Abstract

Examinations - among other devices - are tools of quality control by which we can measure the attainment of the national educational goals. High-quality examinations are means of evaluation that can help teachers modify their teaching techniques, as well as helping learners adjust their learning strategies. Examinations are also benchmarks that can assist decision makers to judge the success of their educational, social and political aims. This paper explores the features of the Sudan School Certificate English Examinations (SSC) from the perspective of content validly and comprehensiveness. The data was collected through a questionnaire and analytically processed by machine to come out with some findings that; the (SSC) English Examinations in their recent forms are incomprehensive and lack content validity. They are proficiency tests rather than scholastic standardized achievement examinations. Therefore, they have negative backwash in language education development in our country.

Keywords:   Language testing,  achievement tests,  content validly,  comprehensiveness