Abstract
The present study sought to validate an English placement test (EPT) developed for a General English Language Program (GELP). The goal of the GELP curriculum at the host university is to improve reading skills as well as speaking and writing skills. The standardized English tests (e.g., TOEIC or TOEFL), however, do not match well with the objectives of the English language program curriculum of the host university. In the present study, a total of 2,467 freshmen took the EPT online prior to the beginning of the semester. The test consisted of 40 reading comprehension questions, and 60 minutes was allotted to complete the exam. The findings showed that the EPT was highly reliable with alpha = .898. The levels of item difficulty indices illustrated that the EPT was appropriately developed, but more than half of the test items turned out be challenging. However, the level of discrimination index showed that the EPT discriminated the upper-level students relatively well from the lower-level students. In addition, a survey with 1,007 students who took the exam was conducted in order to obtain students’ perceptions regarding the EPT. In asking about the necessity of the EPT, nearly 80% of the students expressed the view that it was an essential procedure for optimal learning. With respect to test difficulty, the students responded that the EPT was difficult, and this view was in line with the results of the test item analysis. With respect to what skills should be tested in the EPT, the majority of the students selected “reading” as a fundamental component. Over 60% of the students perceived that the EPT of the host university actually measured their ability accurately. Lastly, the correlation between the EPT and KSAT was statistically significant, which implied that the validity of the EPT was high. This result seems to indicate that the EPT of the university is valid.
