Research evidence indicates that formative assessment is one of the most effective ways of enhancing student learning. It is, however, difficult to implement successfully, principally because what is tested through summative assessment has such a powerful influence on teacher and student actions. This book scrutinizes the relationship between testing and learning from alternative perspectives to the dominant literature from the major Anglophone countries. It develops the notion of contextually grounded formative assessment practices by analyzing data from schools in the Confucian-heritage setting of Hong Kong. It explores questions such as:
• Under what circumstances do tests support or hinder student learning?
• How can teachers effectively prepare students for tests and appropriately follow up after tests?
• What are the key socio-cultural influences impacting on testing and student learning in the classroom?
• How do teachers change in their orientation towards assessment and what support do they require?
This text is a valuable resource for education students, professionals and researchers, policy-makers and curriculum developers.

这是作者为英语教师撰写的语言测试课程的教材，主要介绍语言测试中常用的统计知识和技术，非常实用。语言测试作为一门学科发展很快，虽然本书出版于1987年，但是书中内容对于我国英语教师以及从事语言测试开发的人来说仍然非常有用。
本书用深入浅出的语言介绍了语言测试中常用的统计方法和手段，读者只需具备基本的教学知识即可掌握书中内容，因此非常实用。