Rationale for choosing this topic English has already played a specially important role in the increasing development of science, technology and international relations, which has resulted in the growing needs for English language learning and teaching in many parts of the world. English has become a compulsory subject in national education in many countries, among which Vietnam has considered learning and teaching English as a major strategic tool to develop human resources, as a way to keep up with other countries. Therefore, in any level of education, from primary to university or postgraduate degree, learners must learn or want to learn English as a compulsory subject or their target to access to information technology and to find a good job. It is true that English teaching/ learning is essential for job training. Fully aware of the importance of the English language, the University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh National University has encouraged and required their students to learn it as a compulsory subject during the first three academic years. Therefore, English has been taught at the University of Technology since it was established, aiming at equipping the students with an essential tool to go deeper into the world. However, to evaluate how students acquire when they learn a foreign language, how well they use what they have been taught and at which level of English they are standing is not paid much attention to. The evaluation only counts for calculating the percentage of the number of students who pass English tests, which ; therefore, doesn’t say anything about the validity, reliability or discrimination of the tests. The results of English test are not successfully and completely employed. In addition, during the time I have worked as a teacher of English at the University of Technology, I have heard teachers and learners complaining about the English achievement test in terms of its content, its structure. As a result, the English section has decided to implement the renewal of the item bank in order to make it more valid and more reliable. Seeing the point, the author is encouraged to undertake this study entitled “Evaluating the Reliability and Validity of an English Achievement Test for Third-year Non- major students at the University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh National University and some suggestions for changes” with the intention to find out how valid and reliable the test is. More importantly, the writer hopes that the result of the study can then be applied to improve the current testing and to create a new really reliable item bank. It is also intended to encourage both teachers and learners in their teaching and learning. Design of study The thesis is organized into four major chapters: Chapter 1- Introduction presents such basic information as: the rationales, the aims, the method, the research questions and the design of the study. Chapter 2- Literature Review reviews theoretical backgrounds on evaluating a test, which includes language testing, criteria of good tests and theoretical ideas on test reliability and validity as well as achievement tests. Chapter 3- The study is the main part of the thesis showing the context of the study and the detailed results obtained from collected tests and findings in response to the research questions. Chapter 4- Conclusion offers conclusions and practical implications for the test improvement. In this part, the author also proposes some suggestions for further research on the topic.
