Authenticity

Authenticity emphasize that language is natural, contextualized and meaningful. Besides,

authenticity offers language theme-based organization, story-line, or episode to reproduce real-
word tasks.Bachman and Palmer (1996) defined authenticity as the degree to which a language test
task’s characteristics correspond to a target language use task’s features.

According to Bachman and Palmer (1996: 136), the degree of authenticity which may be measure in
two ways, namely “In terms of task characteristics or in terms of expected perceptions on the part of
test takers, and test users”. Authenticity of the test can also be measured by “the degree to which
test materials and test condition succeed in replicating those in the target situation”. (Mc. Namara
2000: 131).

Interactiveness

According to Bachman and Palmer (1996), interactiveness is “ the extet and type of involvement of
the test taker’s individual characteristics in accomplishing a test task”.

Washback

Washback refers to “criterion for a test is the influence of the form and the content of the test” in
the classroom (Nation & Newton, 2009, p.169). according to Bachman and Palmer (1996), test
impact refers to the influence of atest to macro level such as society, an educational system, and the
in individuals within them. In other words, a test has an impact at the macro level of a societal
educatinal system while it also affects the micro level which is individuals, i.e., test takers.

Backwash, is defined as “ the effect that test have on learning and teaching” (Hughes 1990, p. 53).
Backwash can be positive and negative. Positive backwash will enhance the teaching and learning
process, Negative backwash will make students and teachers worried about the test and hence they
switch the objectives of learning into the target to do the test successfully. Backwash is the test
impact at microlevel which concerns the teacher and the students. Spartt (2005, p.29) lists some
factors that contribute to backwash of a test. Its proximity, its stakes, the status of the language it
tests, its pupose, the formats it employs, the weighting of individual papers, when the exam was
introduced, and how familiar its to teachers.

Five principles having been discussed above, Brown (2004: 40) states that practicality,
reliability,validity, authenticity, and washback, can be provided as guidlines for evaluating a step-by-
step procedure in the classroom.

Brown (2004) proposed eight tips to examine the five principles’ featurea as follows:

1. Check whether the test procedures are practical.

2. Check whether the test itself reliable
3. Ensure rater reliability
4. Check whether the procedure shows content validity
 5. Make sure to account for the impact of the test
6. Check whether the procedure “biased for the best?”
7. Examine whether the task is authentic
8. Check whether the test gives useful washback to the learne?

Summary

Some principles of making a good test are taken into account. Practicality, reliability, validity,
authenticity, interactiveness and washback are considered to be significant aspects to create a piece
of incredible test. These principles are better completely accomplished to have a good set of test.
One principle is not fulfilled, it may downgrade the value of the test.