Validation Study Of Translation Items In National Entrance Test Of English For MA/MS Candidates

National Entrance Test of English for MA/MS Candidates (NETEM) is the compulsory subject set for universities and research institutes to enroll master degree candidates (non-English majors). It adopts the national unified version and has become a large-scale, nation-wide educational socialized test. It is an important measurement of screening and exerts considerable impact on candidates' English learning. To ensure the exact judgment of candidates' proficiency in English and the positive backwash on their learning, it is vital to guarantee a high validity.The paper conducts the validation study of the translation items in NETEM. The approach adopted in the study is a combination of theory with practice.First, the paper probes the principles of evaluating language testing quality, holding that the validity is the core in seeking the optimal balance among the factors of reliability, discrimination, practicality and economy. The content and the process of validation are also introduced briefly. Next, the paper explores the characteristics and approaches of translation assessment in the view of features of translation. The criteria of translation assessment vary with the areas and the levels. Therefore the scoring scale should be specific and comprehensive. In the process of scoring, the high objectivity is desirable and the reasonable flexibility is necessary. Then, the paper analyzes and appraises the validity of the translation items in NETEM in qualitative approach. The investigation methods include questionnaire, observation and collection of expert judgments.The paper describes the content, the features and the development of NETEM and those of translation items, analyzes the Syllabus, the translation items and the candidates' answer scripts and the scoring scales in the Analysis in latest three years, and investigates the candidates' reacts during the preparation and their response in the examination and their comments on the test by a questionnaire and then analyzes and appraises the validity under the heads of content validity, response validity, face validity and backwash validity.The results demonstrate that the translation items in these three years have realized the intention of the Syllabus and have a rather high content validity and facevalidity. However, because NETEM does not test translation as a dependent language skill but incorporates it in the part of reading comprehension, it misleads a large part of candidates to ignore learning and practicing of basic translation techniques and fails to impose significant positive backwash.The results of questionnaire show that the candidates commonly think the translation ability is useful to the postgraduate study and the work in the future, therefore, it is advisable to make the translation skill as an independent testing part and increase its weight in order to meet the candidates' need and achieve stronger positive impact.The scoring adopts the methods of central scoring, practicing on the anchor papers, pilot scoring, multiple independent scoring, and on-going monitoring to ensure the high reliability and provide the basis for validity. Nevertheless, due to the difference lying in the scorers' personally habits and the understanding of the criteria, there still exits the difference of scoring approaches and the scoring tendencies. It is advisable to study the criteria systematically and comprehensively before scoring to ensure the identical understanding and practice among the scorers and strengthen the monitor during scoring.Finally, some suggestions are made on the requirement, the instruction and the scoring criteria and on the translation of new words, the treatment of pronouns and the distribution of underlined sentences.