Test Setting Jargon

a cloze

• a tempting, but wrong, answer to a question

• a text from which words are removed and replaced with gaps

• a single testing point in a task which is given a separate mark or marks

• the first part of a multiple-choice item, it can be in the form of a whole question or an incomplete sentence

to constrain

• to limit the length of an answer to a word or short phrase, and prevent longer, more open answers

• this is a way of signalling to candidates that the answer to a particular item is coming up

• this is when there should only be one correct answer but in fact two answers/options are actually correct

• to put some words after the key in a text so that the key isn't at the end of a sentence or paragraph

cueing

• the instructions given for a particular test task that tell the candidates what they need to do in a test

• this is when the language in a task is the same as the language in the text

• limit the length of an answer to a word or short phrase, and prevent longer, more open answers

• this is a way of signalling to candidates that the answer to a particular item is coming up

distractor

• this is when there should only be one correct answer but in fact two answers/options are actually correct

• redundant information between keys in a listening task

• a tempting, but wrong, answer to a question

• put some words after the key in a text so that the key isn't at the end of a sentence or paragraph

double key

• this is when there should only be one correct answer but in fact two answers/options are actually correct

• a single testing point in a task which is given a separate mark or marks

• redundant information between keys in a listening task

• this is when an option is referred to in the text or there is some text to support the idea

Item

• the instructions given for a particular test task that tell the candidates what they need to do in a test

• redundant information between keys in a listening task

• a single testing point in a task which is given a separate mark or marks

• a tempting, but wrong, answer to a question

mark scheme

• the instructions given for a particular test task that tell the candidates what they need to do in a test

• a single testing point in a task which is given a separate mark or marks

• a text from which words are removed and replaced with gaps

• a set of instructions for how to award credit for a task

padding

• redundant information between keys in a listening task

• this is when there should only be one correct answer but in fact two answers/options are actually correct

• this is a way of signalling to candidates that the answer to a particular item is coming up

• write the same idea but using different lexis and structures

paraphrase

• this is when an option is referred to in the text or there is some text to support the idea

• write the same idea but using different lexis and structures

• this is when the language in a task is the same as the language in the text

• put some words after the key in a text so that the key isn't at the end of a sentence or paragraph

rooted

• this is when the language in a task is the same as the language in the text

• this is when there should only be one correct answer but in fact two answers/options are actually correct

• this is when an option is referred to in the text or there is some text to support the idea

• write the same idea but using different lexis and structures