The relationship between test takers' performance on the TEM4 and their knowledge of the released test specifications

The role that released test specifications can play during test preparation is often neglected by test takers, and even researchers. Focusing on the Test for English Majors-Band 4 (TEM4) in a Chinese EFL setting, this paper investigates the preparation effects associated with the use of TEM4 Syllabus, or its released specifications. Data collection involved 48 test takers of the TEM4 recruited from a large university in central China, where the experimental group was given a tutorial session on the TEM4 Syllabus as the treatment. Specifically, the study measured the effects associated with the TEM4 Syllabus by using a quantitative metric of score improvement and a qualitative metric informed by a framework adapted from the work of Messick (1982) and Xie (2013). Along with its exploration of possible preparation effects, this paper also discusses the ethicality of different test preparation methods and touches on the issue of specification releasability (Davidson, 2012).

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Teaching of English Sec Lang

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2016

Author dc:creator

• Zhang, Xiaowan

Contributors dc:contributor

• Walters, Francis Scott
• Davidson, Fred

• released test specifications
• releasability issue
• Test for English Majors-Band 4 (TEM4)
• test preparation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2016, Xiaowan Zhang

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90807

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/90807