Based on the definitions above, the writer can conclude that test is a set of
questions in many forms Such as; multiple choice, true false, fill in the blank, essay, etc. It is made by a teacher to measure
student’s ability in a lot of skills where a test that produced in line with the procedure in making a test with
consider of standarized and score.
2. The Type of Test
There are some ways that used for testing or to determine the person’s ability
in the learning process. Wilmar Tinambunan stated that there are two types of tests used in determining a person’s ability: aptitude test and achievement test.
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Basically, both of test types give the same understanding, an aptitude test is constructed to measure or to predict succes in some future learning activity in the
classroom or other, while the achievement test designed to know level of success in the learning activity that have learned.
In the language learning process there are many types of the test that used to measure student
’s ability. According to Arthur Hughes in his book testing for Language teacher, stated that there are four basic types of language tests:
proficiency tests, achievement tests, diagnostic tests, and placement tests.
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1. Proficiency test
Proficieny tests are designed to measure people’s ability in a language,
regardless of any training they may have had in that language. While, McNamara assumes that proficiency test is a test which is designed to see
language use in the future, it is not related to any training they may have had in that language.
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Furthermore, according to Lado, proficiency tests measure how much of a foreign language a person not necessarily a student knows.
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5
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of Student Achievement, Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 1988, p. 7.
6
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers Second Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989, P. 11.
7
Tim McNamara, Language Testing, Hongkong: Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 7.
8
Robert Lado, Language Testing: The Construction and Use of Foreign Language Tests, Hongkong: Wing Tai Cheung Printing Co Ltd,p. 369.
From some opinion above, the writer conclude that proficiency test is designed to measure individual’s general ability in a language. it usually used
English for specific purposes. 2.
Achievement test Achievement test are directly related to language course, their purpose
being to establish how succesful individual student, groups of students, or the course themselves have been in achieving objectives. While, Cecil Reynolds
stated that achievement test are designed to assess the knowledge or skills of an individual in a content domain in which her or she has received
instruction.
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From the statement mentioned clearly states that the achievement test is tested after the examinee received the course.
A test that used by the teacher to measure a success level of student in learning teaching proccess is the achievement test. Arthur Hughes divided
the achievement test in two parts, final achievement test and progress achievement test
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. 1.
Final achievement test Final achievement tests are those administered at the end of a course of
study. The content of final achievement test should be based directly on a detiled course syllabus or on the books and other materials used, this has
been reffered to as the syllabus content approach 2.
Progress achievement test Progress achievement test as their name suggest are intended to
measure the progress that students are making. Final achievement and progressachievement test basically have a same
understanding that is to measure student’s ability about the materials that learned, but the diference between final and progress are the final
9
Cecil R. Reynolds. et al, Measurement and Assesment in Education, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2009, p. 5.
10
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers Second Edition , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989, P. 13
achievement examined in the end of the course but the progress achievement examined in the part of the course.
3. Diagnostic test
A diagnostic test is used to identify learners’ strengths and weakness.
According to Wilmar Tinambunan a diagnostic test is intended to diagnose learning
difficulties during
instruction.
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This definition
gives an
understanding that the diagnostic test is constructed to know the learning difficulties of the student during the instruction, usually this test used in the
first sections before the course is began. 4.
The placement test Placement tests intended to provide information that will help to place
student at the stage or in the part of the teaching programme most appropriate to their abilities. While, JB. Heaton said that a placement test
enables us to sort students into groups according to their language ability at the begining of the course.
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It can be understood that this test describes someone to entered in the group based their ability or competence in the
begining of the course.
3. The Characteristic of a Good Test
