More often than not, criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) are defined in conjunction with norm-referenced tests (NRTs), and are viewed as a scoring-referencing framework. As more attention has been directed to the impact that tests may exert on language teaching and learning, namely washback effect, a further look into the roles and functions of CRTs in language assessment is worth our efforts. The roles and functions of CRTs should not be restricted to scoring referencing; instead, they should be examined in a broad sense. CRTs are closely associated with the implementation of language curriculums and, for that matter, with washback effects. The following diagram shows the relationship between them. In view of the role of CRTs in promoting positive washback effects, attempts should be made to establish links between objectives and tests, between texts and tests, and between methods and tests. This paper argues that as school/university-based language tests are most likely to be CRTs, language teachers should be given opportunities to participate in the process of CR test construction. To this end, a teacher-centred approach to test development is proposed in this paper. A complete test development process generally consists of the following phases: identifying test purpose/selecting test domain, writing test specifications, constructing items/tasks, administering pilot tests, and completing final operational versions. The proposed approach to test development in this paper places the teacher at the very center of the process, which consists of collaboration, reflection, and negotiation. The paper concludes that the roles and functions of CRTs cannot be overemphasized, and teachers should involve themselves in developing CRTs so as to realize desirable washback effects on language teaching and learning.
