The Development and Validation of the Chinese Vocabulary Levels Test

ABSTRACT In response to the increasing need for effective Chinese vocabulary assessments, this study developed the Chinese Vocabulary Levels Test (CVLT), a test designed for intermediate‐level Chinese as a second or foreign language (CSL/FL) learners, based on the vocabulary lists (levels 4–6) from the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (the Grading Standards), and provided initial validation evidence. The CVLT is a meaning‐recognition test designed in a multiple‐choice format, with test items developed to reflect the characteristics of Chinese characters and words. 200 intermediate‐level CSL/FL learners took the final version of the CVLT, and the data were analyzed primarily using the Rasch model. Validity arguments were proposed and justified based on Kane's interpretation/use argument framework. Overall, the results showed positive evidence supporting the scoring, generalization, and extrapolation inferences. Issues concerning test design and the validity of score interpretations were also discussed.