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ELT Journal 1984 38(4):248-255; doi:10.1093/elt/38.4.248
© 1984 by Oxford University Press
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The information gap in placement testing

David Bowker

This article1 describes the use of an ‘information gap’ exercise to assess overall language proficiency for placement purposes. The test is based on a gapped text which the candidate must complete by asking the tester appropriate questions and writing down the answers. It represents an attempt to meet the deficiencies of traditional placement tests by testing language in use through the provision of context and purposeful interaction; by testing productive as well as receptive skills; and by providing a task that is less strained than the interview and that is at the same time consonant with a communicative teaching methodology. It is, nevertheless, relatively simple to administer and score, and it is possible to make a distinction between accuracy and fluency in the scoring. Test rankings using this technique have been found to correlate highly with teachers' rankings.


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