group of students who are in the same level of ability so teachers can focus and only concentrate on the problems or learning points
suitable for that level.
11
Moreover, placement tests provide information that helps to place students in the part of learning program most appropriate
with their levels of ability. They are most successful in term of their use when they are constructed for particular situations.
12
Most placement tests constructed by classroom teachers are pretests
which function to know the readiness of students to begin the instruction and to place the students in the part of learning activity
with the proper instruction.
2. Formative Test
Norman E. Gronlund writes that “formative tests are given
periodically during instruction to monitor pupil learning progress and to provide ongoing feedback to pupils and teachers.”
13
It usually covers some parts of instruction, such as unit, chapter, etc.
In line with the opinion above, formative tests are carried out while the instruction is ongoing to identify learning progress
students have made and to give the continuous feedback in term of strengths and weaknesses of learning activity.
14
Furthermore, “the formative test is given during the course of instruction; its purpose
to show which aspects of the chapter the student has mastered and where remedial work is necessary.”
15
11
James Dean Brown, Testing in Language Programs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1996, p. 11.
12
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, 2
nd
Ed., p. 16-17.
13
Norman E. Gronlund, Measurement and Evaluation in Teaching, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1981, 4
th
Ed., p. 125.
14
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of Students..., p. 8.
15
Rebecca M. Valette, Modern Language ..., p. 10.
Its result gives the information about how well students have mastered a particular material and provides them immediate
feedback. With feedback, students can determine their learning errors or weaknesses then they can revise with o
r without teachers’ help.
Thus, in the writer’s opinion, formative test is designed to check students progress during the instruction in mastering one
particular learning point and to give students feedback directly.
3. Diagnostic Test
The result of diagnostic test is intended to show the specific weaknesses and strengths in a particular material or skill.
16
It can be said that it is much comprehensive and detailed because it
identifies the major causes of learning difficulties and then helps prepare a plan for remedial activity.
In his book, Testing for Language Teachers, Arthur Hughes states that, “Diagnostic tests are used to identify learners’ strengths
and weaknesses. They are intended primarily to ascertain what learning still needs to take place.”
17
In addition, “a diagnostic test is designed to determine the degree to which the specific instructional
objectives of the course have been accomplished.”
18
Therefore, by using diagnostic tests, teacher knows what students have mastered and what areas in which a student needs
further help. It is made while students are learning the language. So, diagnostic tests are typically delivered at the beginning or in
the middle of a language course.
16
Robert Lado, Language Testing, The Construction and Use of Foreign Language Tests, London: Longman Group Limited, 1961, p. 369.
17
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language ..., p. 15.
18
James Dean Brown, Testing in Language ..., p. 15.
