The test evaluating German listening comprehension is essentially based on the sub-skills “identifying and applying information presented in a text” and “construing information and activating listening strategies”. The test provides different text forms (e.g. dialogues, radio broadcasts or reports) dealing with topics such as animals, transport or family. Texts and instructions are provided on CD.
The test evaluating mathematical skills in grade 3 is presented in German and contains tasks referring to the following areas of competency: “numbers and operations”, “space and form” as well as “quantities and measures”. Tasks are presented in a decontextualized and / or contextualized way (providing arithmetic problems). In order to minimize the influence of language, instructions are given in a short and simple or even illustrated way.
The test evaluating German reading comprehension in grade 3 is essentially based on the sub-skills “identifying and applying information presented in a text” and “construing information and activating reading strategies / techniques”. The test includes continuous (e.g. stories and simple factual texts) and discontinuous (e.g. recipes or assembly instructions) text forms.
The tests evaluating language and mathematical skills are drawn up by experienced elementary and secondary school teachers together with scientific staff from LUCET. New items are continuously developed for the ÉpStan every year. To validate the content, format and practicability of the newly developed test material, it must be tested on students at the relevant grade level. After the competence tests, therefore, a pre-test is arranged where students answer the new test material. Students’ performance in the pre-test is not included in the ÉpStan results and is not reported back, as the focus here is on the testing and the psychometric evaluation of the new items rather than on individual performance.