ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the perceived effects of students’ reported College English Test Band 4 (CET4) test preparation practices on their CET4 test performance. The significant relationships identified between students’ characteristics and CET4 test scores also represent the relationship between washback direction and washback variability. Test preparation may lead to score inflation when the increase in test scores does not reflect the equivalent improvement in students’ academic abilities, or when the gain in test scores substantially overstates the improvement in students’ learning. Test preparation practices in existing studies were clearly identified by the foci of practices, including knowledge and skills represented by the test, test features and demands, and test-taking strategies. Test preparation is a historically rooted and educationally accepted phenomenon in the Chinese context, which has paved the way for test preparation for English language tests in particular to become a resounding business success.
