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Subject:Re: Testing: The Final Word From:Tim Giles <tgiles -at- GSVMS2 -dot- CC -dot- GASOU -dot- EDU> Date:Fri, 10 Mar 1995 10:25:36 -0500
In message Thu, 9 Mar 1995 05:00:00 LCL,
Michael Krigsman <mkrigsman -at- CPUB -dot- COM> writes:
> Do you have the number or address of the Educational Testing Service? We
> are interested in seeing some samples of their tests. As an expert in the
> field what is your opinion on the quality of Educational TEsting
> Service's tests? Thanks!
Since several people have inquired, the address for the ETS test on
technical writing is:
DANTES
Educational Testing Service
PO Box 6666
Princeton, NJ 08543-6923
It is not a test I heartily recommend. I merely mentioned it since people
seemed concerned with finding a test with some vailidity, and the validity
is limited to a pilot test a year and a half ago. I felt some of the
credited answers were wrong; an example concerned abstracts, which were
prescribed as always around 200 words by the credited answer.
Other questions require decisions to be made on writing samples of various
lengths. ETS can supply you with sample questions.
The test was created as evaluative tool for students. In the pilot study,
the students ranged from universities with engineering programs like Georgia
Tech to schools with technology programs like Georgia Southern, where I
teach, to community colleges. One of my students scored in the 93rd
percentile, and my class was the only technical writing class he had ever
taken. The class as a whole scored above average.
Tim Giles
an evaluative tool for students
> Michael Krigsman Tel: (617)739-1860 ext.18
> Cambridge Publications, Inc. Fax: (617)277-9990
> 60 Glen Road, Suite 105 Internet: mkrigsman -at- cpub -dot- com
> Brookline, MA 02146 Compuserve: 73707,75