The influence of assessment on teaching and learning is commonly described as `Washback' in language testing and `Backwash' in the literature on education. Since the time Alderson and Wall (1993) published their article, "Does Washback Exist?", numerous studies have proved the existence of washback and its influence/impact on teaching and learning. This study sets out to verify whether the Public Higher Secondary English Examinations (an assessment conducted by the Directorate of Examinations, State Board of Tamil Nadu) have an impact on the teaching and learning of English in the schools in Chennai. The study also aims at determining the nature of this impact. Data was collected through a detailed questionnaire survey. The findings indicate that tests do influence the teaching and learning of English, and it is imperative for this impact to be desired, intended or positive, failing which the goals of the curriculum would remain just in theory, while in practice the demands of the examination would continue to be met. The effects are detrimental in that it leads to an enormous waste of various teaching-learning resources, besides making school leavers incompetent in English.

"Assessment is probably the most profound influence on what gets learned when learning occurs …" (Weeden et al., 2002, p. 150). From time immemorial, in the field of education, assessment has been used to exert power—to ensure things happen. One can safely claim that anything that is not or cannot be evaluated is neither taught by the teachers nor learnt by the students. But the sad state of affairs is that "assessment FOR learning is probably the most neglected topic in the whole of the educational world, whether this is educational policymaking, educational research or educational practice itself …" (Weeden et al., 2002, p. 150).

Education is expected to be oriented towards the goals framed on the basis of the needs assessment done, and one of examination's primary purposes is to evaluate the extent to which these goals have been met by the teachers and learners in the teaching-learning process. In a high stakes test, this role of assessment is largely reversed. The public examination taken by students at the end of their school studies in Tamil Nadu is a high stakes test. This being an entry-level qualification for students who wish to pursue education at the tertiary level, it is of crucial importance to the life and future of school students. This introduction of the public examination into the educational system and the over-emphasis on the marks obtained in these exams have turned classrooms into "exam classes" (May, 1996, p. 4), and the teaching and learning experience into exam preparation. This phenomenon, where a test or examination impacts teaching and learning, is termed `Washback'.

Assessment, Teaching-Learning Resources, Washback, Teaching-Learning Process, Empirical research, Data Analysis, Questionnaire survey, Washback hypothesis, Educational policymaking, Educational research, Washback Study, High stakes test, Language Testing.