This research analyses the creation and use of online diagnostic tests to assess the linguistic competence of students at City University London. It examines the choices and approaches to designing this type of test and the effectiveness of the whole assessment process. Moreover, it highlights the importance of creating assessments testing the way learners mainly construct their knowledge regardless of the discipline or subject assessed. Finally the study recommends for the design of online assessments not to be led by the technology but to test the approaches learners use to map their own knowledge
