Cutting Edge Placement Test - Notes & Answer Key

About the Placement Test

The purpose of a placement test is to identify the most suitable starting point for a learners study. A placement test is not a diagnostic test, nor an achievement test and should not be used for these purposes. The test is divided into five tests A-E. Each tests covers the language taught in one level of the Cutting Edge series. Test A covers material from Cutting Edge Starter Test B covers material from Cutting Edge Elementary Test C covers material from Cutting Edge Pre-intermediate Test D covers material from Cutting Edge Intermediate Test E covers material from Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate. This placement test is intended to produce a profile of the learners no!ledge in English in order to identify the learners "cut-off point. This cut-off point !ould be the point in the Cutting Edge series, !here learning should begin. Each test #A-E$ contains %& 'uestions. The balance of 'uestions is as follo!s( Listening Test (4 marks) )istening comprehension #& 'uestions$ Reading Test (20 marks) *eading comprehension #'uestion numbers +-&$ ,ocabulary #'uestion numbers --.$ Communication #'uestion numbers /0+%$ 1rammar #'uestion numbers +20%3$ 4ote( The audio material for the listening tests is ta en from the Cutting Edge Class CD5 Cassettes *ecording A 0 uses Consolidation 6odules /-+%, recording + from Cutting Edge Starter Class CD5 Cassette *ecording B 0 uses 6odule &, recording 2 from Cutting Edge Elementary Class CD5 Cassette *ecording C 0 uses 6odule +%, recording - from Cutting Edge Preintermediate Class CD5 Cassette *ecording D 0 uses 6odule ., recording 2 from Cutting Edge Intermediate Class CD5 Cassette *ecording E 0 uses Consolidation 6odules /-+%, recording % #conversation +$ from Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Class CD5 Cassette

Using the test and placing students

Each test should be graded separately so that a learners !ould gain a separate score out of %& on each test. The PASS RA!" #or each test is $%&24. The resulting score card might loo as follo!s( Test A Test B Test C Test D Test E %%5%& %35%& +/5%& +35%& 85%&

7 7

9rom the e:ample above, this learner has a good no!ledge of English at ;tarter and Elementary levels, and a reasonable no!ledge at <re-intermediate level. The learners cut-off point is clearly at intermediate level, so this learner !ould be placed in the class studying Cutting Edge Intermediate. =n any test based on multiple choice items, learners !ill have a statistical chance of guessing the correct response. =n order to reduce this influence !e should ignore any correct responses in tests above the cut-off point #so in the e:ample above, the 85%& on Test E !ould be ignored$. 9or the same reason, !e do not T>TA) the scores from the tests. The total score !ould have little meaning. Administration 9or purposes of logistics, the <lacement Test begins !ith the listening sections of each test. After the listening has been completed students !ould need -3 minutes for the remaining sections of the tests.

Ans'er (e)
Listening Test *$ mark per correct ans'er+ Recording A( A, C, E, 1 Recording ,( + A? % D? 2 B? & B Recording -( B, D, 1, @ Recording !( A, C, D, 1 Test A Reading Section <art >ne( + B? % C? 2 A? & B <art T!o( - A? 8 A? C? . A <art Three( / B? +3 A? ++ B? +% C <art 9our( +2 B? +& A? +- A? +8 C? +A B? +. C? +/ A? %3 C Test , Reading Section <art >ne( + D? % D? 2 D? & C <art T!o( - D? 8 B? A C? . C <art Three( / A? +3 C? ++ C? +% A <art 9our( +2 B? +& D? +- A? +8 C? +A D? +. B? +/ A? %3 C Test Reading Section <art >ne( + D? % C? 2 B? & D <art T!o( - A? 8 C? A A? . C <art Three( / A? +3 D? ++ B? +% C <art 9our( +2 A? +& D? +- B? +8 C? +A A? +. A? +/ A? %3 A Test ! Reading Section <art >ne( + A? % B? 2 C? & B <art T!o( - C? 8 B? A A? . B <art Three( / C? +3 C? ++ B? +% A <art 9our( +2 A? +& B? +- B? +8 B? +A B? +. B? +/ A? %3 A Test " Reading Section <art >ne( A, C, E, 9 <art T!o( - A? 8 B? A C? . A <art Three( / B? +3 A? ++ A? +% A <art 9our( +2 A? +& A? +- B? +8 A? +A A? +. A? +/ B? %3 A