Evaluating the Validity of Score Interpretation in a Libyan EFL Achievement Test: A Construct-Based Analysis

الملخص

This study evaluates the validity of score interpretations of the Libyan preparatory school English final achievement test. Grounded in Messick’s (1989) unified validity framework and Bachman and Palmer’s (2010) theoretical framework of language knowledge, the study utilizes qualitative content analysis supported by descriptive frequency statistics to evaluate item-level construct representation. The empirical distribution reveals severe construct underrepresentation and construct-irrelevant variance; the examination is strictly restricted to sentence-level grammar recognition (52%), isolated vocabulary tasks (20%), and rote textbook factual recall (28%). Textual, functional, and sociolinguistic dimensions are completely omitted (0%), entirely excluding productive and interactive communicative skills. Consequently, interpreting these test scores as indicators of communicative language ability is empirically unsupported, presenting a significant potential for negative educational washback. The study highlights a critical misalignment between communicative curricular mandates and actual testing practices, calling for immediate reform toward contextualized, performance-based testing.