Dictionary Use in CAT Exams?

Following on from the discussion in the Oct. 11^th HTU meeting on the role and use of dictionaries in Cumulative Achievement Tests (CATs), (a summary of which appeared in the October 21^st issue of News for the Week), we would like to invite teachers comments and opinions on allowing students to use dictionaries during CATs. The original purpose of allowing students to bring dictionaries to CATs was principally to lessen exam anxiety and encourage them to have and use dictionaries. Recently, we have begun to question this practice, not only because of isolated cases of students abusing the policy, but mainly due to the fact that high stakes standardized exams need to be administered under uniform conditions, which is not really possible when some students have and use their dictionaries during CATs and others do not. Added to this is the fact that certain reading CATs have guessing meaning from context that precludes the use of dictionaries, and others do not.

We would be interested in hearing your views on the subject in order to help us to shape future policy.

Thank You
Carole and Hakan