Testing is a matter of concern to all teachers – whether we are in the classroom or engaged in syllabus/ materials, administration or research. We know quite well that good tests can improve our teaching and stimulate student learning. Although we may not want to become a measurement expert we may have to periodically evaluate student performances and prepare reports on student progress.
Haiphong Private University (HPU) is a university in which there are a number of classes of Civil Engineering (CE) for students of Construction Department. Generally speaking, non-majors, especially the students of this department, lack background knowledge of English. The non-majors of CE have chances to learn General English (GE) during their first three terms to prepare for their 120 periods of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in the fourth term. In fact, this type of English is quite demanding for them and many had to admit that they could not learn it well. As a result, many students failed after each final examination.
The causes for the above situation are various. It might be because some students are either too hesitant or too lazy to learn anew subject. It might also be because some students could not overcome the difficulties they usually meet during their study, for example their ESP is too new or too demanding for them, or they have to learn many periods per week to leave time for other subjects. However, the reason which is no less important and which needs taking into account is the matter of testing. In general, teachers at HPU are well-qualified and when teaching they are quite enthusiastic with good teaching methodology. However, the results of their students tests are not always satisfactory, the scores they gained were often lower than expected. Moreover, we teachers cannot deny the fact that sometimes the test results do not accurately reflect the testees language competence.
According to Brown (1994a: 373) and Hughes (1989: 1) “A great deal of language testing is of very poor quality. Too often language testing has a harmful effect on teaching and learning and too often they fail to measure accurately whatever it is they are intended to measure.”