Critical review of English section in College Scholastic Ability Test and reform proposals

This study critically analyzed English section of College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) in terms of validity, authenticity, washback, practicality, and item difficulty. It further proposed directions for reform. The section, due to its multiple-choice format, fails to assess test takers’ ability to use English effectively, resulting in low authenticity. Its validity is also compromised because it attempts to indirectly evaluate speaking and writing skills. The positive changes proposed by Ministry of Education when transitioning the test from norm-referenced testing to an absolute scoring system did not materialize. The listening section fails to discriminate candidates’ listening abilities, while the readability and vocabulary levels of the reading passages were much higher than those of the passages in the English II textbook, which is defined as the target level. Lastly, there is an issue with the fixed question format, which makes test items susceptible to test-wiseness techniques. This paper proposes that English education scholars and teachers should play a more proactive role by offering alternatives to Ministry of Education and policy makers, and by teaching and assessing productive skills in the classroom to create an environment where productive skills can also be tested in this high-stakes test.