The Significance of Format in English Vocabulary Test Performance: A Study on the EFL Learners of Government versus Private Schools in India.

Abstract

This Research paper is intended to study the significance of test format on the performance of students studying in Government and Private Schools in Coimbatore situated in the state of Tamil Nadu, India by comparing Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) and Cloze Test (CT) formats of vocabulary tests in an EFL setting. Also, this paper analyses the functioning of Government versus Private schools in MCQ and CT vocabulary measures. In order to study effectively, five 20-item Cloze Vocabulary Tests and 6 options Multiple Choice Tests were administered to 252 (144 Government School students and 108 Private School students) Class X students, in Coimbatore. The findings of the study revealed that MCQ tests were easier than CT. Students’ results indicated an institution bias, in that, Private School students scored better than students from Government Schools in all versions of CT tests while Government School students outperformed Private School students in MC. The findings implied that testers should consider the effect of test format while assessing vocabulary knowledge and use a combination of test formats (MCQ and CT) in vocabulary assessment to reduce Institutional bias and format effect.