Khalifa
and Weir’s Examining Reading (2009) focuses on the assessment of second language reading ability,
including the nature of reading at higher proficiency levels in academic and professional contexts. The
hope is that volumes such as these will increasingly be used in practical ways to develop item writers’
understanding of the constructs that are the focus of assessment, thus enabling them to more fully
operationalise the academic reading construct in IELTS and other tests.