The TestDaf
I.
Introduction
TESTDAF
(Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache - Test of German as a Foreign Language)
is a language test for foreign students applying for entry to an
institution of higher education in
Germany or wishing to continue their studies at a German institution of higher
education. In this respect it can be compared to both the International
English Language Testing System (IELTS)
and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
TESTDAF
is a product of the current discussion concerning Germany's position as a centre
of academic study. Innovative, pioneering concepts and projects aim to render it
more attractive internationally.
The TESTDAF Project has two paramount aims:
Firstly, to ensure recognition of
foreign applicants' language proficiency, while still in their home country,
if possible by all faculties of German institutions of higher education.
Secondly, to develop a standardised
test fulfilling the criterion of objectivity,
reliability
and validity.
To
achieve the second aim TESTDAF will be institutionalised as a centralised test with centralised test development, assessment,
grading and evaluation.
The
test is initially conceived as a Paper and Pencil version. In the medium term a
computer-based or computer-adaptive test is also planned.
II.
Brief Description of the Test
The aim of TESTDAF is to relate the candidate's language performance to a level of proficiency, i.e. the result is not expressed in terms of "Pass" or "Fail", but - in the case of the candidate having passed - as one of three levels of proficiency corresponding to levels three, four and five on the ALTE scale (the scale of the Association of Language Testers in Europe). The corresponding assignment to the levels of the European Framework of Reference is still pending. This means that the test is aimed at intermediate and advanced learners. TESTDAF does not attempt to differentiate below these levels; it only ascertains that the candidate has not yet reached the level of language proficiency required for gaining admission to a German institution of higher education.
In
order to provide a more refined candidate performance profile TESTDAF states
separately the levels of proficiency achieved in each of the four skills -
Reading Comprehension, Listening Comprehension, Written Expression and Oral
Expression.
Accordingly,
the test consists of four subtests:
1.
Reading Comprehension
The
aim of this subtest is to test the candidate's ability to respond appropriately
to written texts relevant to academic contexts. Different levels of processing
are required: selective information extraction, reading for the main message and
for detailed information, comprehension of various attitudes and opinions, as
well as complex information processing.
Three
different types of text and task are used to test these skills:
The
first part contains several short texts: the task type is a matching one. In the
second part the text is based on journalistically processed reports on findings
from the fields of science and research; the task type consists of
multiple-choice items. The third part contains a text from a scientific journal
or technical book; the type of test task is based on the choice between
”Yes/No/no relevant information in text”.
The
level of difficulty in the test tasks corresponds to the performance levels
three, four and five on the ALTE scale.
The
subtest ”Reading Comprehension” lasts 60 minutes.
2.
Listening Comprehension
The
aim of this subtest is to test the candidate’s ability to respond
appropriately to spoken texts relevant to an academic context. Different levels
of processing are required: selective information extraction, listening for gist and detailed information, comprehension of various attitudes
and opinions, as well as complex information processing.
Testing
these skills is based on three different types of text and task:
The
first part is a dialogue from everyday student life: the task type consists of
noting down the keywords. In the second part the text is based on an interview
about study-related matters; the task type is a choice between ”True/False”.
The basis of the third part is a text containing relatively long monologue
passages or a monologue text; the task type involves directed note-taking.
As in
the case of Reading Comprehension the level of difficulty in the test tasks
corresponds to the performance levels three, four and five on the ALTE scale.
The
subtest ”Listening Comprehension” lasts 30 minutes.
3.
Written Expression
The
aim of this subtest is to test the candidate’s ability to write about a
certain subject in a coherent, structured way. The candidate is required to
write a text consisting of two tasks:
”description” and ”argumentation”; both are key requirements of students’
writing ability. Charts, tables or diagrams are provided for the description
task; the candidate is asked to express in writing the most significant
information and, where necessary, make comparisons. The points to be tackled in
the description task are stated in the rubric.
In the section ”argumentation” the candidate has to consider the
different positions on an aspect of a certain topic and to substantiate his or
her own standpoint. The input consists of short texts, contrastive arguments or
quotes. As in the case of the description task the points to be tackled in the
argumentation are stated in the rubric.
The subtest ”Written Expression” lasts 60 minutes.
4. Oral Expression
The
aim of this subtest is to test the candidate’s ability to deal appropriately
with various speech acts relevant to an academic context. The subtest consists
of four parts, each comprising tasks of varying levels of difficulty:
In
the first part, the ”warm-up”, the candidate is asked to give information
about him or herself; the second part focuses on situation-related speech acts,
for example acquiring/supplying information, making an urgent request and
convincing someone of something. The third part centres on the speech act of ”describing”,
while the fourth focuses on ”presenting arguments”.
This
subtest uses a cassette-controlled format with a master tape and a test booklet
and is based on the format adopted by the Simulated
Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI) of the Center for Applied Linguistics in
Washington. The tasks are presented to the candidates in printed form and at the
same time they hear them on the tape. Their responses are recorded on a second
tape, allowing centralised assessment.
The
subtest ”Oral Expression” lasts 30 minutes.
Two
assessors mark each of the two productive skills subtests; in the event of
diverging assessments a third assessor makes the final decision.
List
of Test Centers around the world
