Test-taking experience is a consequence of the interaction between students and assessment properties. We define a new notion, rapid-pacing behavior, to reflect two types of test-taking experience -- disengagement and speededness. To identify rapid-pacing behavior, we extend existing methods to develop response-time thresholds for individual items…

The purpose of this study is to introduce a method for converting scored 4-option multiple-choice (MC) items into scored 3-option MC items without re-pretesting the 3-option MC items. This study describes a six-step process for achieving this goal. Data from a professional credentialing exam was used in this study and the method was applied to 24…

Computer-aided assessment is an important tool that reduces the workload of teachers and increases the efficiency of their work. The multiple-choice test is considered to be one of the most common forms of computer-aided testing and its application for mid-term has indisputable advantages. For the purposes of a high-quality and responsible…

This article considers the design process for new formative history assessments. Over the course of 3 years, my colleagues from the Stanford History Education Group and I designed, piloted, and revised dozens of "History Assessments of Thinking" (HATs). As we created HATs, we sought to gather information about their cognitive validity,…

This study examined the "communicativeness" of 22 English language tests designed and administered by 22 English instructors from 22 different colleges and universities in the Philippines. Its key objective was to answer the question "How communicative are the language tests used in assessing students' competence (knowledge of the…

This article uses the work of two students to illustrate the need to consider changing the format of test items or making language adjustments to increase the validity of the test items as measures of the mathematics that students know.

This study guide, designed to help counselors prepare for the Virginia Professional Counselor License Examination, guides applicants through the licensing application process, with information on the written and oral parts of the examination. Recommended texts for studying for the exam are suggested, and sample questions are provided. Guidelines…

This report and compilation of papers summarizes information collected by an Assessment Development and Use Project, initiated by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) to assist test development efforts by state and local agencies. Specific item banking applications are reported in two case studies, selected because they represent…