1.3 Research Questions 1.4 Significance of the Present Study 1.5 Structure of the Book Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Assessment for Learning 2.1.1 Assessment for Learning and Assessment of Learning 2.1.2 Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment 2.1.3 Norm-referenced and Criterion-referenced Testing 2.2 Diagnostic Testing 2.2.1 Definitions of a Diagnostic Test 2.2.2 Characterstics of Diagnostic Tests 2.2.3 Studies on Diagnostic Language Tests 2.3 Studies on Speaking Tasks 2.4 Validation Studies of Language Tests 2.5 Summary Chapter 3 A Conceptual Framework for the Development and Validation of the DCEST 3.1 Communicative Language Ability and the Construct of Speaking 3.1.1 Models of Communicative Language Ability 3.1.2 Models of Speech Produetion 3.1.3 Frameworks for Defining the Construct of Speaking 3.2 Guidelines and Procedures of Test Development 3.3 Defining Test Specifications for a Speaking Test 3.4 Models of Speaking Performance 3.4.1 Milanovic and Saville’S Model 3.4.2 McNamara’S Model 3.4.3 Skehan’S Model 3.4.4 Fulcher’S Model 3.5 Summary Chapter 4 Research Design and Methodology 4.1 Needs Analysis 4.1.1 Design of the Questionnaires 4.1.2 Participants of the Questionnaire Survey 4.1.3 Results of the Survey 4.1.4 Implications for the DCEST 4.2 The Development of the Prototype DCEST 4.2.1 Defining the Construct 4.2.2 Selection of Speaking Test Tasks 4.2.3 Rating Criteria 4.2.4 Feedback Descriptors 4.3 The Pilot Study 4.3.1 Participants 4.3.2 Implementation of the Pilot Study 4.3.3 Results of the Pilot Study 4.3.4 Implications for the Main Study 4.4 The Main Study 4.4.1 Participants 4.4.2 Research Instruments 4.4.3 Procedure of Data Collection in the Main Study Chapter 5 Results and Discussions 5.1 Test Reliability 5.1.1 Intra-rater Reliability 5.1.2 Inter-rater Reliability 5.1.3 Parallel Form Reliability 5.2 Test Validity 5.2.1 Construct Validity 5.2.2 Content Validity 5.2.3 Criterion-related Validity 5.2.4 Face Validity 5.2.5 Consequential Validity 5.3 A Procedural Framework for the Development of Diagnostic Tests 5.3.1 Phase 1:Needs Analysis 5.3.2 Phase 2:Test Design and …… Chapter 5 Conclusions …… Appendices …… Bibliography