The alternative approaches to educational testing that must be thoroughly understood are norm-referenced and criterion-referenced testing. This classification of the test is also called the typology of nature of reference.Criterion-referenced tests are course and program-specific and are related to the performance of the students in a well-defined learning task.It has nothing to do with the norms or relative rank or position of students in any well-defined group rather it is designed to measure well-defined and fairly specific objectives.Diagnostic and achievement tests belong to this category as the criterion-referenced test is used to ascertain a status with respect to the individuals status with respect to a defined achievement domain.?Thus, it is concluded that the criterion-referenced test also measures learners' aptitude for foreign/second language learning is not true about the criterion-referenced test.Hint Norm-referenced assessment: When we measure learner's aptitude and relative position in a well-defined known group, we usually use the norm-referenced test. For example, Sudhirs rank or position in the 10th Board Examination held in 2017 in the State of West Bengal, can be done through the norm-referenced test.