ABSTRACT

Test-takers’ strategic processing can be broken down into processes, which contribute to construct-relevant variances to test results (e.g., metacognitive and cognitive strategies) and construct-irrelevant variances (e.g., test-wiseness strategies). However, few studies have attempted to integrate both construct-relevant and -irrelevant strategic processes into a broader conceptual model. This chapter, therefore, examines the nature of construct-relevant, i.e., metacognitive (planning, evaluating, and monitoring) and cognitive (grammar, vocabulary, comprehending, retrieval, and memory) strategies and construct-irrelevant, i.e., test-taking (knowledge of test-formats, peripheral knowledge, elimination, and checking for identical or similar words as giveaway answers) strategies and their direct and indirect relationships with lexico-grammar test performance through the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Construct-relevant strategies were found to be positively related to test performance, while the lexico-grammar test was not susceptible to construct-irrelevant strategies, indicating that it is a cognitively demanding test. The plausible explanation of the result is that the variety of test formats may prevent test-takers from using test-wiseness strategies to improve their performance. Since the findings show test-wiseness strategies do not have measurable effects on test-performance, it probably suggests language test preparation programs need to focus more on construct-relevant strategic processes and language knowledge and place less emphasis on test-wiseness strategy instruction.