Blum, J. A. (2003). C-tests: their evolution and future—a way of boosting report cards, including the teacher’s? Graduate research project, MA TESOL at University of Central Florida. Retrieved January 30, 2004, from clozeonline.us/Research/Blum1.htm.

Population: A diverse group of collegiate ESL learners at the Center for Multilingual Multicultural Studies (CMMS) of Orlando.

Size: 18. There was no control group.

Duration: One session during the group’s second week of a new semester. Though not anticipated, it took almost the entire 45 minutes of the lesson to complete. Only the paper version of the test was used. No online follow-up was conducted.

Details: After searching Brown’s (1995a) list of similar studies, a decision was made to use the following format: Three different packets were made. Each consisted of instructions to set the pace, an easy-to-read sheet for casting a vote, and a one-sheet test for testing the 40 new vocabulary items (in three separate formats). The formats were A=cloze, B=C-test, and C=Modified C-test. They were arranged either ABC, BCA, or CAB … mainly to avoid cheating.

Conclusions: Blum noted that Christine Klein-Braley (1984) and her disciples appear to have been right in saying that “there was a better way than the standard cloze” [Format A in this study]; because partially deleting words and no cheat list was perceived to be better than completely blanking words that are listed in a [nearby] table. The results were that 14 of the 18 students voted for formats B or C over A. Fewer than 1 in 4 voted for the standard cloze test, suggesting that it might be prudent to look more fully into the use of C-tests for exit surveys ... especially now that the rating of teachers has become mandatory.

Comments: The tests are at http://clozeonline.us/Research/pilot-A.htm.