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Questions and answers about the new SLE-test of reading comprehension in the second official language
Introduction
Pending official approval by the Commission, a new SLE-Test of Reading Comprehension in the Second Official Language will be released on July 30, 2010. The test was developed by a group of experts in the fields of Linguistics, Second Language Evaluation and Psychometrics to assess the Language Standards as defined by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). The Language Standards can be found on the Web site at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/gui/squn03-eng.asp
Why did the PSC replace the old SLE-Reading Comprehension Test?
All tests have a certain life span. As a result of the long shelf life of the SLE Reading Comprehension Test, it was necessary to develop a new test in order to ensure that it continues to reflect today's second official language use and second language assessment trends.
Will my previous results still be valid?
Your previous results are still valid if you have taken the old test no more than 5 years ago, before the implementation date of July 30, 2010.
Is the new SLE-Test of Reading Comprehension more difficult than the old test?
The new test was designed to assess the Language Standards as defined by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and was not created with the purpose of making it harder or easier than its predecessor.
What are the features of the new SLE-Test of Reading Comprehension?
- The multiple-choice test contains two types of questions:
- Choose the best word or group of words to complete the sentence from among the four response options.
- Choose the option that best answers the question.
- The test instructions are provided in both official languages (English and French).
- The test questions and response options are written entirely in the language being assessed.
- The new test is comprised of 60 questions to be answered in 80 minutes instead of 65 questions in 90 minutes for the old test.
- The new test is comprised of several questions per text rather than one question per test for the old test.
- The speed of answering to questions is less demanding since the quantity of texts has been reduced by a third compared to the old test.
What do the test questions specifically assess?
The questions of the SLE-Test of Reading Comprehension assess linguistic abilities with regards to global comprehension of a text, specific comprehension pertaining to elements of a text, and lexical knowledge.
Is there a practice test available?
The Personnel Psychology Centre has neither produced nor approved any SLE practice tests in the past. We have, however, developed some examples of questions for the new test which can be found on our Web Site: http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/ppc-cpp/sle-els/rdng-test-cmpthnsn-ecrt-eng.htm#sample. These questions were developed to illustrate the format of the new test. We encourage you to review them in order to become familiar with the format of the new test.
How are scores reported?
The scores reported are raw scores. Doing so allows us to simplify communication of results to candidates (for example, a score of 46 means that the candidate answered 46 questions correctly).
Are there adapted formats of the new test available for persons with special needs?
Yes, adapted formats are available based on the needs of the individual and the recommendation from a PPC consultant.
If you have a disability that could affect your performance on the test, you have the right to request that adapted measures be put in place. If you require test accommodations, please notify the responsible officer in the organization that requested your test well in advance of the test date so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Why is there a 30-calendar day waiting period?
Candidates could often be tested and retested within short time frames in the past, particularly when they were participating in concurrent appointment processes or were in language training, and often before they had a chance to improve their proficiency in the second official language.
The 30-calendar day retest period was implemented to ensure that candidates receive a score truly representative of their second language abilities, and to protect against overexposure of the test.
If you previously took this test, make sure that 30-calendar days have elapsed before you take it again. If you take the test before the retest period has elapsed, your new result will not be valid.
Why are there additional questions at the end of the online version of the test?
The extra questions that follow the end of the Test of Reading Comprehension are part of a mini-pilot. These questions consist of 5 to 10 pilot questions of different difficulty levels. Your participation in this activity is completely voluntary and does not count toward your final test score. A total of 10 minutes will be allotted for this activity. By participating in this mini-pilot test, you are helping us collect important information on questions for potential inclusion in future tests. Technology enables us to present the questions to be tested randomly in order to build a new bank of potential questions.
What is my legal obligation when doing the test?
Individuals who write PSC tests are reminded that these tests are designated Protected. Any disclosure of test content is in contravention of the Government Security Policy and the use of such improperly obtained or transmitted information could be found to contravene the provisions of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA). Parties involved in the disclosure of or improper use of Protected test content may be the subject of an investigation under the PSEA, where a finding of fraud may be punishable on summary conviction or may be referred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
