Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Establishing Reliability and Validity of an Online Placement Test in an Omani Higher Education Institution

Bibliographic Data

ID5901020
AuthorsSana Naqvi (0000-0002-6033-9351, Middle East College, corresponding author), Reema Srivastava (Middle East College), Tareq Al Damen (Sultan Qaboos University), Asma Al Aufi (0000-0002-7540-550X, Middle East College), Amal Said Al-Amri (0000-0001-7197-5428, Middle East College), Amal Al Amri, Suleiman Al Adawi (Middle East College)
Year2023
Volume8
Issue1
Pages61
Publication date2023-02-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguages (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2226-471X • E-ISSN: 2226-471X
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/languages8010061
OpenAlexW4321597124
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited30

Although placing students in the appropriate proficiency levels of post-secondary English programs is crucial for optimal learning, the evaluation of placement tests (PTs) in terms of establishing their reliability and validity is relatively under-researched. This study assesses the validity, reliability, and effectiveness of an in-house online PT. The content validity was established through the internal and external moderation of the question papers and answer keys while criterion-related concurrent validity was established via IELTS benchmarking. New Student Survey was used to investigate the face validity. The internal consistency and reliability of the reading test items were measured using Cronbach's alpha while descriptive statistics were calculated for the listening test. Paired sample t-test (dependent t-test) was used to assess the inter-rater reliability of the speaking and writing tests which were double-marked. The data analysis revealed that the PT was effective in placing students at different levels of the foundation program (FP) and the statistical analyses conducted to test the reliability and validity showed positive results for most of the test versions. The study offers useful insights to test developers and policymakers regarding the authentication of in-house tests and the creation of guidelines for PT design and evaluation

Construct validity · Content validity · Cronbach's alpha · Descriptive statistics · Face validity · Mathematics education · Medical education · Moderation · Psychometrics · Reading (process · Reading comprehension · Reliability (semiconductor · Statistics · Test (biology · Validity · Applied Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Computer Science · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Mathematics · Medicine · Online and Blended Learning · Psychology · Social Psychology · Student Assessment and Feedback

  • Proficiency‐based placement

    Open Access•Gregory L Thompson, Rob A Martinsen et al.•Foreign Language Annals•2025

  • Validating the Interpretations and Uses of Test Scores

    Open Access•Michael T Kane•Journal of Educational Measurement•2013

  • Investigating the Validity of a University-Level ESL Speaking Placement Test via Mixed Methods Research

    Open Access•Becky H Huang, Mingxia Zhi et al.•International Journal of English…•2020

  • An English language placement test

    Open Access•Glenn Fulcher•Language Testing•1997

  • Evaluating different standard-setting methods in an ESL placement testing context

    Open Access•Sun‐Young Shin, Sun-Young Shin et al.•Language Testing•2017

  • Local tests, local contexts

    Open Access•Slobodanka Dimova, Xun Yan et al.•Language Testing•2022

  • C-Tests in the context of reduced redundancy testing

    Open Access•Christine Klein-Braley•Language Testing•1997

  • Placement testing

    Open Access•Kathryn Hille, Yeonsuk Cho•Language Testing•2020

  • Evaluating a placement test

    Open Access•Dianne Wall, Caroline Clapham et al.•Language Testing•1994

  • Validity and washback in language testing

    Open Access•Samuel Messick•Language Testing•1996

  • Validation of the C-test amongst Hungarian EFL learners

    Open Access•Zoltán Dörnyei, Lucy Katona•Language Testing•1992

  • An argument against using standardized test scores for placement of international undergraduate students in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses

    Open Access•Kateryna Kokhan•Language Testing•2013

  • Examination of Construct Validity and Criterion-Related Validity of the German Motor Test in Egyptian Schoolchildren

    Open Access•Osama Abdelkarim, Julian Fritsch et al.•International Journal of…•2021

  • The English Placement Test at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    Open Access•Sun Joo Chung, Iftikhar Haider et al.•Language Teaching•2015

  • Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests

    Open Access•Lee J Cronbach•Psychometrika•1951

  • The Construct of Content Validity

    Open Access•Stephen G Sireci•Social Indicators Research•1998

Unique citing works1
Citations per year1
Citation span2025 - 2025 (1)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae