Developing and Analyzing a CEFR-Based English Proficiency Test for Students in English Programs at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University
Keywords:
English proficiency test , test development , test analysisAbstract
This research aims to develop a quality English proficiency test for students in English programs at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University. The research tools used include: 1) an English proficiency test, comprising 100 four multi-choices items, assessing four areas of language proficiency: listening, reading, conversational language knowledge, and knowledge of language, vocabulary, and grammar used in writing. The test was designed to align with the standard framework of CEFR at levels A2, B1, and B2; 2) an assessment form for indexes of item-objective congruence for multidimensional items; 3) an assessment form for evaluating the test’s usefulness; and 4) a semi-structured interview form. The results showed that all test items had a content validity index greater than .75 according to experts’ evaluations and the experts “strongly agreed” that the test was of high quality in terms of its usefulness, with the highest scores in reliability and impact. Interviews with 11 test takers indicated that the overall test administration was effective, with no significant factors affecting the reliability and accuracy of the test scores. The researchers then used purposive sampling to select 100 students to take the test to collect data on the test’s quality. The analysis revealed that the test had a reliability coefficient (KR-20) of .93, a difficulty index of .57, a discrimination index of .46, and a standard deviation of 16.64.
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