Getting more accurate results from Vocabulary Size Tests
Vocabulary size tests can be useful. Unfortunately there is a flaw in most, if not all, available tests which results in reported scores being much higher than they should be, especially at lower levels. Thus a student who has an actual vocabulary of 400 words, will be reported by the Paul Nation 14000 Vocabulary Size Test as having a vocabulary of 3800. The flaw is easily demonstrated by doing the test at https://www.lextutor.ca/tests/levels/recognition/1_14k/ and entering words at random, thereby emulating a student who has absolutely no English vocabulary whatsoever. You will be told you have a vocabulary of approximately 3500 words. You can read more about the reasons for this here: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=2F739B4A202ADD99!418281&ithint=file%2cdocx&app=Word&authkey=!AK9spsdcdO2qNgM
Fortunately it is possible to apply a correction to the results of these tests so that you get accurate results. I have prepared a webpage which does this for tests of different sizes. Here is the link: https://www.mrbrook.net.nz/CalcVocab/multichoicecomp/MultichoiceCompensation.html .
On this webpage you can enter details for the test you are working with and the page will produce a table so that you can convert from the incorrect values to the correct values. I know of no other place where it is possible to obtain these corrections.
If you use vocabulary size tests, please check this out. If you have questions or comments I will be glad to receive them and provide answers or further detail.
Jim Brook
ex-ESL Department (retired)
Massey High School
