A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021

Lu Yiruo; Qian Xiaofang

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13

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A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021

Lu Yiruo, Qian Xiaofang

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 10, Issue 4)

Received: 3 July 2022 Accepted: 24 July 2022 Published: 4 August 2022

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Abstract

Being the most important large-scale and high-stake examination in compulsory education, the senior high school entrance examination (SHSEE) has been the focus of testing research for a long time. They are designed to examine students’ language achievement and proficiency according to the requirements of the 2011 curriclumn standards for compulsory education but are the same time influenced by the concept of core sompetencies by the sniopr high school English curriculum standards in 2018. The writing test, especially the writing test items in SHSEE can reflect students’ English proficiency and give washback to future test design and writing teaching. This study carries out an analysis of 102 writing items in SHSEE from all over the country in 2020 and 2021, focusing on their characteristics and the quality of test design. This paper adjusts previous frameworks and follows three dimensions, seven subdimensions to analyze: Test Content (Genre, Topics), Prompt (Form, Length), Test Context Design (Authenticity, Interactivity, Openness). The results show that: Firstly, practical writing remained the most prevalent. Prompt form tends to diversify and the form of outline rprompts remains the most popular. Most of the items succeed in designing authentic, interactive items with open space for students to write and create. Most test designs are in accordance with the concept of core competencies of the latest curriculum standards issued this year. The results of the study has implications and provides some guidelines for future writing test design of middle school English.

Published in	International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 10, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13
Page(s)	239-247
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Senior High School Entrance Examination, English Writing Test, Test Design

References

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APA Style

Lu Yiruo, Qian Xiaofang. (2022). A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 10(4), 239-247. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13

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ACS Style

Lu Yiruo; Qian Xiaofang. A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2022, 10(4), 239-247. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13

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AMA Style

Lu Yiruo, Qian Xiaofang. A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021. Int J Lang Linguist. 2022;10(4):239-247. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13,
  author = {Lu Yiruo and Qian Xiaofang},
  title = {A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {10},
  number = {4},
  pages = {239-247},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20221004.13},
  abstract = {Being the most important large-scale and high-stake examination in compulsory education, the senior high school entrance examination (SHSEE) has been the focus of testing research for a long time. They are designed to examine students’ language achievement and proficiency according to the requirements of the 2011 curriclumn standards for compulsory education but are the same time influenced by the concept of core sompetencies by the sniopr high school English curriculum standards in 2018. The writing test, especially the writing test items in SHSEE can reflect students’ English proficiency and give washback to future test design and writing teaching. This study carries out an analysis of 102 writing items in SHSEE from all over the country in 2020 and 2021, focusing on their characteristics and the quality of test design. This paper adjusts previous frameworks and follows three dimensions, seven subdimensions to analyze: Test Content (Genre, Topics), Prompt (Form, Length), Test Context Design (Authenticity, Interactivity, Openness). The results show that: Firstly, practical writing remained the most prevalent. Prompt form tends to diversify and the form of outline rprompts remains the most popular. Most of the items succeed in designing authentic, interactive items with open space for students to write and create. Most test designs are in accordance with the concept of core competencies of the latest curriculum standards issued this year. The results of the study has implications and provides some guidelines for future writing test design of middle school English.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021
AU  - Lu Yiruo
AU  - Qian Xiaofang
Y1  - 2022/08/04
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 239
EP  - 247
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13
AB  - Being the most important large-scale and high-stake examination in compulsory education, the senior high school entrance examination (SHSEE) has been the focus of testing research for a long time. They are designed to examine students’ language achievement and proficiency according to the requirements of the 2011 curriclumn standards for compulsory education but are the same time influenced by the concept of core sompetencies by the sniopr high school English curriculum standards in 2018. The writing test, especially the writing test items in SHSEE can reflect students’ English proficiency and give washback to future test design and writing teaching. This study carries out an analysis of 102 writing items in SHSEE from all over the country in 2020 and 2021, focusing on their characteristics and the quality of test design. This paper adjusts previous frameworks and follows three dimensions, seven subdimensions to analyze: Test Content (Genre, Topics), Prompt (Form, Length), Test Context Design (Authenticity, Interactivity, Openness). The results show that: Firstly, practical writing remained the most prevalent. Prompt form tends to diversify and the form of outline rprompts remains the most popular. Most of the items succeed in designing authentic, interactive items with open space for students to write and create. Most test designs are in accordance with the concept of core competencies of the latest curriculum standards issued this year. The results of the study has implications and provides some guidelines for future writing test design of middle school English.
VL  - 10
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Lu Yiruo

School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Qian Xiaofang

School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

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APA Style

Lu Yiruo, Qian Xiaofang. (2022). A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 10(4), 239-247. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13

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ACS Style

Lu Yiruo; Qian Xiaofang. A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2022, 10(4), 239-247. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13

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AMA Style

Lu Yiruo, Qian Xiaofang. A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021. Int J Lang Linguist. 2022;10(4):239-247. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13,
  author = {Lu Yiruo and Qian Xiaofang},
  title = {A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {10},
  number = {4},
  pages = {239-247},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20221004.13},
  abstract = {Being the most important large-scale and high-stake examination in compulsory education, the senior high school entrance examination (SHSEE) has been the focus of testing research for a long time. They are designed to examine students’ language achievement and proficiency according to the requirements of the 2011 curriclumn standards for compulsory education but are the same time influenced by the concept of core sompetencies by the sniopr high school English curriculum standards in 2018. The writing test, especially the writing test items in SHSEE can reflect students’ English proficiency and give washback to future test design and writing teaching. This study carries out an analysis of 102 writing items in SHSEE from all over the country in 2020 and 2021, focusing on their characteristics and the quality of test design. This paper adjusts previous frameworks and follows three dimensions, seven subdimensions to analyze: Test Content (Genre, Topics), Prompt (Form, Length), Test Context Design (Authenticity, Interactivity, Openness). The results show that: Firstly, practical writing remained the most prevalent. Prompt form tends to diversify and the form of outline rprompts remains the most popular. Most of the items succeed in designing authentic, interactive items with open space for students to write and create. Most test designs are in accordance with the concept of core competencies of the latest curriculum standards issued this year. The results of the study has implications and provides some guidelines for future writing test design of middle school English.},
 year = {2022}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Study on the Characteristics of Writing Test Items of English High School Entrance Examinations in China in 2020 and 2021
AU  - Lu Yiruo
AU  - Qian Xiaofang
Y1  - 2022/08/04
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 239
EP  - 247
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221004.13
AB  - Being the most important large-scale and high-stake examination in compulsory education, the senior high school entrance examination (SHSEE) has been the focus of testing research for a long time. They are designed to examine students’ language achievement and proficiency according to the requirements of the 2011 curriclumn standards for compulsory education but are the same time influenced by the concept of core sompetencies by the sniopr high school English curriculum standards in 2018. The writing test, especially the writing test items in SHSEE can reflect students’ English proficiency and give washback to future test design and writing teaching. This study carries out an analysis of 102 writing items in SHSEE from all over the country in 2020 and 2021, focusing on their characteristics and the quality of test design. This paper adjusts previous frameworks and follows three dimensions, seven subdimensions to analyze: Test Content (Genre, Topics), Prompt (Form, Length), Test Context Design (Authenticity, Interactivity, Openness). The results show that: Firstly, practical writing remained the most prevalent. Prompt form tends to diversify and the form of outline rprompts remains the most popular. Most of the items succeed in designing authentic, interactive items with open space for students to write and create. Most test designs are in accordance with the concept of core competencies of the latest curriculum standards issued this year. The results of the study has implications and provides some guidelines for future writing test design of middle school English.
VL  - 10
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download