Using Bilingual Students To Link And Evaluate Different Language Versions Of An Exam.

Abstract

Developing tests in more than one language is a common approach for educational systems that involve students who operate in different languages. In Malaysia, several national tests are administered in both Malay and English. Scores from these different versions of the exam are treated as equivalent when they are reported and interpreted, but many researchers and the International Test Commission's Guidelinesfor Adapting Educational and Psychological Tests (Hambleton, 2005) caution against treating scores from different language versions of a test as equivalent, without conducting empirical research to verify such equivalence.