The aim of this article is to explore the suitability of using translation as a means for testing English writing ability, hoping to open a new page of discussion not eh use of translation in foreign language instruction in a general sense. Although translation was largely abandoned as a means for teaching a foreign language with the advent of communicative language teaching, it has never ceased being active in the foreign language testing domain. In more recent years, globalization brought about necessity to localize commercial documents, and translation as a profession is enjoying an unexpected boom. The fast advance in translation technologies is a direct result. Dictionaries and automatic translation software are becoming more powerful and keenly sought after by foreign language learners. Translation is gradually reclaiming its place in foreign language instruction. This article advances the idea that translation is a viable way for testing foreign language proficiency. It also points out how translation tests differ from similar tests like composition and sentence making. Several types of translation questions are proposed, and the evaluation methods discussed. While concentrating on the usability of translation in foreign language testing, the ultimate aim of the article is to call for more discussion on the use of translation in foreign language teaching.