It is noticeable that testing and assessment plays a significant role in language learning process, nevertheless, how to assess students' language ability seems to have challenged many teachers in secondary schools in Nghe An province. The article discusses the need of testing and assessment, formative and summative assessment, five criteria of a good test. This paper also mentions the documents regarding the issue of assessing young learners' language competence. Key words: testing, assessment, formative assessment, summative assessment, criteria, a good test