The purpose of this study was to compare the reliabilities of two-, three-, four-, and five-choice tests using an incremental option paradigm. Test forms were created incrementally, a method approximating actual test construction procedures. Participants were 154 12th-grade students from the Portland (Oregon) area. A 45-item test with two options…

Kuwait University initially developed a new English placement test for students to help upgrade English language instruction throughout the country's educational system, through diagnosis of relative English proficiency levels of all secondary school graduates, determination of suitable admissions criteria for all higher education institutions,…

An attempt was made to develop self-directedness in students through teaching them how to write questions in multiple-choice format, and by making students aware that phrasing things in multiple-choice format is a way of asking questions that is conducive to developing thinking, writing, and test-taking skills. The study, a form of reflective…

Surveys used for program and institutional evaluation, such as self-studies conducted for accreditation review, are discussed. Frequently, these evaluations take the form of faculty surveys and student surveys. This paper explores the following general considerations associated with mail surveys and other surveys: avoidance of response bias;…

Authentic reading assessment is examined, focusing on its implementation within the Michigan Essential Skills Reading Test (MESRT). Authentic reading assessment emerged as a response to research that indicates that reading is not a particular skill but an interaction among reader, text, and the context of the reading situation. Unlike formal…

This study examined agreement rates between identified strengths and weaknesses in shared abilities and influences on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Sixty-seven students in the first through seventh grades referred for learning disabilities (LD) evaluation were…

The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) Grade 11 Test is designed to measure proficiency in four subject areas including English, mathematics, social studies, and science. This guide for science is intended to provide a description of the way in which specific skill areas are assessed on the LEAP test and instructional considerations…

Teachers' use of classroom tests and test items was examined by level of teacher training in tests and measurement, grade taught and subject area taught. A survey form was developed that contained questions about training in tests and measurement, subject areas and grades taught, from what source test items were taken, hours spent in…

The relative effectiveness of multiple-choice (MC) and constructed-response (CR) test formats in computer-managed instruction (CMI) were compared using four test groups of 30 trainees each who were assigned nonsystematically from the basics course at the Propulsion Engineering School, Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Group A took module tests in…

Several measurement theorists have convincingly argued that methods of writing test questions, particularly for criterion-referenced tests, should be based on operationally defined rules. This study was designed to examine and further refine a method for objectively generating multiple-choice questions for prose instructional materials. Important…

Promotes the use of machine-scored tests in basic engineering science classes. Discusses some principles and practices of machine-scored testing. Provides several example test items. Argues that such tests can be used to enhance basic understanding of concepts and problem solving skills. (TW)

A multiple matching test--a 24-item Hebrew vocabulary test--was examined, in which distractors from several items are pooled into one list at the test's end. Construction of such tests was feasible. Reliability, validity, and reduction of random guessing were satisfactory when applied to data from 717 applicants to Israeli universities. (SLD)

A study of possible test bias in the Arabic and Hebrew versions of a standardized scholastic aptitude test used in Israel found a slight overprediction of performance for Arabs, but the findings appear to be more consistent with psychometric than cultural bias. (Author/MSE)

The primary objective of this study was to investigate overall patterns of gender differences and similarities of test performance in mathematics. To achieve that objective, observed test scores on the Delaware standards-based assessment were analyzed to examine: (1) gender differences and similarities across grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 over 2 years;…

This study investigated the strategies subjects adopted to solve STEM-equivalent SAT-Mathematics (SAT-M) word problems in constructed-response (CR) and multiple-choice (MC) formats. Parallel test forms of CR and MC items were administered to subjects representing a range of mathematical abilities. Format-related differences in difficulty were more…