Testing is an important component of classroom assessment. Due to their lack of expertise and training in language testing, however,teachers of English often feel uncertain when faced with the task of designing tests for classroom assessment purposes.With the intention of assisting them in understanding the procedures of developing a reliable and valid test,the present paper discusses the principles of constructing a communicative test and applies Bachman and Palmer's model of test development to designing a sample test paper on listening skills for tertiary EFL learners.The focus is on the first two stages of test development,namely,the design stage and the operationalization stage.At the end of the paper,efforts are called on to explore the effective testing techniques and formats which can ensure the reliability and validity of classroom assessment.
