ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the intentions and the effects using tests, and presents a number of cases of the use of tests. Some of the cases are based on research; largely represent reports and comments about the tests within the educational and the political domains. Davies notes that the aim of all the tests was clearly racial exclusion. President Bill Clinton concludes: 'when we aim high and challenge our students, they will be the best in the world'. It is common knowledge that enrolment in foreign language learning courses at United States universities are dropping. Yet it is also common knowledge that first-year language courses provide the largest income to university language programmes as the largest enrolments of students. A case of using tests for selection and gate-keeping is the one that has been carried out in Australia with immigrants. The tests to threaten show how a test was used to enable the superintendent to control educational levels.
