The passage looks to be a part of literary piece and it is written in past tense

Achievement tests

Achievement tests are used to measure whether the students have been able to achieve a set of pre-determined objectives in a particular course of study. English language test paper given at O/L Examination in Sri Lanka is an example of an Achievement Test. They are directly related to language courses and are based on syllabus. They aim at measuring how successful the learners have been in achieving the course objectives. These tests provide feedback to the following categories in the teaching-learning process:

1. 
   Learners: how successfully they have mastered the skills during a particular period of study.
   
2. 
   Teachers: how effective their teaching strategies have been in helping learners to achieve the course objectives.
   
3. 
   Course developers: how effective the planning strategies and materials have been in helping learners to achieve the course objectives.
   

Achievement Tests are of two types according to the point at which the test is administered in the teaching program:

1. 
   Final Achievement Test/ Summative Test: They are administered at the end of a course. These tests are based on the entire syllabus of the course. Usually, these tests are conducted by Department of Examination, or any other relevant organization.
   
2. 
   Progress Achievement Test/Formative Test: They are administered during the course of study and are conducted by class-teachers. They are based on the parts of the syllabus completed by the time of the test.
   

A good Achievement Test paper should have some characteristics:

1. 
   Validity: Since these tests are based on syllabus, content validity is an essential feature. The test items should represent the entire syllabus or the part of it completed in suitable proportion.
   
2. 
   Washback effect: The test paper should produce beneficial washback effect. If, for instance, some areas of the syllabus are neglected in testing, it will have a negative effect on subsequent stages of teaching. Suppose that oral skills are included in a syllabus but are ignored in testing. The teachers are, therefore, likely to pay less attention to the practice of oral skills in classroom teaching.
   

2.