Introduction

In previous chapters, the contexts of grammar assessment were considered and the nature of grammatical ability defined for assessment purposes. Then, in Chapter 5, I discussed the notion of task and described how grammatical constructs could be operationalized to measure grammatical ability for different purposes. Building on the procedures for designing grammar-test tasks, this chapter addresses the process of grammar-test construction, that is the principles underlying the design, development and scoring of grammatical assessments. To do this, I will first describe the characteristics of ‘useful’ tests so that these qualities may be used to drive the test development process. I will discuss these qualities both generally and in relation to grammatical assessments. After that, I will detail the process used to construct tests of grammatical ability from the initial design phase through operational use. I will address the process of test construction principally, but not exclusively, from the perspective of large-scale assessment. Large-scale grammar assessment refers to tests that reach beyond the confines of the individual classroom. These include the grammar sections in placement or proficiency exams, the grammar sections of final exams given to several class sections in a school, or the grammar sections of measurement instruments used in research projects. The procedures for constructing large-scale assessments are somewhat different from those typically encountered in smallscale or classroom assessments, since they each have different goals and priorities.