Reading between the lines: Best practice in constructing EAP reading assessments

Abstract

The tertiary sector has, for many years, provided English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programmes to teach and test international students in preparation for undergraduate and postgraduate study. This has meant that staff in these programmes have to write in-house tests. The issue has been the problem of having the expertise and experience in order to do this testing (Huang, 2018). The dual role of teacher and assessor is sometimes a new one for some staff whereas this is standard in the primary and secondary school sectors.

Reading multiple texts is an integral aspect of any tertiary course. English language learners in EAP programmes are taught various skills and strategies to prepare themselves for future study. The problem for the teacher is how to best test these skills either through proficiency tests or classroom-based assessments.

Some the key issues in testing reading are appropriate text types, content, and variety and number of questions. An overarching issue is maintaining consistency and reliability when constructing reading tests.

This paper will present the process and findings of constructing reading tests in an intensive university EAP pre-degree programme. The presentation will focus on building expertise in your educational sector through the process of writing test specifications, test item writing, and quality control.