Does test design affect time management and approaches to preparation? A study on washback mechanism

Existing studies on the washback of high-stakes language proficiency tests are mostly qualitative; there is a lack of quantitative studies exploring its mechanism. This study utilized structural equation modeling to investigate washback mechanism, focusing on two aspects of test design: component weighting and subjective test methods, and their washback on test preparation. Test-taker perceptions of test design and their test preparation activities were surveyed (N = 1,003); their test scores were also collected. Data was analyzed to estimate the washback effects on test-taker time management, approaches to preparation, and test performance. The study found that test takers spent more time on the components with higher weight and much less on those with lower weight. Reporting component scores separately did not seem to adjust this tendency. Meanwhile, favorable perception of test validity was associated with a higher level of engagement in both language learning activities and focused test preparation. This suggests that favorable perception may not be able to reduce negative washback effects, but may be able to promote positive ones. Copyright © 2013 17th Annual Conference of the Japan Language Testing Association.