Making Cloze Tests More Valid

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate ways of making the cloze test more valid as an English proficiency test so that it can provide a better format for the cloze test especially to the non-native teachers in EFL environments. This investigation identifies ways of validity in terms of materials, deletion rates, item characteristics and scoring methods used in cloze tests. An increase in test validity can be accomplished by knowing how the four factors affect the cloze test results and how to manipulate them. Practical suggestions are provided for teachers to design a cloze test. Teachers can develop the reliability and validity of cloze tests by manipulating the four factors. In seeking a more valid and reliable cloze format, this research gives some suggestions based on a literature review. We can conclude that a cloze test can be valid only when teachers are aware of the factors which affect the test result and the ways to handle the factors to make the test appropriate for their test purposes.