Reactions to tests can have effects on test scores, motivation and relationships, and these reactions can conceivably be affected by various aspects of tests and the testing situation. In the present study, questionnaires were used to elicit reactions on various dimensions from Italian and Spanish teenagers to test items used as part of placement procedures. The data indicated that a C-test was the most negatively rated on most dimensions by all groups, and that this reaction seemed to relate most strongly to the perceived difficulty of the test. Reactions of lower-scoring students were more negative than those of higherscoring, although the differences were not so great on the more evaluative dimensions. No gender differences were identified, and there were few differences between reactions of Italian and Spanish students, or the most and least nervous groups. Data on the effects of a longer time limit and first language instructions was inconclusive. I IntroductionTesting procedures of some type are part of the lives of virtually all language teachers and language learners, and the results can have effects on academic careers, job prospects, self-esteem, classroom relationships, motivation, learning habits and public relations. However, in spite of moves in other areas of second language research and methodology towards more consideration for, and investigation of, the feelings, motivations, opinions and mental processes of learners, very little is at present known about the attitudes and concerns of testtakers, and even less about the features of test items or the testing situation which can cause negative reactions which may affect performance or lead to feelings of post-test resentment. The possible effects of differences between cultural groups would also seem to be of great importance to language testers.The purpose of the research reported here was to investigate ways in which reactions of test-takers to test items can be reliably collected, to attempt to discover some of the features of item types and test administration which are of concern to test-takers and should therefore be taken into account in test design, and to compare reactions of different types of test-takers to different types of test items. In

This review examined a range of approaches internationally to the reporting of assessment results for individual students, with a particular focus on how results are represented, the level of detail reported and the steps taken to quantify, report and explain error and uncertainty in the results' reports or certificates given to students in a range of countries. The review focused specifically on high-stakes assessments taken towards the end of schooling with the purpose of providing certification for employment or further study. Outside the USA, there were few examples of the inclusion of information on error or uncertainty in students' individual results. The paper discusses the possibilities for including such information in a way which will be understood by a nontechnical audience and will not be misinterpreted by test users. The balance required between ensuring that there are high standards of information for individuals and the dangers of damaging public confidence in the assessment system is considered. IntroductionThis research was part of a programme of research into the reliability of results of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England on behalf of Ofqual, the examinations regulator. As part of this reliability programme, an international review of approaches to reporting results was undertaken. This review aimed to examine the range of approaches taken to the reporting of assessment results for individual students, with a particular focus on how results are represented, the level of detail reported and the steps taken to quantify, report and explain error and uncertainty in the results reports or certificates given to students. The review focused specifically on high-stakes assessments taken towards the end of schooling with the purpose of providing certification for employment or further study (Bradshaw and Wheater 2009). The final report included a detailed descriptive classification of various aspects of these assessments. This paper discusses one aspect of this classification: the reporting of error or uncertainty of results. This may be error at an individual level or at a general, group or cohort level. Consideration of validity and other reliability issues, such as how reported estimates of reliability or error have been derived, were outside the scope of the study. Further detail on the study can be found in Bradshaw and Wheater (2009).