Which term is used for a test taken to assess candidates' ability, regardless of any course of study?

• A. Work plan
• B. Proficiency test
• C. Cohesion
• D. Genre approach

Answer: (B)

A proficiency test measures a person’s ability to perform tasks or demonstrate competence in a field, regardless of any specific course of study. It’s designed to assess what someone can do in real-world situations, not what they were taught in a particular class. For example, language proficiency tests evaluate actual language use and comprehension independent of which courses a student took.

The other options don’t fit this purpose. A work plan is just a schedule or blueprint for completing tasks. Cohesion refers to how well parts fit together in writing or groups, not a measurement of ability. The genre approach is a teaching method focused on different text types, not an assessment of general ability. So the term that best matches the idea of testing ability regardless of coursework is proficiency test.