developing a new test culture: the art of possible / yeni bir sınav kültürü geliştirmek: olasılık sanatı

Preparing valid, reliable and fair tests has been concern of all educators, trainers, and test developers for many years, specifically at English medium universities, where accurate determination of language proficiency level is important. This study describes a process regarding how end of module exams have been developed in the light of the Common European Framework (CEF) in an institutional setting which has implemented a new system in its Preparatory Programme with rather limited resources. The study describes the design, development and quality procedure of the end of module tests together with the success rates of the exams in detail. The success rates of the exams indicated in this study is worthwhile following the steps in the CEF manual when developing a new test, as well as considering the bands given in the CEF, and the needs of the institution. It is expected that sharing the process of developing a high stake exam will be valuable for other Preparatory Programs in Turkey, especially when the CEF is controversial in Europe since it involves applying one particular framework to a multitude of contexts.