Standard and experimental forms of the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundations Analytical Reasoning test were administered to 1,496 clients of the Foundation (persons seeking information about aptitude for educational and career decisions). The objectives were to develop a new form of the test and to better understand what makes some items more…

An alternative to multiple-choice (MC) testing is suggested as it pertains to the field of radiologic technology education. General principles for writing MC questions are given and contrasted with a new type of MC question, the alternate-choice (AC) question, in which the answer choices are embedded in the question in a short form that resembles…

Traditional tests fall into two categories, both of which have several advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered when determining the type of test to use. Constructed-response tests, such as essay tests, ask students to construct their own responses. Thus, students are required not only to recall but to organize and often apply…

This paper clarifies important distinctions in item writing and item scoring and considers the implications of these distinctions for developing guidelines related to test construction for training teachers. The terminology used to describe and classify paper and pencil test questions frequently confuses two distinct features of questions:…

This module contains resource materials to help vocational education teachers construct effective written tests. (The materials supplement the videotape on "Written Test Construction.") Materials in the packet include guidelines for developing written tests in general and specific guidelines for the five major types of test items, brief…

This article presents the perspective that the quality of teacher-made, small classroom tests has not improved, and may have declined in recent years. This decline may be due to the fact that teachers have come to believe that the kinds of objective items used in national standardized tests are the only item types appropriate for classroom use.…

This resource paper is a guide for planning and developing instructionally relevant tests of student learning at the classroom, building, or district level. It is based on a model of instruction and testing which systematically uses assessment information to support and facilitate instructional improvement. Course goals and objectives are first…

A sample of l34 adults enrolled in adult education programs for credit ranked types of test items. From most to least preferred, the five types of test item were multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and essay. Respondents also explained which type of test item contributed to anxiety for them. Vaguely written essay questions…

The comparative effects of various sequences of test items were examined for over 900 graduate students enrolled in an educational research course at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. experiment, which was conducted a total of four times using four separate tests, presented three different arrangements of 50 multiple-choice items: (1)…

Performance of 100 college freshmen on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery, Part II, Tests of Achievement, were analyzed by subtests and cluster scores to determine appropriateness for assessing achievement of handicapped students. Minor inversions in item order and pronounced ceiling effects on all subtests yielded lowered subtest and…

Examines the changes made in the Nelson Reading Skills Test, Forms 3 and 4, noting that the authors of the revised test have strengthened the test by requiring students to define words in context and by adding sections related to phonic skills, word parts, and reading rate. (HOD)

The Advanced Placement (AP) program is a cooperative educational effort of secondary schools, colleges, and the College Board that consists of 30 college-level courses and examinations in 17 academic disciplines for highly motivated students in secondary schools. AP courses are offered in more than 11,000 high schools and are recognized by nearly…

This guide is designed to give the student helpful information about Arizona's Instrument To Measure the Standards (AIMS) for grade 8. The guide provides examples of the type of questions students see on AIMS and explains how items are scored. It does not teach what the student needs to know to do well on AIMS, but it will help the student know…

The SAT® I: Reasoning Test is administered seven times a year. Primarily for security purposes, several different test forms are given at each administration. How is it possible to compare scores obtained from different test forms and from different test administrations? The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the statistical…

Several multiple-choice item formats are examined in the current climate of test reform. The reform movement is discussed as it affects use of the following formats: (1) complex multiple-choice; (2) alternate choice; (3) true-false; (4) multiple true-false; and (5) the context dependent item set. (SLD)