Reading skills are crucial to students learning and using English as a second language for academic purposes. Teachers can construct valid reading tests if they approach the task with care and focus on the test's ability to measure construct rather than face validity. In reading tests, the crucial elements of test design affecting validity are (1) the content of the reading tasks, (2) the length of the stimulus material, (3) the question format, (4) the time allotted for completion of the task, and (5) the amount of information obtained about the students' reading ability. Good reading tests should also show item sampling reliability, contain items whose formats require productive language, and promote scoring reliability. Good tests assess student proficiency and progress accurately and also give students confidence in their effectiveness, comprehensiveness, stringency, and accuracy. (MSE)