TESTS AS TOOLS FOR ASSESSING STUDENTS’ PROGRESS

Introduction. In this article the notion of assessment in general and the test in particular as an instrument for assessing students' progress have been studied. The role of assessment is unfairly narrowed only to evaluating students' level of knowledge, however, it is an important component in the process of learning. Setting clear objectives helps students to understand what is expected from them at the end of the course of studies, while being given a valuable feedback on the results of their work students are able to identify their learning problems and thus this encourages them to work more intensively. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to identify the types of tests and the clarify when and why they are used. Tests are frequently used tools for evaluating students' progress. However, whilst there is a wide variety of tests available not all of them are appropriately used. Kinds of tests differ depending on the purpose, so teachers should clearly understand which particular kinds are to be used. According to Bloom's taxonomy learning objectives vary depending on the complexity of the mental processes. So do the test tasks. They range from the easiest ones such as matching or true/false tasks to more complex ones such as essays. Being valid and reliable tests will be beneficial for students' success Results. A thorough look into the newly adopted syllabus of the course “Foreign Language for Specific Purposes” proves that the trend of using tests for assessing students' knowledge at different stages of learning has become an inevitable part of teaching-learning process at Lviv National Polytechnic University. The practice of using tests in the process of learning and teaching has now become quite common, yet not with all academic courses. With the implementation of the new syllabus the need to develop various tests arises. Thus it is necessary to understand the difference between the types of tests and test tasks in order to make them valid and fair. Originality. It is a stereotype to regard assessment as the instrument only for grading students' work. However, it is an integral component of the process of teaching-assessing-learning as it enhances students' motivation and should be viewed considering this aspect. Conclusion. The aim of the present research was to clarify the difference between the types of tests and test tasks. These findings enhance our understanding of these and help us to choose the appropriate ones while assessing students' progress. It also concludes that using assessment effectively is beneficial, because it improves students' motivations, helps them to acquire the ability to meet and overcome life challenges and solve other problems using approaches and techniques learned while taking tests, and also helps students to assess themselves and identify strategies that improve their understanding and skills.