The DLAB is used to test armed forces service members' ability to acquire a foreign language. It is not designed as an assessment of current language skills, but rather, the ability to logically apply the rules of a "fake" language to audio and visual exercises. The test is approximately two hours long and measures an enlisted member's qualifications for jobs like cryptographer, signal intelligence or linguist. If you do not get a passing score, you may test again in six months.
The MLAT is a way of assessing the language-learning potential of students from third grade up through college. It was developed to help guide teachers prepare appropriate lesson plans and gain a better understanding of how long language goals will take to accomplish. Students with no intention of studying a foreign language may be encouraged to do so as a result of high test scores. The MLAT has also been adapted for children with Spanish as a first language.
Paul Pimsleur developed this assessment tool for students in grades seven through 12. The exam is meant to identify a student's ability to grasp a second language, as well as point out students with an above-average capacity for language learning. The PLAB is also good for students currently enrolled in and having trouble with second language classes. It acts as a guide to develop future lesson plans. Sections include language analysis, vocabulary, sound-symbol association and sound discrimination.
HI-LAB is a computer-administered test specifically designed to test adult learners' abilities to grasp foreign language concepts at an advanced level. The test was developed by the Center for the Advanced Study of Language at the University of Maryland as a way of measuring the speed of acquiring new concepts and retaining information when applied to more difficult languages like Arabic and Chinese. Employers can use test results to train employees who are most likely to benefit from language learning.