Using AI for Student Diagnostic Testing

First, prepare the following:

1.      Target group: Who is this assessment for?

(e.g., high school students, adults learning English as a second language, professionals improving business English)

2.      Skill focus: Which areas should the assessment cover?

(Grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, listening, speaking)

3.      Level range: Do you want it to place learners across levels

(beginner → advanced), or focus on a specific level?)

4.      Format: Should it be mostly multiple-choice, short-answer, writing tasks, or a mix?

5.      Goal: Do you want the results to just diagnose strengths/weaknesses, or also give tailored feedback and learning recommendations?

(I want results to just diagnose strengths/weaknesses, or also give tailored feedback and learning recommendations)

Once you answers, you can design a strong, ready-to-use prompt that generates the assessment in line with your needs.

 

The info needed for a prompt:

Design a strong, ready-to-use prompt that generates the assessment in line with the following:

1.      Target group: Second year middle school

2.      Skill focus: (Grammar (Simple present, simple past and simple future), reading comprehension (a short text about daily routine) and related vocabulary (daily routine))

3.      Level range: I want it to place learners across levels (beginner → advanced)

4.      Format: let it be mostly multiple-choice.

5.      Goal: (I want results to just diagnose strengths/weaknesses, or also give tailored feedback and learning recommendations)

 

Go to prompt engineer and click on (make a prompt from scratch). Paste the above info to generate an effective prompt. This the generated prompt:

The prompt:

Prompt

You are an expert English language assessment designer. Create a diagnostic test for second-year middle school students.

Assessment requirements:

1.      Skills to cover:

o    Grammar: simple present, simple past, simple future.

o    Reading comprehension: a short text about daily routines with related questions.

o    Vocabulary: words and expressions related to daily routines.

2.      Level placement:

o    Questions should gradually increase in difficulty, so that students can be placed on a spectrum from beginner → advanced.

3.      Format:

o    Mostly multiple-choice questions (4 options each).

o    Reading comprehension should include a short text followed by 5 multiple-choice questions.

4.      Feedback system:

o    At the end, provide a diagnostic summary showing the student’s strengths and weaknesses.

o    Suggest tailored learning recommendations for improvement based on performance in grammar, vocabulary, and reading.

Output structure:

·         Section 1: Grammar (simple present, simple past, simple future) – 6 questions (2 per tense).

·         Section 2: Vocabulary (daily routines) – 5 questions.

·         Section 3: Reading comprehension – 1 short text (~150 words) about daily routines + 5 multiple-choice questions.

·         Final Section: Provide an automated feedback rubric showing:

o    Performance level (beginner / intermediate / advanced).

o    Strengths.

o    Weaknesses.

o    Personalized learning tips.

Make the language and topics age-appropriate for middle school students. Ensure clarity, engagement, and varied difficulty levels.

 

This is what generated by that prompt:

Example: Diagnostic English Test – Second-Year Middle School

Section 1: Grammar (6 questions)

A. Simple Present (2 questions)

1.      My brother ___ football every weekend.
a) play
b) plays
c) playing
d) played

2.      She ___ her homework in the evening.
a) do
b) does
c) did
d) doing

B. Simple Past (2 questions)
3. Yesterday, we ___ a movie at the cinema.
a) watch
b) watched
c) watching
d) watches

4.      I ___ to school by bus last Monday.
a) go
b) goes
c) went
d) going

C. Simple Future (2 questions)
5. Tomorrow, I ___ my grandparents.
a) visit
b) visits
c) will visit
d) visited

6.      They ___ soccer next Saturday.
a) will play
b) plays
c) play
d) played

Section 2: Vocabulary (Daily Routines – 5 questions)

7.      What do you use to brush your teeth?
a) Soap
b) Shampoo
c) Toothbrush
d) Towel

8.      I usually ___ at 7:00 a.m.
a) wake up
b) sleep
c) cook
d) walk

9.      Which word means to eat something in the morning?
a) Lunch
b) Dinner
c) Breakfast
d) Snack

10.  After school, students often ___ their homework.
a) read
b) do
c) make
d) write

11.  Before going to bed, I usually ___ TV for a while.
a) play
b) watch
c) listen
d) write

Section 3: Reading Comprehension

Text (about 150 words):
My name is Sara, and this is my daily routine. On weekdays, I usually wake up at 6:30 in the morning. I brush my teeth, wash my face, and get dressed for school. At 7:00, I have breakfast with my family. I often eat bread, cheese, and drink some milk. My school starts at 8:00, so I leave home at 7:30. I go to school on foot because it is near my house. I usually study English, math, science, and history. During the lunch break, I eat with my friends in the schoolyard. In the afternoon, I return home, have lunch again with my family, and then do my homework. In the evening, I help my mother prepare dinner. After dinner, I sometimes read a book or watch TV. Finally, I go to bed around 10:00 p.m.

Questions (choose the best answer):
12. What time does Sara wake up on weekdays?
a) 7:00
b) 6:30
c) 8:00
d) 10:00

13.  How does Sara go to school?
a) By bus
b) By bike
c) On foot
d) By car

14.  Where does Sara eat lunch at school?
a) In the cafeteria
b) In the classroom
c) In the schoolyard
d) At home

15.  What does Sara sometimes do after dinner?
a) Plays football
b) Reads a book or watches TV
c) Goes to school
d) Writes a letter

16.  When does Sara usually go to bed?
a) 9:00 p.m.
b) 10:00 p.m.
c) 11:00 p.m.
d) Midnight

 

Ask chatgpt to (add an answer key + scoring guide)

For teacher: answer key and  scoring guide:

Diagnostic English Test – Second-Year Middle School

Section 1: Grammar (6 questions)

A. Simple Present (2 questions)

1.      My brother ___ football every weekend.
a) play
b) plays ✅
c) playing
d) played

2.      She ___ her homework in the evening.
a) do
b) does ✅
c) did
d) doing

B. Simple Past (2 questions)
3. Yesterday, we ___ a movie at the cinema.
a) watch
b) watched ✅
c) watching
d) watches

4.      I ___ to school by bus last Monday.
a) go
b) goes
c) went ✅
d) going

C. Simple Future (2 questions)
5. Tomorrow, I ___ my grandparents.
a) visit
b) visits
c) will visit ✅
d) visited

6.      They ___ soccer next Saturday.
a) will play ✅
b) plays
c) play
d) played

Section 2: Vocabulary (Daily Routines – 5 questions)

7.      What do you use to brush your teeth?
a) Soap
b) Shampoo
c) Toothbrush ✅
d) Towel

8.      I usually ___ at 7:00 a.m.
a) wake up ✅
b) sleep
c) cook
d) walk

9.      Which word means to eat something in the morning?
a) Lunch
b) Dinner
c) Breakfast ✅
d) Snack

10.  After school, students often ___ their homework.
a) read
b) do ✅
c) make
d) write

11.  Before going to bed, I usually ___ TV for a while.
a) play
b) watch ✅
c) listen
d) write

Section 3: Reading Comprehension

Text: (already provided above)

12.  What time does Sara wake up on weekdays?
a) 7:00
b) 6:30 ✅
c) 8:00
d) 10:00

13.  How does Sara go to school?
a) By bus
b) By bike
c) On foot ✅
d) By car

14.  Where does Sara eat lunch at school?
a) In the cafeteria
b) In the classroom
c) In the schoolyard ✅
d) At home

15.  What does Sara sometimes do after dinner?
a) Plays football
b) Reads a book or watches TV ✅
c) Goes to school
d) Writes a letter

16.  When does Sara usually go to bed?
a) 9:00 p.m.
b) 10:00 p.m. ✅
c) 11:00 p.m.
d) Midnight

Answer Key Summary

·         Grammar: 1(b), 2(b), 3(b), 4(c), 5(c), 6(a)

·         Vocabulary: 7(c), 8(a), 9(c), 10(b), 11(b)

·         Reading: 12(b), 13(c), 14(c), 15(b), 16(b)

Scoring Guide

·         Total Questions: 16 (1 point each → 16 points total)

Performance Levels

·         Beginner: 0–7 points

·         Intermediate: 8–12 points

·         Advanced: 13–16 points

Section Breakdown for Feedback

·         Grammar: 6 points

·         Vocabulary: 5 points

·         Reading: 5 points

👉 Teachers can record the student’s section score to identify:

·         Strengths → the section with the highest correct answers.

·         Weaknesses → the section with the lowest correct answers.

✨ Now you have:

·         Complete test

·         Answer key

·         Scoring guide

·         Built-in feedback system