The impact of the baccalaureate dual-topic choice on test-takers’ written production
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Abstract
The Algerian Baccalaureate is a high-stakes written exam. It is administered by the Ministry of National Education and is used to determine university admission. This study investigates the cognitive load, fairness, and validity of its writing section. The Guide to Designing the English Language Test for the Baccalaureate Exam states that the test offers two writing prompts: a guided topic linked to the reading passage and an unguided, unrelated one. This favors students who choose the guided option. It creates unequal cognitive demands and compromises test validity. An analysis of the official guide and the 2024 English exam for selected streams shows that the dual-topic format creates unfair advantages and undermines fairness. The study recommends a single, standardized writing task to ensure equal cognitive demands for all test-takers. This reform would enhance test validity and uphold the Algerian Baccalaureate’s integrity as a fair assessment tool.
Keywords: Baccalaureate; Fairness; Cognitive load; validity; Writing skill.
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