Introduction

In Chapters 5 and 6, issues in developing writing tasks and scoring procedures for large-scale assessment were discussed. This chapter presents examples from several tests of second-language writing as a way of illustrating how test developers have dealt with some of the issues raised in the previous two chapters for specific groups of test takers. These issues include:

• defining the writing construct for the purpose of the test;

• designing writing tasks from specific TLU domains so that they are likely to be authentic for prospective examinees;

• developing scoring criteria that reflect the most important aspects of writing for those test takers; and

• balancing the various aspects of test usefulness for a particular situation.

Five tests will be discussed in this chapter. Three of them are well-known language tests that include writing as a distinct component of the test: these are the TOEFL, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and the UCLES First Certificate in English (FCE). Scores on these tests are internationally recognized for such purposes as university admissions or certification of language proficiency for employment. The other two tests that will be discussed are tests of quite a different nature. The Basic English Skills Test (BEST), developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C., is a test intended for adult immigrant learners of English who are not necessarily literate in their first language and who need basic functional English skills for everyday life.