Over the past decade, interpreter certification performance testing has gained momentum. Certification tests often involve high stakes, since they can play an important role in regulating access to professional practice and serve to provide a measure of professional competence for end users. The decision to award certification is based on inferences from candidates’ test scores about their knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as their interpreting performance in a given target domain. To justify the appropriateness of score-based inferences and actions, test developers need to provide evidence that the test is valid and reliable through a process of test validation. However, there is little evidence that test qualities are systematically evaluated in interpreter certification testing. In an attempt to address this problem, this paper proposes a theoretical argument-based validation framework for interpreter certification performance tests so as to guide testers in carrying out systematic validation research. Before presenting the framework, validity theory is reviewed, and an examination of the argument-based approach to validation is provided. A validity argument for interpreter tests is then proposed, with hypothesized validity evidence. Examples of evidence are drawn from relevant empirical work, where available. Gaps in the available evidence are highlighted and suggestions for research are made.

中文翻译：

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口译员认证性能测试中的测试验证

在过去的十年中，口译员认证性能测试得到了发展。认证测试通常涉及很高的风险，因为它们可以在规范获得专业实践的机会方面发挥重要作用，并为最终用户提供衡量专业能力的方法。授予证书的决定是基于考生对他们的知识，技能和能力以及他们在给定目标领域中的口译成绩的测验分数得出的推论。为了证明基于分数的推理和操作的适当性，测试开发人员需要通过测试验证过程提供证明该测试有效且可靠的证据。但是，几乎没有证据表明在口译员认证测试中会系统地评估测试质量。为了解决这个问题，本文提出了一种基于理论论证的口译员认证绩效测试验证框架，以指导测试人员进行系统的验证研究。在提出该框架之前，将回顾有效性理论，并提供对基于论证的验证方法的检验。然后提出了口译测试的有效性论证，并带有假设的有效性证据。证据示例取自相关的经验工作（如果有）。突出了可用证据中的空白，并提出了研究建议。并提供了基于论证的验证方法的检查。然后提出了口译测试的有效性论证，并带有假设的有效性证据。证据示例取自相关的经验工作（如果有）。突出了可用证据中的空白，并提出了研究建议。并提供了基于论证的验证方法的检查。然后提出了口译测试的有效性论证，并带有假设的有效性证据。证据示例取自相关的经验工作（如果有）。突出了可用证据中的空白，并提出了研究建议。