This study investigated the impact of scoring polytomous items later on measurement precision, classification accuracy, and test security in mixed-format adaptive testing. Utilizing the shadow test approach, a simulation study was conducted across various test designs, lengths, number and location of polytomous item. Results showed that while…

Problem-solving categorization tasks have been well studied and used as an effective tool for assessment of student knowledge structure. In this study, a traditional free-response categorization test has been modified into a multiple-choice format, and the effectiveness of this new assessment is evaluated. Through randomized testing with Chinese…

The role of context in cloze tests has long been seen as both a benefit as well as a complication in their usefulness as a measure of second language comprehension (Brown, 2013). Passage cohesion, in particular, would seem to have a relevant and important effect on the degree to which cloze items function and the interpretability of performances…

A common suggestion made in the psychometric literature for fixed-length classification tests is that one should design tests so that they have maximum information at the cut score. Designing tests in this way is believed to maximize the classification accuracy and consistency of the assessment. This article uses simulated examples to illustrate…

Professors who teach introductory astronomy to students not majoring in science desire them to comprehend the concepts and theories that form the basis of the science. They are usually less concerned about the myriad of detailed facts and information that accompanies the science. As such, professors prefer to test the students for such…

In many practical testing situations, alternate test forms from the same testing program are not strictly parallel to each other and instead the test forms exhibit small psychometric differences. This article investigates the potential practical impact that these small psychometric differences can have on expected classification accuracy. Ten…

Suggests methods for developing higher level objective test questions. Taxonomies that define learning outcomes are discussed; and examples for various test types are presented, including multiple correct answers; more complex forms, including classification and multiple true-false; relations and correlates; and interpretive exercises. (LRW)

Two approaches to criterion-referenced measurement are described and contrasted--domain-referenced testing and mastery testing. This paper is organized according to ten issues or stages in test construction: (1) content domain specification; (2) item construction; (3) item domain specification; (4) item analysis; (5) item selection; (6) parallel…

Results of 96 theoretical/empirical studies were reviewed to see if they support a taxonomy of 43 rules for writing multiple-choice test items. The taxonomy is the result of an analysis of 46 textbooks dealing with multiple-choice item writing. For nearly half of the rules, no research was found. (SLD)

Two studies among U.S. college students (n=88 and n=329) examined the relationships between the order in which responses are offered on a questionnaire and the ranked importance of those responses. Study 1 included 36 males and 52 females, and Study 2 included 127 males and 202 females. Both studies found that approximately one-third (32 percent…

A taxonomy of 43 rules for writing multiple-choice test items is presented, based on a consensus of 46 textbooks. These guidelines are presented as complete and authoritative, with solid consensus apparent for 33 of the rules. Four rules lack consensus, and 5 rules were cited fewer than 10 times. (SLD)

Three studies explored the effects of grouping versus randomized items in questionnaires on internal consistency and test-retest reliability with samples of 80, 80, and 100, respectively, university students and undergraduates. The 2 correlational and 1 experimental studies were reasonably consistent in demonstrating that neither format was…

This report describes the sequence of activities that took place as the Examination Division of the New Jersey Department of Civil Service introduced a word processing system for a test item bank and for production of camera-ready test copy. The equipment selection, installation and orientation procedures are discussed. Keyboard and CRT terminals,…

One of the item types in the Listening Comprehension section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test is the dialogue. Because the dialogue item pool needs to have an appropriate balance of items at a range of difficulty levels, test developers have examined items at various difficulty levels in an attempt to identify their…

As high-stakes use of tests increases, it becomes vital that test developers and test users communicate clearly about the accuracy and limitations of the scores generated by a test after it is assembled and used. A procedure is described for portraying the accuracy of test scores. It can be used in setting accuracy targets during form construction…