Bibliography: p366-370. - Includes index.

PART ONE CONCEPTUAL BASES OF TEST DEVELOPMENT; 1. Objectives and expectations; 2. Test usefulness: Qualities of language tests; 3. Describing tasks: Language use in language tests; 4. Describing language ability: Language use in language tests; PART TWO LANGUAGE TEST DEVELOPMENT; 5. Overview of test development; 6. Describing, identifying, and defining; 7. Developing a plan for the evaluation of usefulness; 8. Identifying, allocating, and managing resources; 9. Operationalization: Developing test tasks and blueprints; 10. Preparing effective instructions; 11. Scoring method; 12. Language test administration; PART THREE ILLUSTRATIVE TEST DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS; Project 1; High-stakes selection and placement test for students entering a university writing program; Project 2; Selection / placement test for telephone company employees; Project 3; Syllabus-based diagnostic achievement test for students in an ESP program; Project 4; Exit test for students in an adult education conversation course for immigrants; Project 5; High-stakes ESP screening test for making hiring and training decisions; Project 6; Placement test for an ESL reading course; Project 7; Employment / placement / achievement test for immigrants in a government-funded vocational training ESL course; Project 8; Classroom achievement tests for an introductory German course; Project 9; Classroom achievement test for the reading component of the Korean-English two-way bilingual immersion program; Project 10; Syllabus-based EFL progress test for primary school children ; References; Index

This book relates language testing practice to current views of communicative language teaching and testing. It builds on the theoretical background expounded in Bachman's Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing and examines the design, planning, and organization of tests. The book is divided into three sections which discuss 1) objectives and expectations, the context of language testing, and the abilities to be tested; 2) the process of test development, including blueprints, resources, operationalization, and scoring methods; and 3) ten examples which illustrate the principles discussed in Parts One and Two.