ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of digital assessment within the field of language testing. In language assessment to date, the impact of digital technology has largely been on large-scale testing organizations that have computerized their traditional paper-based tests and have thus sought to introduce efficiencies in their testing systems. Technology's greatest impact on assessment so far has been on the delivery of tests via a computer, and the major language testing companies began delivering computer-based (CB) language tests in the mid-1990s. A Computer Adaptive (CA) test tailors itself to the proficiency level of individual candidates, meaning that candidates of different abilities will be exposed to questions of different difficulties. Producers of CB tests have sought to increase the amount of automated scoring in their tests to improve efficiency, reduce processing costs, and offer benefits to users, such as faster results. The migration from PB testing to CB testing is now in progress.
