Overview
- Avant STAMP 4S is a nationally recognized web-based test that assesses language proficiency.
- Avant STAMP was originally developed by the Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS), a National Foreign Language Resource Center at the University of Oregon and funded by the US Department of Education. It was later adapted and is delivered by Avant Assessment.
- The test is available in Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified and Traditional), Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
- Test results inform test takers and educators about learning progress and program effectiveness.
- Tests are taken in a proctored environment with no outside resources allowed.
- The test has four sections – Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
- Reading and Listening questions are computer-scored and computer-adaptive (meaning that questions are selected based on previous responses, becoming easier or more difficult as needed to determine proficiency level).
- Demonstrated ability in Reading and Listening sections facilitates the types of Writing and Speaking prompts the test taker will receive.
- Writing and Speaking responses are rated by Avant Certified Raters who use a Scoring Rubric that lists the criteria for meeting Benchmark Levels.
Individual Report
The Individual Report displays the score (benchmark level) that the test taker attained in each skill tested along with a Composite Score.
Below the heading is an inverted pyramid that displays the score in a graphic format. The filled area depicts the level attained. For the Writing and Speaking sections of the test, an additional shaded area will appear if the test taker had one test response that was rated at a higher level. This serves as an alert that the test taker may be operating across a range of proficiency levels with this skill.
The area to the right of the inverted pyramid describes the characteristics associated with the skill (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking) and level category (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced). If a test section was not completed, this area of the report will show the test taker status for this section (Section Not Started or Section In Progress).
The area to the far right contains Power Up Suggestions that the test taker can work on to attain higher level scores in the particular skill.
Understanding the Scores
To understand more about the Individual Report scores, see the Benchmark and Rubric Guide. The rubric outlines in detail what expectations are placed upon the test takers for performance at any given level. For more information about a specific test taker’s scores, contact the organization that administered the test.