1.1 Purpose - This practice describes best practices for the development and use of language tests in the modalities of speaking, listening, reading, and writing for assessing ability according to the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale. This practice focuses on testing language proficiency in use of language for communicative purposes.

1.2 Limitations - This practice is not intended to address testing and test development in the following specialized areas: Translation, Interpretation, Audio Translation, Transcription, other job-specific language performance tests, or Diagnostic Assessment.

1.2.1 Tests developed under this practice should not be used to address any of the above excluded purposes (for example, diagnostics).