Two tests were administered to 652 students to investigate the effect of structuring questions about the mole. A third test was administered to see whether each step/operation was intrinsically difficult or if it was only difficult when part of a series of steps/operations. Findings are reported and discussed. (JN)

Discusses the development of a language aptitude test designed to help select students to study German. Four areas of assessment are memory ability, ability to deal with stress and intonation patterns, inductive reasoning ability, and ability to recognize grammatical case. (EKN)

Discusses effects of test question order on student performance. Addresses (1) differences in the distribution of scores on each form of the examination; (2) effects on the validity of individual examination items; and (3) effects on the reliability of the examination instrument. Concludes that distribution of examination scores may be influenced…

Describes an attempt to construct an ESL dictation test that would: (1) be appropriate for a wide range of ability, (2) be easy and fast to score, (3) consist of set items that would form both a unidimensional and cumulative scale, and (4) yield scores that would be directly interpretable with respect to specified levels of English proficiency.…

Reports on a study to determine the development of children's understanding of seven properties of the arithmetic mean and to assess the effects of material used in the testing and the medium of presentation. Some differences were found in children's reasoning. No significant differences were found for materials or medium of presentation. (PK)

Surveys the trait anxiety profile and preference concerning types of examinations of preservice science teachers. Reports that the students prefer examinations on understanding and analyzing rather than on knowing and remembering, and that students' anxiety states correlate with the type of examination and sex. (Author)

Indicates that the language in which a multiple-choice question is couched may be a significant factor in student performance. Effects of changing key words, terms of quantity, negative to positive forms, and from passive to active voice are discussed. Also discusses the effect of rewording long or complex questions. (JN)

This survey on modifications allowed for students with disabilities by 30 states in statewide criterion-referenced testing programs found no universal agreement about modifications. Accommodations in Test Setting and Test Scheduling were more frequently allowed than revisions in Test Directions or Test Format. Assistance devices and accommodations…

Looks at the effect of student-written test questions on student test performance. Students either wrote essay or multiple-choice questions, or did not write questions. Student items were not used on the test. Results indicate that question-writing is an effective studying technique. (Author/LS)

Increased emphasis on public school accountability has resulted in several states including a science component in their elementary and middle school testing program. This component often includes items designed to measure process skill ability. The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of high school students on four types of…

This study tests the hypothesis of a gender difference in academic achievement as a function of measurement method. The biasing influence of measurement method on achievement has been recognized. Campbell and Fiske (1959) suggested that a considerable proportion of the variation in test scores may be due to features of the form of test (method)…

Examined is the performance of men and women undergraduate students in mathematics using multiple-choice, relationship analysis, and true/false questions. Sex differences were reported. Implications of this research are suggested. (Author/YP)

Outlines a procedure used to develop a written diagnostic instrument to identify misconceptions and misunderstandings of the chemistry topic. Reports the characteristic data for the instrument, and student understanding of covalent bonding and structure. (Author/YP)

This study investigated the relationships among the symbolic representation of problems given to students to solve, the mental representations they use to solve the problems, and the accuracy of their solutions. Twenty eleventh-grade science students were asked to think aloud as they solved problems on the ideal gas laws. The problems were…

Explores the concept of construct validity in the context of a public examination. Multitrait-multimethod analysis and factor analysis were used. Discusses the analyses in terms of theory versus practical components and experimental versus observational investigation in practical components. Sample items for the practical examinations are…