test-specifications---语言测试规范.doc

English Test Specifications for Junior school , Grade three students at the beginning of a new term

September, 2014

I Purpose and Description of the Test
Purpose of the test: this English test is designed for junior Three students at their beginning of the new term. This is an informal test that is designed to evaluate to what degree the junior three students has achieved in English after two years’ learning in junior school. It is also expected that the test results can help English teachers to modify their teaching plan in the following months. All the students who are junior three can take the test. The test aims at testing students’ reading , grammar, writing skills. This test is served for students who are going to take National College Entrance Exam. therefore, the testing items are in accordance with National College Entrance Exam English testing items. The marks of listening section are not calculated to final results. So, listening section are excluded in this test.
Description of the test:
Aims of test
Test takers should master the following knowledge and skills:
(1) language knowledge
vocabulary: test takers are expected to know 3000 English words and expressions. Except their basic meanings, they should also be familiar to the relationships between words, like synonyms, antonyms and so on. The collocation relations between words like verb-preposition, adjective-preposition, adjective-noun collocations should be mastered. In addition, test takers should know about the formation of words and can recognize what is root, stem, affix etc. That is, test takers should have mastered most of the words they learned from primary school to junior school.
‚Grammar: test takers are supposed to know general grammar, like sentence type and structure ,word class, tense and voice and so on. This test contains grammar section, ten items of fifteen marks are included.
(2)Language skills
 reading skills
Candidates are required to comprehend all kinds of texts which come from various books, magazines ,newspapers. There are some new words in the reading materials, but not more than 5％ of the whole text. Test takers should get the main idea of each text quickly and correctly. They are supposed to imply the meaning of some new words and the writer’s point of view according the context. They also need to know the structure of that text, like the relationship of paragraphs and sentences. The ability of inferring as well as understanding textual cohesion and coherence under timed conditions is going to be measured. The skills like therefore, scanning, skimming are necessary.
‚ writing skills
Test takers should be able to write different types of practical writings, like letters, notice, application, report and so on. Sometimes, they need to write exposition or argumentation. During the writing, test takers should be careful to their spelling, grammar, the choice of words. Wrong spelling, grammar, improper words will make them lose marks. Wrong form of that type will also cause low marks. Writers should keep their composition coherent and fluent.
Because the listening and speaking skills are not emphasized in College Entrance Exam, this test exclude these two skills’ measurement.

II Test forms , contents and structure
(i) Test form
It employs written form. 100 minutes will be given. The full marks are 120. There are test paper and answer paper. Answer papers include answer sheet one and answer sheet two. Answer sheet one need be finished by pencil 2B.
(ii) test contents and structure
Totally, there are six sections, 52 items in this test paper. It contains reading comprehension, five of seven choice, cloze, grammar, error correcting, writing.
reading comprehension
This section consist of A, B, C, D four texts. The Genre or topic of each text is different. After every text, there are several multiple choice questions(4 options) to be finished. The first three texts have four items respectively. The final has three items. There are 15 items in this section, every item is 2 marks. Totally, it is 30 marks.
‚choose five out of seven
It is quite similar to cloze. A short essay is given to candidates. Five sentences are taken away from it. There are seven sentences are provided. Test takers need to choose proper sentences filling the blank in the text. Choosing one correct sentence they can get 2 marks. All the five sentences are worth 10 marks.
ƒcloze
This is a traditional type. 20 words or phrases are taken away from a text. 20 multiple choices(4 options) are given. Test takers need to choose proper words or phrases filling into the text according to context. Every item is 1.5 marks. This section is 30 marks.
④grammar
This section is a dialogue(two speakers). Usually, what they said are questions and answers. Ten words are losing from their dialogue. Test takers should write down the losing words by themselves according to their understanding of the dialogue. There is no multiple choice for them. It can assess candidate ‘s overall grammar proficiency. There are 10 items. Every one values 1.5 marks. Therefore, this section is 15marks.
⑤ error correcting
Test takers are provided a student’s composition. There are several errors in the composition which need to be find out and modified. Usually, ten places are wrong. Candidates finding out the errors and using proper forms to modify them can get marks. Totally, there are ten errors and ten marks.
⑥writing
Candidate is given a topic or a picture. He or she should write a short essay in terms of that topic. The candidate is expected to produce coherent and meaningful texts using appropriate format, register and style, grammatical structures and vocabulary. Candidate should write about 120 words. The full marks are 25 marks. Judges give marks according to the spelling, ideas, grammar, structure and so on. The following is a detailed rating scale of this section.
0-5 marks
.There are just several words or phrases. The sentences are all incorrect. There is no main idea.
6-10 marks
The main idea is showed. But the text is too short. There are also some errors in spelling or grammar.
11-15 marks
The main idea and the number of words are proper. No obvious spelling errors. But many sentences are grammatically wrong.
16-20 marks
The text are coherent and fluent. The idea is stated clearly. No obvious errors can be found. But the paper is untidy.
21-25 marks
The structure is complete. The idea is original. No grammatical and spelling errors. The paper is tidy. Spelling is good-looking.

The following is a the chart of test organization and weighting
component
number
Weighting
(Total score 120)
Part one reading comprehension
15 multiple choice items
30 marks

Part two choose five out of seven
5 items
10marks
Part three cloze
20 multiple choice items
30 marks
Part four grammar
10 gap filling items
15 marks
Part five errors correcting
10 items
10marks
Part six writing
One essay
25 marks