AMEP Assessment Task Bank
Professional Development Kit
Question Items
Developed by Marian Hargreaves for NEAS 2013
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Relevant issues
• Provide a variety of questions, but not so many
as to be confusing
• Ensure that the students are familiar with the
type of question and understand what they are
supposed to do
• Ensure that students know what is expected of
them (eg short answers rather than complete
sentences)
• Start with some easy questions as a lead-in
• Ensure that questions follow the text ie the
answer to Q1 comes before the answer to Q2,
and summary questions come at the end
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Questions types
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Multiple choice questions
Summary cloze (gap fill)
Sentence completion
Short answer questions
Grid completion
Matching
Ordering
Information transfer
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
• Advantages:
- simple to answer
- easy to mark
- can use pictures
• Disadvantages:
- need four options
- difficult to write
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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MCQ, example
Cert II E1: Demonstrate understanding of a telephone
message
Tick (  ) the correct answer.
The caller telephones about:
an eye test
new glasses
sunglasses
contact lenses
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Summary Cloze
A gap-filling exercise
• Advantages:
- very little writing
- tests recognition of specific information
• Disadvantages:
- alternative answers
- answers can be copied from a reading text
without understanding
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Summary Cloze, example
Certificate I D1: Demonstrate understanding
of a spoken information text
• CityRail is working on tracks
near
Station.
• Janet is _________________years old.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Sentence completion
• Similar to summary cloze
• Gives opportunity for longer phrases in the
answer
• Disadvantages
- alternative answers
- potential for an attempt at an answer that is
too long
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Sentence completion,
structured example
Certificate I D1: Demonstrate understanding of
a spoken information text
Structured sentence completion:
• Jane went to the shops to buy a
.
Answer: Jane went to the shops to buy a new dress.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Sentence completion,
unstructured example
The movie was set in ___________________.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Short answer questions
• Advantages
- can be very specific
Certificate II C1: Demonstrate understanding of
a spoken transaction for information/goods
and services
What is the woman’s phone number?
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Short answer questions, example
Answer these questions in a few words.
1. Who is the e-mail to?
________________________________
2. Name two features of the Guided Walks.
a._______________________
b._______________________
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Short answer questions cont.
• Disadvantages
can lend themselves to becoming open
questions, which may need judgment and
discretion in marking
Certificate III F1: Demonstrate understanding of
a spoken discussion
Why was Sarah angry?
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Grid completion
• Advantages
– Minimal writing required in the response
– Easy to mark
• Disadvantages
– Difficult to design
– Learners may not understand what they have to
do
– May involve more writing than is appropriate for
a listening task.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Grid completion, example
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Matching
• Advantages
– Can be very specific
– Good for low levels
• Disadvantages
– Alternative correct answers
– Can become just a process of elimination
– Text needs to give the opportunity for a
reasonable number of options
– Not suitable for listening assessment
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Matching, example
Where do you go if you want to do the things in
the list below?
Draw a line between the list on the left and the
place on the right.
You want to
You go to
Get help with your studies
Get an updated course timetable
Appeal a teacher’s decision
Ask for a statement of attainment
Leave your course after it starts
Customer Service Centre
Faculty Office
Educational Tutorial Support
Director of Faculty
Customer Service Centre
Faculty Office
Make a complaint
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Ordering
• Advantages
– Tests understanding of structure, sequencing and
time
– Very little writing
• Disadvantages
– Learners may not know what to do
– If one of the items is wrongly numbered, this will
affect subsequent ordering
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Ordering, example
Number the events in the order they happen in
the story.
The first one has been done for you.
Abida went to bed.
Abida and Selma went to a movie.
Selma walked to home to her unit.
1 Abida left home.
Abida met Selma.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Information transfer
• Advantages
– Can use pictures
– Easy to mark
• Disadvantages
– Learners may not know what to do
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Information transfer, example
• Label the items mentioned in the text.
My kitchen has a lovely gas oven with a range hood. There are glass-fronted
display cupboards and drawers where I can keep knives and forks. There is a sink
by the window and an attractive tiled floor.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Rubrics
• Simple
• Clear
• Consistent
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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Answer key
• Limit potential for unforseen/unexpected but
equally valid answers
• Check, and re-check.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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General guidelines for item design
• Be aware of test method effect
• Use a variety of item types, but not so many as to
be confusing
• Rubrics should be clear, simple and consistent
across tasks
• Questions should be well spaced, especially for
listening tasks
• Questions should follow the text ie the answer to
Q1 comes before the answer to Q2
• Start with some easy questions as a lead-in
• Summary questions, eg what is the main topic of
this text?, should usually come at the end of the
test.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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General guidelines, cont.
• Check for lexical overlap
• For listening assessment, limit speakers to two,
with clearly different voices, eg male/female
• Avoid responses that are too wordy
• Avoid ‘What’ and ‘How’ open questions
• Check against other tasks for the same LO, to
ensure consistency
• Review the answer key.
© NEAS Ltd 2014
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