Page 8 - ELG2404 April Issue 489

RESEARCH NEWS .

Still hanging in there

Test management versus test wiseness in repeated IELTS takers.

est management, but not
test wiseness, improves
IELTS scores, providing
Tsome support for the
validity of the exam, according
to a study by Masoomeh Estaji
and Zahra Banitalebi, at Allame
Tabataba’I University, Tehran,
Iran.
Increasingly, students are
taking exams such as IELTS more
than once. This study assessed
whether students’ preparation
strategies changed with repeated
attempts and how this impacted
their scores.
Strategies for taking tests are
generally of three kinds: aside
from actual language learning
strategies, there are also test-
management and test wiseness
strategies. Students are not just
learning a language; they are
learning how to pass a specific
exam.
Test-management strategies
increase the student’s ability
to handle the test content in
expected ways, such as multiple
choice versus cloze questions,
as applied to different language
skills such as writing versus
speaking. An example of two
possible writing strategies might
be to begin with either a list of open-ended questions asking are mistake, we should not choose listening and speaking. Although
key words or an overall outline. about possible changes in learning them. I understand questions the results are not a resounding
Crucially, test management strategy and the reasons for such themselves now in L.’ endorsement at least the use of
strategies are not independent of changes. Structural equation The Internet, tutors, books and test wiseness did not improve
the content being tested. modelling on this longitudinal data friends also influenced strategy scores on any of the skills. Also,
Test wiseness, on the other was able to show how strategies changes: ‘There is a website they although no changes in strategy
hand, is essentially a collection of related to test-management and interview good candidates. They significantly impacted writing,
strategies to enable a student to test wiseness changed over time mentioned these strategies. But this could be due to the outcome
gain marks irrespective of whether and impacted test scores. not all of them are good.’ measure, IELTS bands, being
they know the correct answer, for Adopting more test- Students also gave examples of rather broad to register smaller
example by looking for predictable management strategies led to changes in test wiseness: ‘I made changes and although test scores
patterns in answer options or higher listening and speaking a huge improvement in Listening generally improved with repeated
producing rote-learned passages scores and a decrease in use of test because I changed my bad habits of attempts – the improvements
in response to rote-learned cues. wiseness led to improved reading looking for mandatory patterns in were modest and ‘not more than
A well-constructed, valid test scores. Moreover, higher scoring options.’ Although not everyone a half-band score in all four skills’
should minimise the success of students tended to favour test changed their bad habits, such as – perhaps some actual language
test wiseness, otherwise repeating management over test wiseness this student trying to impress with learning strategies would help.
the test will lead to higher scores from the start. their over-use of the passive voice:
without any real improvement in Most students changed their ‘Unfortunately, did not help. REFERENCE
language proficiency. strategies in preparing to repeat I used as many passive structures n Estaji, M. & Banitalebi, Z.
The 178 Iranian students the test. The main influence [as I] could. The more I used, the (2023) A study of test-taking
taking part in this study took the on strategy choice was personal worse it got.’ strategies of Iranian IELTS
mock or actual IELTS test three experience of previous tests: The positive impact of test repeaters: and change in the
times and participants answered ‘5,6, [and] 6.5 are my scores [in management strategies and strategy use? International Journal
the 49-item Test-Taking Strategy listening] because I changed especially decreasing test wiseness of Testing, 23: 3, 205-230. DOI:
Questionnaire between attempts. my strategies. [I realized that] supports the validity of the 10.1080/15305058.2023.2195662
Students also answered a set of Finding exact words in choices IELTS exam at least for reading,
8 April 2024