Update on the free online interactive c-test generator

Flash logoIn January of this year (2013) I published an article on my C-Test Generator which I made freely available for everyone to use so that they can generate their own c-tests quickly and easily. Since then, it has occured to me that it would also be useful to be able to generate text versions of c-tests that can be printed and photocopied for those who don’t have computers readily available or if teachers would like to create specific language proficiency tests for their learners.

What is it and what does it do?

Please see the previous article, Free online interactive c-test generator, for more information about what c-tests are, how they are an improvement on cloze tests, and what the C-Test Generator app does.

What has changed?

The c-test generator app, in addition to creating an interactive online c-test, now generates an additional pure text version. By clicking on the “Copy” button, the text is automatically saved to your operating system’s clip board. You can then paste it into a text document such as OpenOffice/LibreOffice Writer or MS Word. If you adjust the kerning (space between letters), you’ll be able to see one underscore for each deleted letter, which looks more like betw_ _ _ than betw___. In OpenOffice/LibreOffice:

  1. Highlight the text that you want to adjust the kerning on
  2. Go to Format > Character… > Position
  3. Under “Spacing”, select “Expanded” from the dropdown list
  4. In the “by” section increase the pts to widen the character spacing (You should see a preview). About 2.0 pts should be enough.

The process will be similar in MS Word. Check their help and documentation for details. Please note the the same C-Test Generator app is embedded in this page and the previos C-Test Generator article page.

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