    scoring.

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   IX.     APPENDIXES            ADDITIONAL             MATERIAL           FOR     FURTHER
           REFERENCE

APPENDIX A

                          GRADING CRITERIA FOR SPEAKING

Name:                                                        Date:

                                  Description                                         Score

Pronunciation

Frequent errors, little or no communication. Pronun is frequently intelligible      12345

Occasional problems with communication. Heavy Vietnamese influence                  6 7 8 9 10

No interference with communication. Fair control of the language sounds           11 12 13 14 15

The speaker articulates sounds with stress and intonation clearly and correctly   16 17 18 19 20

Grammar

The speaker has difficulty expressing himself and produces frequently               12345
mistakes that break down the communication.

The speaker makes a number of grammatical errors and may depends too much
                                                                                    6 7 8 9 10
on rehearsed phrases
                                                                                  11 12 13 14 15
The speaker is mostly accurate and is able to express his ideas clearly
                                                                                  16 17 18 19 20
The speaker’s language is entirely accurate and is able to express complex
ideas clearly

Vocabulary

Inadequate and/ or inaccurate use of vocabulary                                     12345


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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College     2010


Somewhat inadequate and/ or inaccurate use of vocabulary. Mostly repetitive     6 7 8 9 10

Adequate and accurate use of vocabulary                                       11 12 13 14 15

Rich, broad, precise and impressive use of vocabulary                         16 17 18 19 20

Appropriacy

The intention of speaker is unknown                                               12345

The intention can be perceived by sympathetic listener                          6 7 8 9 10

Language is generally or appropriate to intention                             11 12 13 14 15

Intention of speaker is clear and unambiguous                                 16 17 18 19 20




Fluency

Speech uneven with long pauses and/ or incomplete thoughts                        12345

Speech slow and/ or with frequent pauses, few or no incomplete thoughts         6 7 8 9 10

Some hesitations but manage to continue and complete thoughts                 11 12 13 14 15

Speech continuous, connected ideas. Comfortable speaking English. Natural     16 17 18 19 20
turn-taking




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APPENDIX B

                                GRADING CRITERIA FOR WRITING13

Name:                                                                  Date:

                                         Description                                  Score

Content

The writer doesn’t show knowledge of the topic. The ideas are irrelevant to the      12345
topic

The writer has limited knowledge of the topic
                                                                                    6 7 8 9 10
The writer shows deep and knowledgeable understanding about the topic
                                                                                  11 12 13 14 15
The writer has some knowledge of the topic and is adequate range of
                                                                                  16 17 18 19 20
knowledge

Organization

There seems to have been little or no attempt at organization                        12345

Expression of ideas is non-fluent. Ideas are confused and disconnected              6 7 8 9 10

The essay is somewhat choppy and loosely organized but main ideas stand out       11 12 13 14 15

Ideas are effectively explicated and organized. The essay demonstrates fluent
expression
                                                                                  16 17 18 19 20

Vocabulary

It is dominated by errors in spelling, or usage that obscure meaning or which        12345
would distract an average reader. Even basic words may be misused.

13
     Adapted from Writing English Language Tests, J.B. Heaton, 1988, p. 146


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The essay is limited in range of English and has frequent errors of words,
sometimes cause confusion
                                                                                       6 7 8 9 10
The essay seems adequate range of English with occasional errors of words
                                                                                     11 12 13 14 15
and usage but meaning not obscured

The writer shows his ideas by using sophisticated range of English, choosing
effective words                                                                      16 17 18 19 20

Language use

The writer shows virtually no mastery of sentence construction rules                   12345

The essay stands out major problems in simple/ complex constructions                   6 7 8 9 10

The writer uses effective but simple constructions                                   11 12 13 14 15

The essay expresses effective complex constructions                                  16 17 18 19 20

Mechanics

The written work shows no mastery of conventions. It is dominated by errors            12345
of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing

It has frequent errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization. They sometimes
                                                                                       6 7 8 9 10
cause distracting

Errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization are infrequent but not distracting
                                                                                     11 12 13 14 15
It demonstrates mastery of conventions
                                                                                     16 17 18 19 20




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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College            2010


HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE

Full name: ……………………………………
Candidate’s Index Number: …………………
Date: …………………………………………                                                    Time: 90

                                         WRITTEN TEST


SECTION A: MUTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS (2ms)

In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. Cross
the letter A, B, C or D against the number of each item 1-20 for the word or phrase you
choose.

   1. Her parents are very ………. and they never let her go out in the evening.
       A. tough              B. strict             C. hard                D. difficult
   2. He’s so ………. He hasn’t spoken anything since he came here.
       A. dumb               B. deaf               C. friendly            D. quiet
   3. It was the longest film I have ever seen, it ………. three hours.
       A. lasted             B. continued          C. completed           D. remained
   4. Mr. John has ………. painting since he retired.
       A. taken up           B. taken in           C. taken over          D. taken on
   5. You can stay here ………. you don’t make noise.
       A. otherwise          B. until              C. unless              D. as long as
   6. Johnny ………. very badly at Mary’s birthday party.
       A. showed             B. behaved            C. conducted           D. saw
   7. The rise in the house prices ………. him to sell his house for a large profit.
       A. managed            B. succeeded          C. enabled             D. achieved
   8. ……….was the bicycle picked up? In a small village.
       A. What               B. Why                C. Where               D. When
   9. The strike began last weekend after a worker had been sacked.


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      A. employed            B. dismissed          C. injured              D. punished
   10. They tried to extinguish the flames.
      A. take off            B. get out of         C. get off              D. put out
   11. They ………..for Paris by 6 a.m. tomorrow.
      A. have left           B. will have left     C. will leave           D. will be leaving
   12. That’s where I ………..when I was young.
      A. was living          B. used to live       C. had lived            D. have been living
   13. I ………..to South Africa in two years.
      A. am going            B. went               C. have gone            D. was going
   14. While he ……….the poster, a door behind him opened.
      A. stared at           B. was staring at     C. has stared           D. had stared.
   15. Someone ………..it twenty years ago.
      A. had stolen          B. has stolen         C. stole                D. was stolen
   16. If I could speak French, I ……….next year studying in Canada.
      A. would spend         B. would have spent C. had spent              D. will spend
   17. Instead of ……….about the good news, Tom seemed to be indifferent.
      A. exciting            B. being exciting     C. excited              D. being excited
   18. The candidates were very busy ……….their composition.
      A. to write            B. writing            C. having written       D. to have written
   19. Bill is phoning his girlfriend again. That’s the third time he ………..her this evening.
      A. is phoning          B. phones             C. has phoned           D. will phone
   20. Not only ……….on my foot, but he also spilled coffee on my shirt.
      A. he stamped          B. did he stamp       C. does he stamp        D. he stamps




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Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College            2010


SECTION B: READING COMPREHENSION (1,5ms)

In this section you will find after the reading passage five questions, each with four suggested
answers you must choose the one you think fits best.

When Margaret went into Wilson’s office, she noticed that he looked very tired. In fact, he
looked awful. She knew it was not a good time to ask him for the rise, but she felt she had to.
She tried to think of something casual to say first. It was always best to begin such conversations
casually. “Uh…you’re looking a bit tired,” she said. Wilson sighed. He told her he had just seen
the Financial Controller, the man who told everybody at the EBC how much they could spend.

“As usual, he said I was spending too much. It wasn’t a very pleasant conversation,” he said.
Then he mentioned that he had a headache. Margaret began to feel sorry for him. She offered to
get some aspirins for him from the canteen.

“You needn’t bother. I can go there myself,” he said.

“Oh, but I’m going to the canteen anyway. It’s no trouble,” she protested.

Wilson thanked her and gave her some money for the aspirins. She left. It was only after she had
closed the door behind her that she realized something. She had forgotten to ask for the rise!

   21. What did Margaret want to ask for?
       …………………………………………………
   22. How did Mr. Wilson look?
       …………………………………………………
   23. Why did Mr. Wilson sigh?
       …………………………………………………
   24. What did she offer to do when she knew he had a headache?
       …………………………………………………
   25. What did she realize when she closed the door?
       …………………………………………………




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SECTION C: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (2ms)

Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the
sentence printed before it.

   26. I would like you to help me to put the chairs away.
        Would you mind ……………………………………………….
   27. I’m sorry that I didn’t finish my homework last night.
        I wish …………………………………………………………..
   28. I hurried. I didn’t want to be late.
        I hurried so that…………………………………………………
   29. She speaks English very well. You would think it was her native language.
        She speaks English so well ……………………………………..
   30. “You shouldn’t enroll in this college,” said my father.
        My father advised ………………………………………………
   31. It was such bad coffee that he couldn’t drink it.
        The coffee ………………………………………………………
   32. I was obliged to sell my house.
        Circumstances ………………………………………………….
   33. “Hand your books to me when you have finished, please.”
        He asked students ………………………………………………
   34. Reading newspaper in the morning gives him pleasure.
        He enjoys ……………………………………………………….
   35. Please keep silent in the classroom.
        I’d rather you ……………………………………………………




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SECTIOND: WORD FORMATION (2,5ms)

Complete the passage, using the most suitable form of the word given in the right column.
Example: 0. Imperfect
   Interviews are an (0) ………method of choosing the best               PERFECT
   people for jobs, yet human (36) ……….like to examine each           BE
   other in this way. One of the many problems of (37) ……….as         SELECT
   it is commonly practiced is that the forms filled in by
                                                                      APPLY
   (38)……….often fail to show people as they really are. This
   means that you can follow all the best (39) ……….when               ADVISE
   completing your form and still find that you are (40) ……….         SUCCESS
   at the next stage – the interview. (41) …………..in the rare          SIMILAR
   cases where interviews are automatic, a candidate with an
                                                                      ADEQUATE
   (42) ……….form may do surprisingly well. Your form
   needs to show that you have (43) …………………….in your                  CONFIDENT
   (44) ……….to do the job, but don’t try to turn yourself into        ABLE
   someone else – a person you have to pretend to be at the
   interview. Realism and (45) ………..are definitely the best           HONEST
   approach.

SECTION E: COMPOSITION (2ms)

   Choose ONE of the two topics and write a passage of between 150 and 180 words.

   1. Comparing life in the city and in the countryside.
   2. Things you do in your free time.




Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                      36
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College         2010


HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE
Full name: ……………………………………..
Candidate’s Index Number: …………………
Date: …………………………………………                                                     Time: 20

                             LISTENING COMPREHENTION
SECTION A: Look at the passage, listen and fill in the missing information (5ms)

    The college had a very good football (1) ……….and its best player was a student who
always had (2) ……….in school. Then one year the (3) ………of the college said that the player
would have to leave because he had (4) ……….on an exam. The football (5)
……….immediately went to the Dean to try to (6) ……….him to let his student stay in school.
The Dean showed him two answer papers. “This one is Susan’s paper. She’s the best student in
the class,” he said. “And this one is your football player’s. They’re (7) ……….the same. The
football player sat at the next desk and just (8) ……….from her.”

    “But (9) ……….she copied from him” the coach said. “You can’t (10) ……….it was the
other way.”

   “Look at this!” the Dean said. “Susan didn’t know the answer to this question, so she wrote, I
don’t know, and your football player wrote, “Neither do I”.”

SECTION B: Listen to the talk and answer these questions (5ms)

   1. When was Bill Cole born?
       ………………………………………………….
   2. How many sister and bothers did he have?
       ………………………………………………….
   3. What did his mother do? Where?
       ………………………………………………….
   4. After his father died, what did Bill Cole have to do?
       ………………………………………………….
   5. Ten years after his father’s death, what did he do?
       ………………………………………………….



Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                         37
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College       2010


HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE
Full name: ……………………………………..
Candidate’s Index Number: …………………
Date: …………………………………………                                                  Time: 90

                                      ANSWER SHEET

SECTION A: MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS (2ms)

1    A    B   C   D      6   A   B   C   D      11   A   B   C   D      16   A      B   C    D

2    A    B   C   D      7   A   B   C   D      12   A   B   C   D      17   A      B   C    D

3    A    B   C   D      8   A   B   C   D      13   A   B   C   D      18   A      B   C    D

4    A    B   C   D      9   A   B   C   D      14   A   B   C   D      19   A      B   C    D

5    A    B   C   D     10   A   B   C   D      15   A   B   C   D      20   A      B   C    D




SECTION B: READING COMPREHENSION (1,5ms)

         21. …………………………………………………………………………………………
         22. …………………………………………………………………………………………
         23. …………………………………………………………………………………………
         24. …………………………………………………………………………………………
         25. …………………………………………………………………………………………
         26. …………………………………………………………………………………………



SECTION C: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (2ms)

         27. …………………………………………………………………………………………
         28. …………………………………………………………………………………………
         29. …………………………………………………………………………………………

Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                        38
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College   2010


      30. …………………………………………………………………………………………
      31. …………………………………………………………………………………………
      32. …………………………………………………………………………………………
      33. …………………………………………………………………………………………
      34. …………………………………………………………………………………………
      35. …………………………………………………………………………………………



SECTIOND: WORD FORMATION (2,5ms)

      36. ……………………………                                 41. ……………………………
      37. ……………………………                                 42. ……………………………
      38. ……………………………                                 43. ……………………………
      39. ……………………………                                 44. ……………………………
      40. ……………………………                                 45. ……………………………



SECTION E: COMPOSITION (2ms)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………



Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                 39
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College            2010


HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE
Full name: ……………………………………..
Candidate’s Index Number: …………………
Date: …………………………………………                                                        Time: 90

                                             ANSWER KEY

                                          WRITTEN TEST

SECTION A: MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS (2ms)

1    A    B    C    D      6    A    B   C    D      11    A    B   C   D     16   A     B   C    D

2    A    B    C    D      7    A    B   C    D      12    A    B   C   D     17   A     B   C    D

3    A    B    C    D      8    A    B   C    D      13    A    B   C   D     18   A     B   C    D

4    A    B    C    D      9    A    B   C    D      14    A    B   C   D     19   A     B   C    D

5    A    B    C    D      10   A    B   C    D      15    A    B   C   D     20   A     B   C    D




SECTION B: READING COMPREHENSION (1,5ms)

         21. Margaret wanted to ask for the rise.
         22. He looked awful/ tired.
         23. Because he saw/ met the Financial Controller and they had a very unpleasant
              conversation / they didn’t have a very pleasant conversation.
         24. She offered to get some aspirins for him.
         25. She realized that she had forgotten to ask for the rise.

SECTION C: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (2ms)

         26. Would you mind helping me to put the chairs away?
         27. I wish I had finished my homework last night.


Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                             40
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College             2010


      28. I hurried so that I won’t be late.
      29. She speaks English so well that you would think it was her native language.
      30. My father advised me not to enroll in that college.
      31. The coffee is too bad for him to drink/ the coffee is so bad that he couldn’t drink it.
      32. Circumstances obliged me to sell my house.
      33. He asked students to hand their books to him when they had finished.
      34. He enjoys reading newspaper in the morning.
      35. I’d rather you keep silent in the classroom.

SECTION D: WORD FORMATION (2,5ms)

      36. BEINGS                                             41. SIMILARLY
      37. SELECTION                                          42. INADEQUATELY
      38. APPLICANTS                                         43. CONFIDENCE
      39. ADVICE                                             44. ABILITY
      40. UNSUCCESSFUL                                       45. HONESTY
SECTION E: WRITING (2 ms)




Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                            41
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College     2010




HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE
Full name: ……………………………………..
Candidate’s Index Number: …………………

Date: …………………………………………                                                 Time: 20

                                    ANSWER SHEET
                            LISTENING COMPREHENTION
SECTION A: Look at the passage, listen and fill in the missing information (5ms)

   1. ……………………….                                     6. ……………………….
   2. ……………………….                                     7. ……………………….
   3. ……………………….                                     8. ……………………….
   4. ……………………….                                     9. ……………………….
   5. ……………………….                                     10. ……………………….




SECTION B: Listen to the talk and answer these questions (5ms)
   1. …………………………………………………………………………………………..
   2. …………………………………………………………………………………………..
   3. …………………………………………………………………………………………..
   4. …………………………………………………………………………………………..
   5. …………………………………………………………………………………………..




Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                   42
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College     2010


HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE
Full name: ……………………………………..
Candidate’s Index Number: …………………
Date: …………………………………………                                                 Time: 20

                                         ANSWER KEY
                              LISTENING COMPREHENTION
SECTION A: Look at the passage, listen and fill in the missing information (5ms)

   1. team                                               6. persuade
   2. troubles                                           7. exactly
   3. Dean                                               8. copied
   4. cheated                                            9. maybe
   5. coach                                              10. think



SECTION B: Listen to the talk and answer these questions (5ms)

   1. Bill Cole was born in 1919/ on May 7th 1919.
   2. He had one brother and two sisters.
   3. His mother was a cleaner. She worked in offices and hospitals.
   4.   He had to help his mother look after the little ones
   5. He was a taxi-driver.




Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                   43
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College             2010


                            TAPE SCRIPT FOR LISTENING

Bill Cole talks about when he was young.

I was born in 1919, er… May 7th 1919. I was the eldest of four. I had one brother and two sisters
– just the youngest sister is still alive. I’m a true Cockney. We lived in East End of London. We
had two rooms above a fish and chip shop. Number 18 India Street, it was next to the river. The
rooms always smelt of fish. We didn’t have much money, but we ate well – not only fish and
chips. Dad worked in the fruit and vegetable market at Convent Garden. He used to bring home
all kind of fruit and veg. Ma was a cleaner and she worked in offices and hospitals.

Dad used to start work at four o’clock in the morning and from when I was seven, it was my job
before school, to run to the market with his breakfast. I used to love doing that. Best of all was
the days when he said: “Don’t go to school today, son. Stay with me! You’ll learn more about
life here. But don’t tell your Ma!”

He was right – the noise, the men and women shouting and laughing, the colors, the smells – it
was wonderful. At lunchtime we got pie and peas twice, for six pence. I can still taste that pie
and peas – beat taste in the world!

The Dad died when I as twelve. I had to help Ma look after the little ones. So I left school and
started to work full time in the market. I did it for ten years. After that I was a taxi-driver. It’s
been a good life.




Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                            44
Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College         2010


References
British Council, http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/test-question-types

Grade-twelve English Textbook, 2009

Grade-eleven English Textbook, 2009

Grade-ten English Textbook, 2009

Henry L. Roediger, III, Mark McDaniel, and Kathleen McDermott (2006). Test-enhanced
Learning. http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getarticle.cfm?id=1951

Hoang Van Van, Bai Tap Tieng Anh 12, 2008

Hugh Burkhardt (2009). On Strategic Design, 1 (3)
http://www.educationaldesigner.org/ed/volume1/issue3/article9/

http://luyennghetienganh.com/

Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt (1992). Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
Linguistics. Longman Group UK Limited

J.B Heaton (1988). Writing English Language Tests. Longman Inc. New York,

Luu Hoang Tri, On tap & kiem tra bang trac nghiem English 12, 2008

Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer (1996), Language Testing in Practice. Oxford university
Express.

Mai Lan Huong, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, Bai Tap Trac Ngiem Tieng Anh 12, 2008

TOEIC examinee handbook, 2006

TOEIC Test Administration procedures, TOEIC BRIDGE, 2005

Violet Online Library, http://dethi.violet.vn/




Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37
                                                                                        45

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Placement test

  • 1. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 I. INTRODUCTION Testing is one of the powerful tools to measure students’ abilities as well as enhance their attitudes towards learning. Depending on variable purposes in testing, there are compatible differences in types of testing as the followings: 1. Achievement test: A test which measures how much of a language someone has learned with reference to particular course of study or program of instruction. (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1992, p. 3) 2. Diagnostic test: A test which is designed to show what skills or knowledge a learner knows and doesn’t know. It may be used to find out how much a learner knows before beginning a language course. (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1992, p. 106) 3. Language aptitude test: A test which measures a person’s aptitude for SECOND LANGUAGE or FOREIGN LANGUAGE learning and which can be to identify those learners who are most likely to succeed. (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1992, p. 198) 4. Placement test: A test which is designed to place students at an appropriate level in a program or course. (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1992, p. 279) 5. Proficiency test: A test which measures how much of a language someone has learned. It is not linked to a particular course of instruction, but measures the learner’s general level of language mastery. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 1
  • 2. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1992, p. 292) 6. Progress test: An achievement test linked to a particular set of teaching materials or particular course of instruction. Tests prepared by teachers and given at the end of a chapter, course, or term are progress tests. Progress tests may be regarded as similar to achievement tests but narrower and much more specific in scope. (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1992, p. 295) Why test? The answers appear differently based on the tester’s purposes. According to Henry L. Roediger, III, Mark McDaniel, and Kathleen McDermott (2006), they emphasize “testing as an aid to learning” In addition; J.B Heaton (1988) asserts one of the functions of a test is “evaluation of student performance for purposes of comparison or selection” (p. 6). He added more “the test should also enable the teacher to ascertain which parts of the language program have been found difficult by the class. In this way, the teacher can evaluate the effectiveness of the syllabus as well as the methods and materials he or she is using.” (p. 7). Since testing is an important part in students’ progress, testers must have a clear picture about the purpose of testing in order to get the right conceptions about language testing. If not, misconceptions about language testing may cause problems (Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer, 1996, p.7, table 1.1). And why placement test is chosen? Being aware of functions and clear purposes of testing, placement test is chosen out of others in order to “place students at an appropriate level in a program or course” (Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt, 1992, p. 279). This type of testing is designed for five-hundred first year students at HCMC Industry and Trade College after they have passed the entrance exam. Since the students who have just been admitted to the College have different English knowledge background. Most of them come from different regions, provinces; some are from the neighborhoods; and some are from cities and towns. Due to the differences from their origins, it’s no wonder that students have different English background. Students from towns and cities have more conditions and advantages in using and developing their English. They Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 2
  • 3. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 may also advantage from tourism potentials. For instance, those from Nha Trang or Phan Thiet City obviously have chance to orally practice English frequently. On the contrary, those who come from rural areas have little chance in oral production but mostly in written form. Depending on their high schools, some have experienced English with 3years or 7 years and on their living conditions, some have chance to learn English from the very beginning, especially those come from towns and cities. Therefore, they must be better than those who don’t. Surprisingly, some of them even never learn English before. They learn French instead. This will cause troubles when they take the same English course with other English learners. In the current situation, the school has not set that kind of test system. Currently, all of the students are put at the same level of English. Some are very excellent and need to learn something higher and newer to make progress in their English proficiency, while some need English in a very beginning stage. Thus, it is unfair to treat the same, which may rust and hold back some excellent ones in their progress or cause boredom to those who cannot reach that kind of English with their little English background. All above lead to a crucial decision, it is necessary to use placement test in order to place them to the right place. Now that this is a placement test for those who have just passed the college’s entrance exam and in the hope of completely exploit their English ability, four skills are required. II. PURPOSE OF THE TEST 1. Why is the placement test important to the school? Continuously enhancing educational effectiveness is the main concern in schooling. This is not an exception for HCMC Industry and Trade College. With an intention, the college has done many things so as to promote learning and teaching English such as upgrading infrastructure and classroom facilities. However, testing system is still put little, even aside the attention. Since students are being placing in the wrong levels, the college is hard to get high quality in education which is measured by scores of achievement tests. The school is facing with a big problem – some students are not able to continue their projects and leave school just because they can’t afford to finish their English courses. Some of them are taking the specialized English, but still they got stuck from English one and two. Hence, it’s crucial Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 3
  • 4. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 that the college should amend the current testing system in the main purpose of raising the school’s educational quality. Then, the school will advantage from students’ contentedness. That would contribute to step up the school’s reputation. 2. Why is it important to the teaching staff? If placement test is administered, it will be a compass to orient the teachers in choosing right materials and methods to teach the right students. Furthermore, teachers can gain more confidence when they enter the classes which they know exactly the students’ knowledge background. Consequently, they know what they should bring to the classes so as to suit their students’ needs, interests and levels. As the teachers know their students’ levels, they are able to focus on preparing the lesson plans with appropriate activities for those subjects. Once they meet the students’ needs and interests, which can activate the classes. In other words, students will really enjoy the lessons and make themselves join in the class’s activities when the lessons touch their needs and interests. It’s undeniable one of factors that impacts on the teachers’ energy and motive in teaching is students’ attitudes towards learning. Their positive attitudes towards learning can create great motivation for teachers. Concurrently, that helps teachers stand firm and be non-stop creative in their teaching career. 3. Why is it important to the test takers? Placement test is used to determine how much their English proficiency is. From that, they are placed to the appropriate level in order to enhance their studying. On the other hand, it enhances recall for previously presented materials. This helps them in the coming knowledge indeed. There is the fact that most of students just learn when they are required to do it. Testing is one of the effective ways to promote their attitudes towards learning. Therefore, this is an opportunity for them to revise what they learned. This sets a firm base or a springboard for students to step forwards. For the previous semesters, students with different English knowledge ranks are placed at the same level. As the school regulation, the first-year Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 4
  • 5. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 students from all majors take English one (E1)1 in their first semester. I myself underwent the two semesters teaching those classes. For the matter of facts, I found too difficult to fairly treat the class with nearly two hundred students in different levels. Instead of teaching something new and interesting for those excellent ones, teachers let them step on their foot due to the imbalanced English language background. While the minority of learners with no English background found it hard to catch up with the others in the class. These students usually sat at the back of the class and always kept quite in English but easily got distracted by the surroundings. As a result, for the two semesters I taught, I got unpleasant results. Obviously, putting students in inappropriate levels causes the sharp distinction among scores. With the effort to solve this problem, placement test must be executed. In brief, the placement tests are implemented; not only the students but also the school and the teachers gain some advantages from this. Knowing clearly about their subject helps them in designing interesting lessons. Accordingly, students achieve motivation in learning thanks to interesting activities the teacher gives. These foster teaching and learning effects. As the result, the school gets benefits from this outcome. The following figure shows the influence of placement test in teaching and learning. 1 Using New Headway Elementary – Third Edition, Liz & John Soars, unit 1-7 for collegiate, unit 1-6 for both professional and vocational training Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 5
  • 6. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 PLACEMENT TEST Students' desire • Clearly know about the and motivation • Raise high level of subjects quality in • Promote creativity • Involve in education • Build desire in learning interesting activities • Get qualified among students • Build confidence output • Enjoy learning Teacher's School's motivation reputation Figure 1: The influence of placement test on teaching and learning III. DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF TEST TAKERS 1. Personal characteristics: Since this kind of test is designed for the students who have just been admitted to the college entrance examination, their age range is between eighteen and twenty-five. The range appears to vary because some are high-school graduates, some learn while working. In addition, they come from different corners of Vietnam, their English must be different. Therefore, it’s a mistaken thought when putting them all at the same level. Because this is a test to place students at appropriate levels, most of them are eager to take the test in the hope of high scores so as to sit in the classes they expect. However, some of them are not really keen on placement test since they are under the influence of their majors which they think no need to learn English. There is an imbalance about gander among majors2. Some majors3 are almost boys and others majors4 are almost girls. 2 There are all twelve majors in HCMC Industry and Trade College Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 6
  • 7. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 2. Knowledge: Now that most of students have just graduated from high schools nationwide, their level is generally intermediate, but mainly for grammar proficiency and type of education is formal and academic. Since they are high-school graduates, most of them have eight years of English education. However, some have less, others have more and even some of them have no chance to learn English. This depends on their conditions and schools’ policy and regulations. In fact, some schools want to use French to teach their students instead of English. These students have no English knowledge background. In many cases, these students are put the same level with the others students who have experienced with English for years. That causes problems for those from the very beginning. They cannot catch up with others just simply because the knowledge supplied is over their abilities. In general, the knowledge they are assumed to know is in pre- intermediate level. Finishing high schools, they are required to master all basic grammar points such as twelve tenses, active and passive voice, direct and reported speech, and the like. As for speaking, they have to be able to speak out and discuss some very basic topics such as self introduction, entertainment, weather, education, and so on. About listening, they might be able to listen to questions, conversations and very short talks related to familiar topics in the limitation of their psychology, ages and interests. Those topics concerning to this matter are sports, entertainment, free-time activities, everyday life, education, and the like. For reading skill, students who finished high schools must be able to read the short text using scanning and skimming skills. And the topics for reading skill are the same as for listening and speaking. Last but not least, for listening skill, Students are capable to write letters for invitation, confirmation, request, and application. In addition, they can describe things, report something, and narrate a story in their writing. 3 Related to technique 4 Related to economics Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 7
  • 8. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 In short, the knowledge students supposed to cover is closely related to their personal characteristics. General speaking, students are expected to cover such an amount of English so that they have enough condition to enter the college environment. In reality, not all of them can reach such knowledge as they appear as distinct individuals. For that reason, I strongly recommend that it is extremely important to set up a placement test system in order to help students to find their right positions. In the other aspect, students’ personal characteristics and knowledge are the two main components to determine characteristics of the language use or test tasks (Lyle F. Bachman, Adrian S. Palmer, 1996). The figure below approves this matter. Figure 2: Some components of language use and language test performance5 To know more about these interactions, we come up to the two next sections. 5 Taken from Language testing in practice: designing and developing useful language tests by Lyle F. Bachman, Adrian S. Palmer, Oxford university Press, 1996, p.63 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 8
  • 9. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE TARGET LANGUAGE USE TASK TYPES With an attempt to help the students in the high-school graduate examination, teachers have familiarized the students with the format and test task types to enable them to deal with the test. Therefore, the target language use task types are originated from the test task types from the MOET6. For example, there are some very common test task types used for testing grammar and reading such as matching, gap filling, completion, multiple- choice items, true/ false, short-answer questions, information transfer and the like. What’s more, based on the curriculum which is specified from learning activities, concepts and skills, and task types as mentioned in figure 3. The task types for listening are similar to those for grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and reading in the interaction with high-school topic scope. The preferable tasks are true/ false, short-answer questions, blank completion, and multiple-choice items. In many cases, most of high schools do not test speaking, which embedded some reasons such as the lack of human resource, conditions for administering, and a big population of students. Again, the most important reason is that speaking is not one of the skills tested in the high-school graduate examinations. In the run of the illusory results, high schools seem to blindly bind up to the scores and graduation rates. Still, speaking is a required skill in schools. Activities for speaking are closely tied to the curriculum. Thus, interviews and questions about topics listed above are kinds of speaking task types in the classrooms. As mentioned, figure 2 shows clearly the relationship between strategic competence comprised by personal characteristics, language knowledge and topical knowledge (listed in Description of characteristics of test takers) and the characteristics of the language use task. The writing tasks mainly focus on narration, description about something, and letters of invitation, confirmation, request and application. In short, language target use task types are somehow limited in a very common and traditional way. 6 Ministry of Education and Training Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 9
  • 10. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 V. DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST TASK TYPES Unlike achievement tests, the test makers do not know exactly the test task types students are familiar with in placement tests. Yet, in order to gain reliability and validity of testing, the test task types must be compatible with target language use task types. But how can we do this with our little notion about the test takers. Obviously, students are from different corners of the country, equipping with different English knowledge background, and experiencing target language use task types differently. Fortunately, the curriculum is the same for high schools nationwide. In condition of the time pressure, the project cannot be more perfect by conducting surveys about task types new students used. Still, we can use some common test task types from the MOET. Hence, with an intention on choosing and selecting the most common test task types among students, placement test task types are varied based on the MOET’s samples of test task types. Besides, According to Hugh Burkhardt (2009) the curriculum specified by three dimensions: learning activities, concepts and skills, and task types (p.12) as the figure below. Therefore, by looking at the curriculum for high schools, the test makers must know what will be in the test. Figure 3: Three dimensions in specifying a curriculum7 7 Extracted from On strategic Design, Hugh Burkhardt, 2009 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 10
  • 11. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 In combination between the curriculum for high schools and the common test task types, placement test appears reliable and valid enough. Once, to emphasize the importance of reliability and validity, the test task types are chiefly selected from the most common use for tests from MOET in combination with topic range for high-school students. There is a tendency to access all four skills and sub- skills under the form of gap filling, sentence building, blank completion, multiple-choice items, word formation, short-answer questions, and sentence transformation. These tasks are referenced from Violet Online Library (Thu vien truc tuyen VIOLET), Writing English Language Test (J.B. Heaton, 1988), British Council web page, text books for high school, and some exercise textbooks for grade twelve. Generally, not only objective but also subjective test items will be tested to evaluate actual performance in this kind of test. According to J.B. Heaton (1988, p. 27), “a good classroom test will usually contain both subjective and objective test items.” Regardless of its disadvantages, each task type has its own advantages, so these test task types mutually support. Those tasks are chosen for some following reasons. First, multiple-choice items can provide a useful means of teaching and testing in various learning situations and prove useful in measuring examinees’ ability to recognize correct grammatical forms (J.B Heaton, 1988, p. 27). In fact, multiple-choice test is one of the most powerful tools to test grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, and listening. Next, transformation type of item is formed to test students’ abilities to produce structures and paraphrase in the target language (J.B. Heaton, p.46). Furthermore, transformations are extremely useful for testing grammar and understanding of form. Gap-filling is the third task type. Gap-fills can be used to test a variety of areas such as vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and are very effective at testing listening for specific words. The fourth type is word formation to test how students are aware of functions of words in context. Test structure With an attempt to test all skills, we have to great consider the time which can afford examinees to deal with the test. With such great care, the test structure will be described as following table Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 11
  • 12. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 SECTION TIME DESCRIPTION NUMBER (minutes) OF ITEMS Listening 20 Part 1 (gap-filling) 10 There is a printed passage with 10 blanks, examinees listen to the CD player and fill in the blanks with one word for each. Part 2 (Short-question answer) 5 Examinees will listen to a short talk and answer the five printed questions. Grammar 60 Grammar Vocabulary  Multiple-choice items 10 Reading Examinees will choose the word or phrase from the four options which best completes each sentence, and then circle it.  Sentence transformation 10 Examinees have to finish each of the sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence printed before it. Vocabulary  Multiple-choice items 10 Examinees will choose the word or phrase from the four options which best completes each sentence, and then circle it.  Word formation 10 Testees will complete the passage, using the most suitable form of the word given in the right column. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 12
  • 13. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 Reading 5 The passage is followed by comprehension questions. Examinees choose the correct answer from the printed answer choices. Writing 30 Examinees write an essay based upon one of 1 task two optional topics. Speaking 3-5 for Examniers will interview examinees questions each related to these common topics: personal identification, education and future career, free time and entertainment, travel, shopping, hobbies, weather, sports, food and drink. VI. REQUIRED RESOURCES AND A PLAN FOR TEST ADMINISTRATION 1. Required resources 1.1. Human resource The test cannot be administered without using human resource. If implemented, we need one project director who designs this project to examine the procedure and solve problems if happen. This project designer will be also in charge of designing the placement test. Also, proctors can contribute to the reliability of the test result. In order to reduce cheating in testing, it’s important to employ enough proctors. The number of proctors is corresponding to a certain number of examinees per room as the table 1. With five-hundred examinees, thirty proctors should be employed. At the present, there are just fifteen teachers in the English faculty. Therefore, the other fifteen teachers are invited from Center of Foreign Studies, University of Agriculture and Forestry. Besides, four lobby proctors is to strengthen the reliability of the test results by their overall observation. It’s necessary to have two technical assistants check facilities and equipment prepared for the test. With such an amount of examinees, fifteen examiners, who are proctors as well, will be needed to score test Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 13
  • 14. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 papers which detachable heads are cut out. And four clerical assistants who are in charge of delivering, collecting test papers, and entering examinees’ marks will be included. The number of administrators is thought twice under the finance consideration. Table 1: Examinee and Proctor Ratios8 1.2.Facilities and equipment Contribution to the reliability of the test; testing rooms, CD players and CDs, lights, fans, clocks, rest rooms, desks and chairs, one electric generator in case of power cut; that’s sufficient enough for conducting the placement test for five hundred examinees. First of all, we need one large room with air-conditioner for examiners and proctors sitting before and after testing. Before testing, proctors will be here to be popularized about some warnings and regulations in testing. After testing, examiners will be here for grading the papers. Next, we need fifteen rooms for five hundred examinees in total, thirty to thirty-five examinees in each. Inside each room, facilities are equipped relatively sufficient in order to create favorable conditions for examinees in doing the test. To contribute to reduce cheating in testing, the space between examinees must spacious enough. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange thirty-six two-seat desks divided into two straight rows. One desk and two chairs are needed for proctors each room. Four lights in each room supply sufficient brightness, five fans accommodate examinees with the cool, and one wall-clock at the front of the room makes examinees know how to balance the time. Additionally, to support in testing listening, one CD player and one CD is equipped for each room. Besides, five alternative CDs 8 Extracted from TOEIC Test Administration procedures, , TOEIC BRIDGE, 2005, p.7 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 14
  • 15. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 and CD players are used in case some unexpected problems may happen. With such an amount of examinees, four restrooms are enough in serving examinees’ needs. We also need one printer and at least one photocopier for making booklets and answer sheets,… Last but not least, one electric generator should be prepared in the condition of power-cut, especially on these days deficient water cause deficient electricity. The number is demonstrated in detail as below Description of facility Quantity Total quantity (items) and equipment per room Testing room 15 Grading room 1 Air-conditioner 1 Rest room 4 CD player 1 15 + 5 alternatives CD 1 15 + 5 alternatives Light 6 90 Electric fan 5 75 Clock 1 15 Two-seat desk 36 540 Desk for proctors 1 15 Chair for proctors 2 30 Electric generator 1 Printer 1 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 15
  • 16. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 Photocopier 1 Table 2: The quantity of facility and equipment used in testing 1.3. Administration time 1.3.1 Time for test design With a great effort to design a good placement, we need a certain amount of time. Time needed for collection of common test task types and getting familiarized with the curriculum for high schools is one day. In addition, it takes one day for designing the test with criteria and answer keys and one day for revision. In total, three days afford enough to design a good test. Because this is a placement test which is for those who have just been admitted to this college, there is no need to separate the test designer in a room. 1.3.2 Time for giving regulations before the test To reduce problems and unexpected things happening in test time such as retardation, regulation delivery and the like, we need thirty minutes to do this. In details, the proctors spare about ten minutes for place arrangement including numbering students’ places and naming with careful check in case of cheating. Then, after stabilize the orders of students; proctors disseminate regulations in the testing rooms such as what they should or shouldn’t bring into the rooms; when they get warnings, when they are prohibited to continue testing… It takes about ten minutes to conduct. The rest time, proctors instruct them to fill in their information and guide them how to choose in multiple-choice items. In the information technology era, there are innumerable ways of cheating the proctors should pay much attention such as long-sleeved shirt method, desk notes, notes in gum wrapper, copying, mobile use,… 1.3.3 Time for collecting test papers In order not to miss out any papers, time for collecting is quite sufficient, twenty to thirty minutes. However, during that time proctors have to ensure all examinees put Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 16
  • 17. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 their pens down right after verbal command “time is over” is spoken out by proctors. After collecting the papers, proctors will carefully count to check whether there are any missing papers (examinees are still in the rooms now). After collecting with careful check, proctors let examinees out the rooms and number the papers in order because detachable heads will be cut out, marking down some absent examinees. There are plenty of things to do; proctors shouldn’t be in the rush. 1.3.4 Time for grading/ scoring To limit the negative side of scoring, time is one of an important factor that can affect the true results. Time for grading which is too short can force the examiners to score carelessly and in the rush. Therefore, a half of day is affordable for examiners to score; two examiners will score two rooms with 30-35 examinees in each. This time will be in the afternoon at 2p.m after proctors (as examiners as well) have refreshed by a nap. Two proctors will be responsible for two rooms so they mutually score the papers, especially writing. As for speaking, the two proctors will be in charge of examiners to interview them, proctors (examinees) will get the average from the two scores, discuss if there is any big gap between the two scores. 1.3.5 Administration space Space is also another factor that may affect final result. As mentioned, because this is placement test, there is no need to arrange test designer in a separate place. We need one room with air conditioner for examiners sitting on before and after the test. We need fifteen rooms for five hundred test takers with lights, electric fans, and clocks. In addition, we need one room with air-conditioner for grading. 1.4. Finance issue Quantity Description Estimated Estimated unit cost total cost (VND) (VND) 1 Projector director (test designer) 500.000 500.000 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 17
  • 18. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 1 Test designer 350.000 350.000 30 Proctor 100.000 3.000.000 4 Lobby proctor 100.000 400.000 2 Technical assistant 100.000 200.000 15 Examiner 100.000 1.500.000 4 Clerical assistant 100.000 400.000 Stationery (pens, chalks, erasers…) 100.000 Test materials (booklets, rough 700.000 papers, answer sheets, cardboard envelope, …) 1 Ink for printing 1.000.000 1.000.000 20 CDs 10.000 200.000 15 Clock 150.000 225.000 50 Bottle of mineral water 5.000 250.000 25 Coffee for making 7.000 200.000 25 Lunch meal 15.000 400.000 Other extra expenditure9 5.000.000 Total estimated cost: 18.000.000 9 There is a budget for extra expenditure in case there are some malfunctioned equipment such as lights, fans, tables and chairs... Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 18
  • 19. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 2. Test administration - Procedure10 2.1. Before the test Designing and restoring test materials It takes three days to design the test. And then, to ensure the quality of the test, it is vital to double-check by the Dean and teachers at the faculty. After checking without errors in writing, irrelevance in content, appropriateness in format, and clearness in instruction, it’s about time to print the test paper in five hundred and fifty copies (fifty extra copies for defective ones). Then, the training bureau will take on counting testing papers, putting them into cardboard envelopes with thirty-five booklets in each, sealing off all, and then store them in secure area to which only authorized persons have access. Selecting testing rooms To minimize the possibility of distraction such as noise, poor lightning, extreme temperature, humidity, and inadequate writing surfaces, there must have careful selection of testing rooms. The testing rooms should be in good acoustic conditions. The fifteen testing are selected from Block A, the new building with good conditions. Selecting proctors Proctor staff should be chosen with a great care. They have to be knowledgeable about testing procedure. There are fifteen teachers in English Department in this school. Thus, the other fifteen must be employed with care from Center for Language Studies, University Of Agriculture and Forestry. Those proctors are fluent in English and have experience in testing. During writing and listening tests, proctors must not engage in tasks which are not related to their test administration duties. Room arrangement and seating chart 10 Adapted from TOEIC Test Administration procedures, , TOEIC BRIDGE, 2005 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 19
  • 20. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 To make sure that every examinee faces the same direction. Also, there must be 1.5 meters between examinees. This is clarified in table 3. Restrooms Rest rooms should be located nearby and should be easy to find for those examinees that are not familiar with the testing area. In addition, restrooms must be clean up. Lobby proctors have to be sure that examinees don’t use mobile phones in restrooms. Restrooms must be inspected for any materials examinees may have stored. Noise The testing rooms must be selected carefully and located in a section of the building least likely to be affected by noise from construction work, traffic… CDs and CD players We need some extra CDs or CD players in case they are damaged, lost. We also need to check to make sure it functions properly. Last but not least, we have to check the acoustics of the room(s) in which the equipment will be used. Lighting Lighting must be adequate for reading and for marking answer sheets. Be sure to check lighting conditions in all testing rooms early on the day of the test so that any problems can be corrected before the examinees are admitted. Clocks Each testing room must have a clock, preferably at the front of the room, so examinees can see it easily without turning their heads. At regular intervals proctors must post the amount of test time remaining, so examinees can pace themselves. 2.2. On the day of the test Identifying and admitting examinees to the testing room Before allowing them to enter the testing rooms, proctors have to carefully check their presence by their identifications, or other papers embedded with their photographs. In case, they have someone do the test. This helps in reducing cheating in testing. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 20
  • 21. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 Giving regulations in testing11 In order to not confuse examinees as well as reduce possibilities of cheating, giving clear instruction is crucial. The following regulations apply during the entire test session:  No test takers will be admitted after test materials have been distributed for fifteen minutes.  Books, dictionaries, notes, rulers, calculators, watch alarms, mobile phones, listening devices, recording or photographic equipment, highlighters, or aids of any kind are not allowed in the testing room.  You must have the supervisor’s permission to leave the testing room. Any lost time cannot be made up. Dismissal from the test session Proctors are authorized to dismiss the examinees from a test session due to violations:  Attempting to take the test for someone else or having someone else takes the test for you.  Using a telephone or cell phone during the test session  Using any aids in connection with the test, such as pagers, books, pamphlets, notes, rulers, highlighter pens, stereos or radios with headphones, cell phones, dictionaries, translators, and any handheld electronic devices  Attempting to give or receive assistance. The first time is for warning. Then, proctors will deduct 25% from the test papers. The third time, examinees will be dismissed from the testing room. Seating the examinees  To avoid examinee cheating, direct examinees to their seats. Do not allow them to select their own seats. 11 Adapted from TOEIC examinee handbook, 2006 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 21
  • 22. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010  Examinees must face the same direction in any level seating arrangement and must be separated on each side by a minimum of 1.5 meters. SEATING PLANS  = one testee = one two-seat table                                     At least 1.5 meters At least 1.5 meters Table 3: Sample seating plan Distributing the test materials As for listening session:  Hand a sheet of rough paper and answer sheet directly to each examinee. Give them to examinees one at a time, in seating order, as proctors go along a row. One proctor will go from the front back, and the other from the back up. Because Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 22
  • 23. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 the testing rooms are up to fifteen rooms, keep a record of the test booklets (number, test form, and serial number, etc.) issued to each administrator. As for written session:  Hand a test booklet and answer sheet directly to each examinee. Give them to examinees one at a time, in seating order, as proctors go along a row. One proctor will go from the front back, and the other from the back up. Maintaining security after the test begins  The number of test books distributed must equal the number of examinees present.  If there are defective booklets, inform the examinees that they will be given extra test booklets and request that those defective booklets be returned.  To prevent attempts to copy or to remove pages from test booklets, have each proctor monitor a designated area in the test room. 2.3. After the test 2.3.1 Collecting test materials and dismissing examinees  Collect the test booklets individually from each examinee. Handle answer sheets carefully.  Once you are certain you have all the test booklets, collect and count the answer sheets. Make sure examinees have not left their answer sheets inside the books.  After you have dismissed the examinees at the end of the test session and put the test materials in a safe place, make a final check of all testing rooms to be certain nothing has been left behind. 2.3.2 Returning materials The two proctors once again recount the test papers in compare with the numbers of present examinees to make sure there are no papers left or missed. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 23
  • 24. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 VII. DESCRIBING THE SCORING METHODS All of the test papers are hand-scored. In order to be more convenient, scoring will happen right in the afternoon of the testing day, after proctors who are chosen as examiners have taken a rest in a room with good conditions for refreshing. There are fifteen testing rooms which need fifteen examiners to score. These examiners are from English Faculty of the school. In written test, for section A and B, examiners use transparency to score. For section C and D, they score basing on the possibility from the answer key. Especially, in composition, examiners must look at the writing criteria for grading. Since those examiners all are teacher in English they must have knowledge background about the topics. Still, in order to grasp high reliability, there should be two examiners in scoring the papers. In speaking test, the two proctors will be examiners as well. Based on speaking criteria given, they interview the examinees in turn, giving marks and discuss if there is any big different; if not, get the average from the two scores for the final score. Finally, in listening test, examiners just simply look at the answer key and give the scores. After scoring, students will be classified according to their results. The final score will be the average of the three tests: written, speaking and listening. English one is for beginners who get below average (under 5), English two for higher level when they get from five to seven, and English three for those who are excellent in scores, from eight to ten. VIII. DESCRIPTION AND ILLUSTRATION OF THE SIX QUALITIES OF THE TEST DESIGNED 1. Reliability According to Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt (1992), “reliability in testing is a measure of the degree to which a test gives consistent results. A test is said to be reliable if it gives the same results when it is given on different occasions or when it is used by different people.” (p.314) Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 24
  • 25. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010  Checking errors or mistakes before printing test papers is one of the ways to fortify the test reliability.  The test is constructed with clear instructions in order not to confuse examinees.  The objectives of the test are also clarified.  In writing and speaking sessions, detail criteria set to avoid subjectiveness and enhance objectiveness in scoring.  Because this is placement test for examinees from different corners of the country, it’s important to have a great consideration on test task types which must be familiarized among them. Therefore, test task types are carefully selected from forms of the MOET. This helps to avoid the possibility which examinees cannot do the test just because they don’t understand what the test required them to do.  The test is conducted in appropriate time, which may partly contribute examinees’ work.  Before the testing day, the equipment controllers will examine testing rooms in case there are some corrupted sources such as facilities in testing rooms, CD players… In addition, the Dean and some teachers in English will examine the test carefully before it’s printed to ensure there are no errors.  The distance which is at least 1.5 meters between two examinees is sufficient enough to reduce cheating among them. Hence, this strengthens reliability in testing.  Fifteen testing rooms are carefully selected with an effort to create good conditions for examinees. These rooms must be located in Block A, which is new-built with good equipment and quite quiet. 2. Construct validity Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 25
  • 26. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 According to Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer (1996), construct validity pertains to the meaningfulness and appropriateness of the interpretations that we make on the basis of test scores”. “Measure what we want to measure”. Placement test is designed to be administered under consistent procedures so that the test- taking experience is as similar as possible across examinees. This similar experience increases the fairness of the test as well as making examinees’ scores more directly comparable. Typical guidelines related to the test administration locations state that all the sites should be comfortable, and should have good lighting, ventilation. Interruptions and distractions, such as excessive noise, should be prevented. The time limits that have been established should be adhered to for all test administrations. The test should be administered by trained proctors who maintain a positive atmosphere and who carefully follow the administration procedures that have been developed. 3. Authenticity Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer (1996) define “authenticity as the degree of correspondence between the characteristics of a given language test task to the features of a TLU12 task.” In other words, we can state briefly that authenticity is ensured when we test what we teach.  Since examinees from different corners of the country, there is no wonder that they have different English background, dealing with different target language use tasks. Therefore, it’s very important to determine test task types which cannot cause confusion for them. There are nearly no innovation in test task types. Conversely, it’s favorable to use some common test task types from MOET’s standard tests and high-school exercise textbooks.  In listening section, the test is carefully chosen from a web for learning English and matches with testees’ topical knowledge. 12 Target Language Use Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 26
  • 27. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010  The format of the test is organized logically and clearly enough. The test structure and test task types are enough familiar for examinees to deal with the test without interference or confusion 4. Interactiveness Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer (1996) define interactiveness which is “the extent and type of involvement of the test taker’s individual characteristics in accomplishing a test task” (p. 25)  Consider examinees’ psychology, levels and background,  In writing session, in order to gain interactiveness in testing, there are two options for them to choose the topic they like. Therefore, they don’t have an obligatory feeling of being force to deal with the topic they are not interested in. 5. Impact  Because all of test task types are taken from common tasks which are quite familiar with high-school students. Therefore, it is fair for all testees. In other words, it is necessary to be sure all of the examinees are familiar with the test format and test task types. 6. Practicality  We realize the reality of the school. Thus, rooms, equipment and facilities are under the consideration of finance matters and what available in school. In fact, the rooms equipped by air-conditioners create a good condition for examinees in doing the test. However, with the current conditions of the school, this cannot currently be applied.  We have to be realistic about sources available to put the test to use. Such concerns include whether available resources will cover the demands of test administration and scoring in terms of time, money, expertise, and personnel.  There is also a careful explanation about processes of administration and scoring. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 27
  • 28. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 IX. APPENDIXES ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR FURTHER REFERENCE APPENDIX A GRADING CRITERIA FOR SPEAKING Name: Date: Description Score Pronunciation Frequent errors, little or no communication. Pronun is frequently intelligible 12345 Occasional problems with communication. Heavy Vietnamese influence 6 7 8 9 10 No interference with communication. Fair control of the language sounds 11 12 13 14 15 The speaker articulates sounds with stress and intonation clearly and correctly 16 17 18 19 20 Grammar The speaker has difficulty expressing himself and produces frequently 12345 mistakes that break down the communication. The speaker makes a number of grammatical errors and may depends too much 6 7 8 9 10 on rehearsed phrases 11 12 13 14 15 The speaker is mostly accurate and is able to express his ideas clearly 16 17 18 19 20 The speaker’s language is entirely accurate and is able to express complex ideas clearly Vocabulary Inadequate and/ or inaccurate use of vocabulary 12345 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 28
  • 29. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 Somewhat inadequate and/ or inaccurate use of vocabulary. Mostly repetitive 6 7 8 9 10 Adequate and accurate use of vocabulary 11 12 13 14 15 Rich, broad, precise and impressive use of vocabulary 16 17 18 19 20 Appropriacy The intention of speaker is unknown 12345 The intention can be perceived by sympathetic listener 6 7 8 9 10 Language is generally or appropriate to intention 11 12 13 14 15 Intention of speaker is clear and unambiguous 16 17 18 19 20 Fluency Speech uneven with long pauses and/ or incomplete thoughts 12345 Speech slow and/ or with frequent pauses, few or no incomplete thoughts 6 7 8 9 10 Some hesitations but manage to continue and complete thoughts 11 12 13 14 15 Speech continuous, connected ideas. Comfortable speaking English. Natural 16 17 18 19 20 turn-taking Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 29
  • 30. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 APPENDIX B GRADING CRITERIA FOR WRITING13 Name: Date: Description Score Content The writer doesn’t show knowledge of the topic. The ideas are irrelevant to the 12345 topic The writer has limited knowledge of the topic 6 7 8 9 10 The writer shows deep and knowledgeable understanding about the topic 11 12 13 14 15 The writer has some knowledge of the topic and is adequate range of 16 17 18 19 20 knowledge Organization There seems to have been little or no attempt at organization 12345 Expression of ideas is non-fluent. Ideas are confused and disconnected 6 7 8 9 10 The essay is somewhat choppy and loosely organized but main ideas stand out 11 12 13 14 15 Ideas are effectively explicated and organized. The essay demonstrates fluent expression 16 17 18 19 20 Vocabulary It is dominated by errors in spelling, or usage that obscure meaning or which 12345 would distract an average reader. Even basic words may be misused. 13 Adapted from Writing English Language Tests, J.B. Heaton, 1988, p. 146 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 30
  • 31. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 The essay is limited in range of English and has frequent errors of words, sometimes cause confusion 6 7 8 9 10 The essay seems adequate range of English with occasional errors of words 11 12 13 14 15 and usage but meaning not obscured The writer shows his ideas by using sophisticated range of English, choosing effective words 16 17 18 19 20 Language use The writer shows virtually no mastery of sentence construction rules 12345 The essay stands out major problems in simple/ complex constructions 6 7 8 9 10 The writer uses effective but simple constructions 11 12 13 14 15 The essay expresses effective complex constructions 16 17 18 19 20 Mechanics The written work shows no mastery of conventions. It is dominated by errors 12345 of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing It has frequent errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization. They sometimes 6 7 8 9 10 cause distracting Errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization are infrequent but not distracting 11 12 13 14 15 It demonstrates mastery of conventions 16 17 18 19 20 Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 31
  • 32. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE Full name: …………………………………… Candidate’s Index Number: ………………… Date: ………………………………………… Time: 90 WRITTEN TEST SECTION A: MUTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS (2ms) In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. Cross the letter A, B, C or D against the number of each item 1-20 for the word or phrase you choose. 1. Her parents are very ………. and they never let her go out in the evening. A. tough B. strict C. hard D. difficult 2. He’s so ………. He hasn’t spoken anything since he came here. A. dumb B. deaf C. friendly D. quiet 3. It was the longest film I have ever seen, it ………. three hours. A. lasted B. continued C. completed D. remained 4. Mr. John has ………. painting since he retired. A. taken up B. taken in C. taken over D. taken on 5. You can stay here ………. you don’t make noise. A. otherwise B. until C. unless D. as long as 6. Johnny ………. very badly at Mary’s birthday party. A. showed B. behaved C. conducted D. saw 7. The rise in the house prices ………. him to sell his house for a large profit. A. managed B. succeeded C. enabled D. achieved 8. ……….was the bicycle picked up? In a small village. A. What B. Why C. Where D. When 9. The strike began last weekend after a worker had been sacked. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 32
  • 33. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 A. employed B. dismissed C. injured D. punished 10. They tried to extinguish the flames. A. take off B. get out of C. get off D. put out 11. They ………..for Paris by 6 a.m. tomorrow. A. have left B. will have left C. will leave D. will be leaving 12. That’s where I ………..when I was young. A. was living B. used to live C. had lived D. have been living 13. I ………..to South Africa in two years. A. am going B. went C. have gone D. was going 14. While he ……….the poster, a door behind him opened. A. stared at B. was staring at C. has stared D. had stared. 15. Someone ………..it twenty years ago. A. had stolen B. has stolen C. stole D. was stolen 16. If I could speak French, I ……….next year studying in Canada. A. would spend B. would have spent C. had spent D. will spend 17. Instead of ……….about the good news, Tom seemed to be indifferent. A. exciting B. being exciting C. excited D. being excited 18. The candidates were very busy ……….their composition. A. to write B. writing C. having written D. to have written 19. Bill is phoning his girlfriend again. That’s the third time he ………..her this evening. A. is phoning B. phones C. has phoned D. will phone 20. Not only ……….on my foot, but he also spilled coffee on my shirt. A. he stamped B. did he stamp C. does he stamp D. he stamps Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 33
  • 34. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 SECTION B: READING COMPREHENSION (1,5ms) In this section you will find after the reading passage five questions, each with four suggested answers you must choose the one you think fits best. When Margaret went into Wilson’s office, she noticed that he looked very tired. In fact, he looked awful. She knew it was not a good time to ask him for the rise, but she felt she had to. She tried to think of something casual to say first. It was always best to begin such conversations casually. “Uh…you’re looking a bit tired,” she said. Wilson sighed. He told her he had just seen the Financial Controller, the man who told everybody at the EBC how much they could spend. “As usual, he said I was spending too much. It wasn’t a very pleasant conversation,” he said. Then he mentioned that he had a headache. Margaret began to feel sorry for him. She offered to get some aspirins for him from the canteen. “You needn’t bother. I can go there myself,” he said. “Oh, but I’m going to the canteen anyway. It’s no trouble,” she protested. Wilson thanked her and gave her some money for the aspirins. She left. It was only after she had closed the door behind her that she realized something. She had forgotten to ask for the rise! 21. What did Margaret want to ask for? ………………………………………………… 22. How did Mr. Wilson look? ………………………………………………… 23. Why did Mr. Wilson sigh? ………………………………………………… 24. What did she offer to do when she knew he had a headache? ………………………………………………… 25. What did she realize when she closed the door? ………………………………………………… Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 34
  • 35. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 SECTION C: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (2ms) Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence printed before it. 26. I would like you to help me to put the chairs away.  Would you mind ………………………………………………. 27. I’m sorry that I didn’t finish my homework last night.  I wish ………………………………………………………….. 28. I hurried. I didn’t want to be late.  I hurried so that………………………………………………… 29. She speaks English very well. You would think it was her native language.  She speaks English so well …………………………………….. 30. “You shouldn’t enroll in this college,” said my father.  My father advised ……………………………………………… 31. It was such bad coffee that he couldn’t drink it.  The coffee ……………………………………………………… 32. I was obliged to sell my house.  Circumstances …………………………………………………. 33. “Hand your books to me when you have finished, please.”  He asked students ……………………………………………… 34. Reading newspaper in the morning gives him pleasure.  He enjoys ………………………………………………………. 35. Please keep silent in the classroom.  I’d rather you …………………………………………………… Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 35
  • 36. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 SECTIOND: WORD FORMATION (2,5ms) Complete the passage, using the most suitable form of the word given in the right column. Example: 0. Imperfect Interviews are an (0) ………method of choosing the best PERFECT people for jobs, yet human (36) ……….like to examine each BE other in this way. One of the many problems of (37) ……….as SELECT it is commonly practiced is that the forms filled in by APPLY (38)……….often fail to show people as they really are. This means that you can follow all the best (39) ……….when ADVISE completing your form and still find that you are (40) ………. SUCCESS at the next stage – the interview. (41) …………..in the rare SIMILAR cases where interviews are automatic, a candidate with an ADEQUATE (42) ……….form may do surprisingly well. Your form needs to show that you have (43) …………………….in your CONFIDENT (44) ……….to do the job, but don’t try to turn yourself into ABLE someone else – a person you have to pretend to be at the interview. Realism and (45) ………..are definitely the best HONEST approach. SECTION E: COMPOSITION (2ms) Choose ONE of the two topics and write a passage of between 150 and 180 words. 1. Comparing life in the city and in the countryside. 2. Things you do in your free time. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 36
  • 37. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE Full name: …………………………………….. Candidate’s Index Number: ………………… Date: ………………………………………… Time: 20 LISTENING COMPREHENTION SECTION A: Look at the passage, listen and fill in the missing information (5ms) The college had a very good football (1) ……….and its best player was a student who always had (2) ……….in school. Then one year the (3) ………of the college said that the player would have to leave because he had (4) ……….on an exam. The football (5) ……….immediately went to the Dean to try to (6) ……….him to let his student stay in school. The Dean showed him two answer papers. “This one is Susan’s paper. She’s the best student in the class,” he said. “And this one is your football player’s. They’re (7) ……….the same. The football player sat at the next desk and just (8) ……….from her.” “But (9) ……….she copied from him” the coach said. “You can’t (10) ……….it was the other way.” “Look at this!” the Dean said. “Susan didn’t know the answer to this question, so she wrote, I don’t know, and your football player wrote, “Neither do I”.” SECTION B: Listen to the talk and answer these questions (5ms) 1. When was Bill Cole born? …………………………………………………. 2. How many sister and bothers did he have? …………………………………………………. 3. What did his mother do? Where? …………………………………………………. 4. After his father died, what did Bill Cole have to do? …………………………………………………. 5. Ten years after his father’s death, what did he do? …………………………………………………. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 37
  • 38. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE Full name: …………………………………….. Candidate’s Index Number: ………………… Date: ………………………………………… Time: 90 ANSWER SHEET SECTION A: MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS (2ms) 1 A B C D 6 A B C D 11 A B C D 16 A B C D 2 A B C D 7 A B C D 12 A B C D 17 A B C D 3 A B C D 8 A B C D 13 A B C D 18 A B C D 4 A B C D 9 A B C D 14 A B C D 19 A B C D 5 A B C D 10 A B C D 15 A B C D 20 A B C D SECTION B: READING COMPREHENSION (1,5ms) 21. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 22. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 23. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 24. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 25. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 26. ………………………………………………………………………………………… SECTION C: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (2ms) 27. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 28. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 29. ………………………………………………………………………………………… Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 38
  • 39. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 30. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 31. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 32. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 33. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 34. ………………………………………………………………………………………… 35. ………………………………………………………………………………………… SECTIOND: WORD FORMATION (2,5ms) 36. …………………………… 41. …………………………… 37. …………………………… 42. …………………………… 38. …………………………… 43. …………………………… 39. …………………………… 44. …………………………… 40. …………………………… 45. …………………………… SECTION E: COMPOSITION (2ms) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 39
  • 40. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE Full name: …………………………………….. Candidate’s Index Number: ………………… Date: ………………………………………… Time: 90 ANSWER KEY WRITTEN TEST SECTION A: MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS (2ms) 1 A B C D 6 A B C D 11 A B C D 16 A B C D 2 A B C D 7 A B C D 12 A B C D 17 A B C D 3 A B C D 8 A B C D 13 A B C D 18 A B C D 4 A B C D 9 A B C D 14 A B C D 19 A B C D 5 A B C D 10 A B C D 15 A B C D 20 A B C D SECTION B: READING COMPREHENSION (1,5ms) 21. Margaret wanted to ask for the rise. 22. He looked awful/ tired. 23. Because he saw/ met the Financial Controller and they had a very unpleasant conversation / they didn’t have a very pleasant conversation. 24. She offered to get some aspirins for him. 25. She realized that she had forgotten to ask for the rise. SECTION C: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION (2ms) 26. Would you mind helping me to put the chairs away? 27. I wish I had finished my homework last night. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 40
  • 41. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 28. I hurried so that I won’t be late. 29. She speaks English so well that you would think it was her native language. 30. My father advised me not to enroll in that college. 31. The coffee is too bad for him to drink/ the coffee is so bad that he couldn’t drink it. 32. Circumstances obliged me to sell my house. 33. He asked students to hand their books to him when they had finished. 34. He enjoys reading newspaper in the morning. 35. I’d rather you keep silent in the classroom. SECTION D: WORD FORMATION (2,5ms) 36. BEINGS 41. SIMILARLY 37. SELECTION 42. INADEQUATELY 38. APPLICANTS 43. CONFIDENCE 39. ADVICE 44. ABILITY 40. UNSUCCESSFUL 45. HONESTY SECTION E: WRITING (2 ms) Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 41
  • 42. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE Full name: …………………………………….. Candidate’s Index Number: ………………… Date: ………………………………………… Time: 20 ANSWER SHEET LISTENING COMPREHENTION SECTION A: Look at the passage, listen and fill in the missing information (5ms) 1. ………………………. 6. ………………………. 2. ………………………. 7. ………………………. 3. ………………………. 8. ………………………. 4. ………………………. 9. ………………………. 5. ………………………. 10. ………………………. SECTION B: Listen to the talk and answer these questions (5ms) 1. ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2. ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3. ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4. ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5. ………………………………………………………………………………………….. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 42
  • 43. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 HCMC COLLEGE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE Full name: …………………………………….. Candidate’s Index Number: ………………… Date: ………………………………………… Time: 20 ANSWER KEY LISTENING COMPREHENTION SECTION A: Look at the passage, listen and fill in the missing information (5ms) 1. team 6. persuade 2. troubles 7. exactly 3. Dean 8. copied 4. cheated 9. maybe 5. coach 10. think SECTION B: Listen to the talk and answer these questions (5ms) 1. Bill Cole was born in 1919/ on May 7th 1919. 2. He had one brother and two sisters. 3. His mother was a cleaner. She worked in offices and hospitals. 4. He had to help his mother look after the little ones 5. He was a taxi-driver. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 43
  • 44. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 TAPE SCRIPT FOR LISTENING Bill Cole talks about when he was young. I was born in 1919, er… May 7th 1919. I was the eldest of four. I had one brother and two sisters – just the youngest sister is still alive. I’m a true Cockney. We lived in East End of London. We had two rooms above a fish and chip shop. Number 18 India Street, it was next to the river. The rooms always smelt of fish. We didn’t have much money, but we ate well – not only fish and chips. Dad worked in the fruit and vegetable market at Convent Garden. He used to bring home all kind of fruit and veg. Ma was a cleaner and she worked in offices and hospitals. Dad used to start work at four o’clock in the morning and from when I was seven, it was my job before school, to run to the market with his breakfast. I used to love doing that. Best of all was the days when he said: “Don’t go to school today, son. Stay with me! You’ll learn more about life here. But don’t tell your Ma!” He was right – the noise, the men and women shouting and laughing, the colors, the smells – it was wonderful. At lunchtime we got pie and peas twice, for six pence. I can still taste that pie and peas – beat taste in the world! The Dad died when I as twelve. I had to help Ma look after the little ones. So I left school and started to work full time in the market. I did it for ten years. After that I was a taxi-driver. It’s been a good life. Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 44
  • 45. Placement Test for newly-admitted Students at HCMC Industry and Trade College 2010 References British Council, http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/test-question-types Grade-twelve English Textbook, 2009 Grade-eleven English Textbook, 2009 Grade-ten English Textbook, 2009 Henry L. Roediger, III, Mark McDaniel, and Kathleen McDermott (2006). Test-enhanced Learning. http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getarticle.cfm?id=1951 Hoang Van Van, Bai Tap Tieng Anh 12, 2008 Hugh Burkhardt (2009). On Strategic Design, 1 (3) http://www.educationaldesigner.org/ed/volume1/issue3/article9/ http://luyennghetienganh.com/ Jack C. Richard, John Platt, Heidi Platt (1992). Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Longman Group UK Limited J.B Heaton (1988). Writing English Language Tests. Longman Inc. New York, Luu Hoang Tri, On tap & kiem tra bang trac nghiem English 12, 2008 Lyle F. Bachman and Adrian S. Palmer (1996), Language Testing in Practice. Oxford university Express. Mai Lan Huong, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, Bai Tap Trac Ngiem Tieng Anh 12, 2008 TOEIC examinee handbook, 2006 TOEIC Test Administration procedures, TOEIC BRIDGE, 2005 Violet Online Library, http://dethi.violet.vn/ Le Thi Thanh Thao – TESOL4-37 45