Difficulties and Constraints Involved in Developing a New English Placement Test Online

Abstract

The purpose of this work based research project was to explore ways to bring change, improvement, and efficiency into specific college-level English placement practices based on current theories and practices on the one hand, and on the specific contextualised student needs and the local human and other resources on the other. The comparison of theoretical suggestions in online English placement testing with the English placement testing (EPT) practices at a particular college in Cyprus, helped in shaping its New English Placement Test Online (NEPTON) specifications, and deciding on the test type and design, method of test development and implementation. The combination of current theories and practices with the potentiality of putting them into practice in the best possible way within college resources, resulted in choosing to develop a computer based test (CBT), with some computer adaptive test (CAT) features such as large test item pool, test item randomisation, cut-off point algorithm, and an alternative way to test item analysis as a result. Moreover, the test design had to also include the design of an in-house electronic environment for hosting and delivering the placement test and facilitating continuous test monitoring and improvement. The data analysis carried out to establish test reliability and validity shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of such a research project and complemented the description of the processes of EPT creation based on theory but mainly the description of the difficulties and the constraints deriving from the particular context and its human and physical resources.