Context, Construct, and Consequences

The College English Test (CET) is a large-scale language testing program implemented for the purpose of enhancing English as a foreign language in the Chinese tertiary education context. Its results are used for different purposes in varied contexts. The multiple uses have generated growing concerns and debate over consequences and validity. This multi-phase, multi-method study investigated the intended and unintended consequences of the CET, focusing on its washback on students'learning and learning outcomes. Drawing on the argument-based validation approach, it linked evidence about the CET consequences to construct validity. Its findings highlight the complexity of the consequences of the CET in the Chinese educational and societal contexts. This complexity was attributable to both properties of the test and other contextual forces, particularly uses of the test in the educational and societal contexts. This study sheds light on understanding why and in what ways the CET washback exists in the Chinese educational context. The findings have significant implications for future washback research, the CET implementation, and English as a second/foreign language teaching and learning