To be computerized or not to be? a study on efl learners’ perceptions towards various modes of delivery in english tests through analytic hierarchy process

This study aims to investigate EFL learners’ viewpoints toward English test delivered in different modes; namely, computer-adaptive test (CAT), computer-based test (CBT) and conventional paper-pencil test (PPT). The participants were forty-nine (N=49) students from two colleges in Taiwan who had experience of taking all these three types of English tests. Additionally, five graduate students were invited to validate the contents of AHP questionnaire. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was the major research method employed by the present study to construct the framework of research. After a series of pair-wise comparisons processed with Expert Choice 2000 software package, weights of three objectives (convenience, fairness and computer experience) and six sub-objectives (physical limitation, immediate feedback, anxiety, accessibility, text presentation and response requirements respectively) were calculated to deduce the alternative. Among the three objectives, convenience ranked the highest followed by fairness and then familiarity. Subsequently, conclusion was drawn that CAT is the mode that best fitted EFL learners’ expectation on English tests.