Iranian EFL Learners’ Perceptions on Collaborative versus Individual Testing

Due to students' frequent complaint about anxiety they experience during taking individual tests and novelty of collaborative testing method not only in Iran but also all around the world, this study tends to examine the perceptions of Iranian EFL learners on using collaborative testing instead of individual testing in EFL classes. To yield this result, the researcher adopted a collaborative test as the formative test during the semester that is not only new among Iranians but also, in most countries (if not all) in language teaching around the world. To get the best outcome, two different instruments have evaluated learners’ perceptions: a semi-structured interview and an attitude questionnaire. A group of 60 intermediate English learners from two language institutes was chosen. They were supposed to take exams every session. Group members have been interviewed about their point of view toward collaborative testing and its impact on them and their peers in the group. The results of analyses from attitude questionnaire which has been triangulated by data from the interviews showed that most respondents agreed with the items in learner’s perception of collaborative tests. They were willing to have traditional testing replaced by group testing which includes less stress and yet higher learning and better social skills. The results of this study can be of importance to policy makers and teachers to employ this new testing method in designing EFL curricula.