Assessment of writing

Abstract

In the dynamic landscape of the 21st century, writing remains an indispensable skill, serving as a powerful conduit for expression, communication, and documentation. With the exponential growth of digital communication platforms, the written word has transcended traditional boundaries. With the continuous evolution of writing, assessment of writing plays a more pivotal role than ever in ensuring that writing tests measure the new construct of writing with improved reliability and validity. This chapter begins with an introduction of the purposes of writing tests, followed by a brief history of assessment of L2 writing. Next follows a discussion of the major considerations of a writing test in relation to task features, the nature of writing processes and scoring. Finally, there is a discussion on the challenges and opportunities for the future of assessment of writing.