Test-taker Perspective in Language Testing and Assessment - A Systematic Review of Research Between 2010 and 2023

Sep 30, 2026

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Test-taker perspective in language testing and assessment is examined through a systematic review of empirical studies published in mainstream applied linguistics journals from 2010 to 2023. The review identifies 81 journal articles from ERIC and Web of Science, then analyzes research designs and the types of language tests, test-takers, and educational contexts covered. Three themes are synthesized: how perceptions inform test design, consequences of testing, and lived test-taker experiences. Findings call for integrating test-taker voices in future test development and for further work on consequential impacts for personal, educational, and social decision-making, especially for vulnerable groups.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time1 h 18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Aim and research questions

Databases and selection of studies

Perceptions: An overview and definitions

Concepts and limitations of perceptions

Perceptions in language testing and assessment

Systematic analysis themes

Evidential aspects of test development

Consequential basis of testing

Test-takers and their experiences

Test-taker perspective in language testing and assessment: A systematic review of research between 2010 and 2023 Qin Xie Faculty of Education, University of Macau Test-taker perspective, also called test-taker perceptions, attitudes, or insights, has attracted substantial research attention. Taking the test-taker perspective as the primary lens of inquiry, empirical research in language testing and assessment has investigated various aspects oftest development and validation. However, there is a noticeable lack of systematic reviews to synthesize the accumulated research insights on this topic. The present systematic review addressed this gap by surveying empirical studies published in mainstream applied linguistics journals between 2010 and 2023. The review identified 81 journal articles from two databases: Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC) and Web of Science (WOS). Based on systematic analyses of these articles, the review profiled the characteristics of existing research, including their research designs and the types of language tests, test-takers, and educational contexts investigated. Three underlying themes were identified concerning how test-taker perceptions inform test design, test consequences, and test-taker experiences. Based on the findings, the review urges test developers to make efforts to incorporate test-taker voices into future test development. It also calls for more research focusing on the consequential basis of testing, investigating the personal, educational, and social consequences of high-stakes test use, and reaching out to underrepresented, disadvantaged, and vulnerable social groups. Keywords: Test-taker perceptions; English language tests; systematic review; journal publications Introduction The recent decade has seen substantial growth in empirical research taking on the testtaker perspective in the field of language testing and assessment (e.g., Jin, 2023; Oruç et al., 2017; O’Sullivan et al., 2021; Sato & Ikeda, 2015; Xie, 2011, 2013, 2015a, b; Xie & Andrews, 2013). Test-taker perspective, also known as test-taker perceptions (e.g., Zhang & Bournot-Trites, 2021; Xie, 2011, 2013), attitudes and beliefs (Zhan & Wan, 2016), feedback (Huang & Hung, 2017), insights (Jin, 2023), narratives (Sinclair et al., 2019), and voice (Song, 2018; Xiao & Carless, 2013), has been extensively studied as part of a concerted effort of the scholarly community to engage this key stakeholder in test validation (Hamp-Lyons, 1997; Shohamy, 2007) . However, there is a lack of research that synthesizes the insights of these studies to provide a useful overview of what has been learned and understood and what needs to be done further, charting a path for future endeavours. The aim of the present research, therefore, is to profile the characteristics of this substantial body of work and to synthesize its key findings, thereby informing researchers, test developers, and educators about research planning, language assessment design, and the use of test scores for decision-making. The researchers conducted a systematic search of two established databases (ERIC and WOS) and identified 81 journal articles published between 2010 and 2023 in mainstream applied linguistics journals. Both WOS and ERIC are recognized globally as premier authoritative citation databases. WOS is noted for its accuracy and reliability. It also enjoys a significantly long temporal span of data accumulation, which is advantageous for conducting longitudinal systematic reviews. ERIC was adopted to broaden the literature base and enhance the representativeness of the literature retrieved. ERIC’s focus on journals within educational disciplines makes it complementary to WOS, serving as an important source for identifying education-oriented research adopting test-taker perspectives. Systematic analyses of these 81 studies identified three broad themes. Research sharing the first theme adopted test-taker perceptions to invest

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the systematic review covering 2010–2023?

To profile the characteristics of research using the test-taker perspective and synthesize key findings, informing researchers, test developers, and educators about research planning, assessment design, and the use of test scores for decision-making.

How many studies were included, and how were they selected?

The review identified 81 journal articles published between 2010 and 2023 from ERIC and Web of Science, using systematic searches of these two databases.

What three themes emerge from the analyzed studies?

The themes are: (1) perceptions informing evidential aspects of test design, delivery, validity, and feedback; (2) consequences of testing, including washback, impact, fairness, and justice; and (3) test-takers and their experiences, especially preparation and test-taking experiences.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Grenda