Introducing Second Language Assessment

In Chapter 5, the author lays out the principles of uniformity – the consistency of the setting, content, and scoring procedures – and reliability, which is the consistency and stability of assessment scores. The chapter details the aspects of setting, content, and scoring procedures in various assessment contexts and what measures test users should take to maintain their consistency across test takers and test administrations. The chapter includes a discussion of the role of test accommodations, and how researchers can balance the needs of test takers with the principles of uniformity and reliability. An important feature of the chapter is the introduction of assistive technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence for helping ensure uniformity in an assessment context. The chapter concludes with a brief introduction to the concepts of test-retest, parallel forms, and internal reliability.