Test design and pre-testing

Collecting materials/texts

Materials/texts are collected from a number of authentic sources such as newspapers, reference books, brochures, radio and TV broadcasts. Key principles for text selection are given in the guide-book for item writers.

The main criteria for selecting texts are:
• the level of the skills to be tested
• topic areas
• socio-cultural context
• vocabulary range
• techniques and possible task-type

Item writing

The process of item writing is defined in the guide for item writers ( Guide of Test Items Writers) which specifies each proficiency level and gives detailed instructions on how tasks should be designed.

Test Security

Security is ensured at each stage of the test desig and administration. The testing group has a small staff. The staffs are responsible for the security of the materials and test items they contribute to the item bank. The final version of the test is submitted to the Division of the Lithuanian Language.