Multiple uses of the same assessment may present challenges for both the design and use of an assessment. Little advice, however, has been given to assessment developers as to how to understand the phenomena of multiple assessment use and meet the challenges these present. Particularly problematic is the case in which an assessment is used for…

The comparability of two adult intelligence tests, the Shipley Institute for Living Scale (SILS) (W. Shipley, 1940) and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (A. Kaufman and N. Kaufman, 1990) were studied with 30 college students and 50 adults from forensic settings. Findings show that better-educated and more-relaxed clients may prefer the SILS.…

In a pilot study, two methods of identifying problems in the evaluation of third- and fourth-year medical students' clinical skills were tested. The two types of materials, questionnaires and a problem-case analysis, were found to be complementary, both identifying some of the same problems and each identifying some different problems. (MSE)

A study of the Myers-Briggs personality types for graduating pharmacy students and faculty found gender and type differences among and between students and faculty. It is suggested that both students and faculty must be sensitive to and understand the preferences of the other group to maximize teaching and learning. (Author/MSE)

A study of the comparability of results of two techniques of testing, the traditional approach and that of giving the students the questions before the examination, revealed little difference in the two approaches' results, and supports the use of "prior notice" to reduce test anxiety. (MSE)

In 3 studies involving a total of 305 undergraduates, the Antisocial Practices (ASP) scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) exhibited convergent and discriminant validity with other measures of personality. The ASP and the Psychopathic Deviant scale appear to measure different facets of psychopathy. (SLD)

The following ways of linking results from distinct assessments to use them for multiple purposes are reviewed: (1) equating; (2) calibration; (3) statistical moderation; (4) prediction; and (5) social moderation. The characteristics of these methods, their requirements, and the comparative inferences they support are described. (SLD)

In an engineering technology course at Coventry University (England), the utility of computer-assisted tests was compared with that of traditional paper-based tests. It was found that the computer-based technique was acceptable to students, produced valid results, and demonstrated potential for saving staff time. (Author/MSE)

Cognitive learning and cognitive measures are defined and various types of objective measures of cognitive learning are discussed and compared, including short answer test items, true-false items, multiple choice items, matching items, and written simulations. (MSE)

Junior medical students were given answers to questions from which a final written examination was derived. Results seemed to indicate that grades on both the specific test and subsequent tests improve. (MLW)

Comparison of college freshman performance on two different forms of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (n=684, 692) found a lack of equivalence between forms and low internal consistency reliability. It is suggested that, although the test may be useful for research, it is not appropriate for decision making about individual students.…

Predictive relationships between the scores of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and graduate grade point average (GGPA) and the scores of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and GGPA were studied for 60 college students. The GRE had a stronger correlation to GGPA than the GMAT. (SLD)

Interactive computerized tests accepting unrestricted natural-language input were used to assess knowledge of clinical biophysics at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Comparison of responses to open-ended sequential questions and multiple-choice questions on the same material found the two formats test different aspects of competence.…

The first administration of the newly revised Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT--formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test) was in March 1994. This article looks at the historical background of the College Board's testing program, compares the formats of the new and old versions, and discusses implications for college-bound students and admissions…

Comparability of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the MMPI-2 was explored by examining T-score means, profile configurations, score distribution, and rank-order correlations on validity scales for 84 undergraduates. Equivalency of the two forms was generally supported. (SLD)