Previous researchers (Lam & Pennington, 1995; Lee, 2004) have investigated the difference between language learners' L2-writing-test scores when the learners are required to type essays compared to when they must handwrite them. The outcomes have been mixed, and this may be because the researchers did not investigate whether L2 proficiency impacts score differences. Therefore, in this study I will investigate the score differences in advanced versus intermediate-level English-language learners on handwritten versus typed essay tests. Sixty-one students, from three different proficiencies, were asked to handwrite one essay and type another from prompts retired from the university's English-language placement test. Two trained raters rated the essays using the university's placement test rubric. Using a multiple linear regression, I compared score differences across the conditions (handwriting versus typing) and between the groups (intermediate versus advanced English-language learners). I found that there is a significant difference for the advanced students, and their scores were much greater for the typed condition than for the handwritten condition. This study sheds light on the effects L2 essay test conditions have on L2 test program outcomes; programs that even today use handwritten essays to assess language learners' academic-writing ability.
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