An English language placement test: issues in reliability and validity

Abstract

This report describes a reliability and validity study of the placement test which is used at the University of Surrey as a means of identifying students who may require English language support whilst studying at undergraduate or postgraduate levels. The English Language Institute is charged with testing all incoming stu dents, irrespective of their primary language or subject specialization. Fair and accurate assessment of student abilities, and referring individuals to appropriate language support courses (the in-sessional programme), is an essential support service to all academic departments. The goal of placement testing is to reduce to an absolute minimum the number of students who may face problems or even fail their academic degrees because of poor language ability or study skills. This study looks at the administrative and logistic constraints upon what can be done, and assesses the usefulness of the placement test developed within this context.

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