Preliminary Findings of the PAULEX Project: A Proposal for the Internet-based Valencian University Entrance Examination

Although there is an increasing number of online tests in the world, little research is currently known in Spain today. Assessment has become an integral part of education and the implications of the various uses of language testing go beyond the educational settings (Douglas, 2010; Fulcher, 2010). This study describes the PAULEX project. This project deals with the design and validation of a computer-based University Entrance examination for Spanish universities. The test measures the students’ oral and written competence including tasks on four different skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. This paper will address some specific features and reaction studies that are already in process. It is by no means this paper’s object to give detailed information of each individual aspect but instead to give an overview of what has been done so far and provide concepts of the current research. In doing so, the paper is divided into three main sections: technological advances, attitudinal observations and results.