This is a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the assessment of reading in a foreign or second language. It reviews theory practice in the assessment of reading and should prove valuable for anyone wishing to assess the reading ability of language learners. Research into the assessment of reading; 4. The reader: defining the construct of reading ability; 5. A framework for test design; 6.Tests in the real world: test purposes; 7. Techniques for testing reading; 8. The development of reading ability; The way forward. Assessing the interaction between reader and text: processes and strategies.