Pragmatic validation of a test of academic literacy at tertiary level

Abstract

Validity is a fundamental consideration in language testing. Conceptions of validity have undergone a number of changes over the past decades, and validity is now closely connected with the interpretation of test scores. Validity remains an abstract concept, however, and can only be accessed though a process of validation. This article illustrates an approach to the validation of a test by postulating a number of claims regarding an administration of an academic literacy test (Toets van Akademiese Geletterdheidsvlakke) and presenting various kinds of evidence to investigate these claims.