Some little-understood facts about standardized test scores and how they are reported and interpreted are explained. In particular, the practice of score equating ensures that different test forms have comparable scoring. This and other practices are designed to enhance the equity of testing. (MSE)

Undergraduates in five classes were asked to rate their instructors on four general items, and on twenty-four behavior-specific items describing instructor involvement. Three reliability coefficients differing in error score assumptions were calculated for different numbers of students and items, to permit comparison of the reliabilities of both…