American Language Course Placement Test ALCPT
The American Language Course Placement Test (ALCPT) is developed by the Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC) for foreign military and US government-sponsored English Language Training Programs (ELTP) around the world. It measures English language .proficiency through the modes of listening and reading.
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\ALCPTs are not used for ECL practice, promotion or bonus systems, etc. ALCPTs should never be placed in databases, on the internet or otherwise be made available for students to study. ALCPTs are sold to specific language training institutions and must be used only at the location to which it was sold. Any transfer of ALCPT material to another institution must have the prior approval of DLIELC .Because the ALCPT is a U. S government language test created for authorized purposes only.
TEST CONTENT AND FORMAT
The ALCPT assesses English proficiency through items that evaluate comprehension of grammar and vocabulary through the modes of listening, and reading. All ALCPT forms are equivalent in terms of .difficulty.
The ALCPT is a 100-item, 4-option, multiple-choice test. The test is divided into 2 parts, Alcpt listening and reading. In Part I, 66 items are based on listening passages. Test-takers listen to audio recordings of English questions, statements, and dialogs, and then select the correct answer from the test booklet. In .Part II, Reading, there are 34 items. Test-takers read.
Answers are marked on separate answer sheets. Test-takers do not mark the test booklet, which allows reuse of the booklets and facilitates scoring. The length of time allowed for taking Part I is determined by the audio recording (25-30 minutes). Part II lasts 30 minutes. The entire test takes approximately 75 minutes, including time for reading the directions and distributing and collecting test materials.
TEST FORMS AND KITS
At any one time there are approximately 25 forms of the ALCPT available for purchase, with new forms developed periodically. Purchased forms may be used by a testing location indefinitely, even when they are no longer available in the catalog. If these exams have been kept secure and have been used solely for testing purposes, they should yield reliable test scores. CAUTION: If a testing location chooses to retire an ALCPT form, the form must be destroyed and NOT be made available for students to study .
PROGRESS CHECKS
ALCPTs may be administered at the end of an ALC level (six books) in order to check for satisfactory progress. If the score from an end-of-level test is not within the range of ALCPT scores in the ALC Placement Guidelines table, the student’s placement should be reconsidered. The student, however, may only be administered one end-of-level ALCPT. It is therefore recommended that instructors’ formative assessments of the student or ALC book quizzes be used to assess whether or not a student is ready to take an end-of-level ALCPT. It is also recommended that the professional judgment of instructors and program administrators be considered for placement of students in the correct book.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCPT AND ECL SCORES
The ALCPT and ECL are generated using the same computer program and are statistically equivalent. When administered under secure, controlled conditions, the tests yield comparable scores. The correlation between uncompromised ALCPTs and ECLs is .95 or higher 14.
