Course

Course Summary
Credit Type:
Exam
ACE ID:
ACTF-0047
Organization:
Length:
1 - 2 hours
Dates Offered:
Credit Recommendation & Competencies
Level Credits (SH) Subject
Lower-Division Baccalaureate 6 Reading comprehension in the respective target language
Description

Objective:

The ACTFL Reading Proficiency Test (RPT) is a standardized test for the global assessment of reading ability in a language. The RPT measures how well a person spontaneously reads a language when presented with texts and tasks as described in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines - Reading without access to dictionaries or grammar references. The ACTFL RPT is a carefully constructed assessment that evaluates Novice to Superior levels of reading ability. It is delivered by computer via the Internet. The test can assess a specific range of proficiency (e.g., Novice Mid to Intermediate Mid; Intermediate Mid to Advanced Mid; and Advanced Low to Superior). These options ensure that the test administered targets the range of the test-taker's reading ability and is economical in terms of time and effort. Test length varies: 50 minutes for a two level test, 75 minutes for a three-level tests and 125 minutes for a full-range test. The RPT presents between 10 and 25 texts for the test-taker to read based on the range of proficiency-selected. Each text if followed by three questions with multiple choice response items. Each question has four possible answers; only one answer is correct. At the Intermediate level, the texts are in the target language and the questions and associated multiple choice answers are in English. At the Advanced and Superior levels, the texts and questions with multiple choice answers are in the target language. The languages include: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Skills Measured:

The ACTFL Reading Proficiency Test (RPT) assesses reading comprehension in the target language across the four major levels of the ACTFL Proficiency Scale (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Superior). The ACTFL RPT presents a variety of texts in the target language. They vary in genre, content, length, and complexity depending on the proficiency level targeted. These are real-world types of texts ranging from informal notes, emails, letters, and announcements to short technical reports, excerpts from literary texts, articles, and commentaries. The texts cover social, academic, and professional topics. The questions target the main idea, supporting detail and, for some texts, the inferences and connections the test-taker can make from the content and organization of the text. The ACTFL RPT assesses how well readers understand these texts and the reading tasks that readers can perform with different types of texts and under different types of circumstances. The ACTFL Reading Proficiency Test (RPT) assesses interpretive reading as defined by Standard 1.2 of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages.
Instruction & Assessment
Supplemental Materials