ClozCHI: A cloze test for measuring L2 Chinese proficiency from novice to advanced levels

For decades, there has been a dearth of efficient tools for researchers to measure L2 Chinese proficiency. This study introduces ClozCHI, a cloze test developed to assess L2 Chinese proficiency across a range of levels from novice to advanced. Unlike existing Chinese cloze tests, ClozCHI comprises three passages with varying levels of difficulty. Its effectiveness was assessed with 225 L2 Chinese learners who participated in the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) at Levels 3 to 6 and completed ClozCHI within 2 weeks before or after their HSK tests. Additionally, supplementary data were collected from 97 learners below HSK Level 3 without HSK testing. The psychometric analysis of the ClozCHI using both classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) revealed that the test demonstrated appropriate difficulty, good discrimination, and high reliability from novice to advanced levels. ClozCHI scores showed strong correlations with HSK levels, demonstrating criterion-related validity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) further supported its unidimensional structure. ClozCHI was more effective for assessing reading than listening or writing. These findings suggested that ClozCHI is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing L2 Chinese proficiency in research settings. ClozCHI is freely available for researchers from the Open Science Framework repository: https://osf.io/5kcrq/ .