This study hypothesized that items in the one-question-per-passage format would be less easily answered when administered without their associated contexts than conventional reading comprehension items. A total of 256 seventh and eighth grade students were administered both Forms 3A and 3B of the Sequential Tests of Educational Progress (STEP 11).…

This paper focuses on the questions which arise as test practitioners monitor score scales derived from latent trait theory. Large scale assessment programs are dynamic and constantly challenge the assumptions and limits of latent trait models. Even though testing programs evolve, test scores must remain reliable indicators of progress.…

This guide is designed to serve as a reference to assist providers of Job Training Partnership Act-funded programs in selecting appropriate interest, aptitude, and pre-employment and job readiness tests. Descriptions of 53 interest tests, 38 aptitude tests, and 37 pre-employment and job readiness tests are provided. Each description contains…

One question regarding the utility of adaptive testing is the effect of individualized item arrangements on examinee test scores. The purpose of this study was to analyze the item difficulty choices by examinees as a function of previous item performance. The examination was a 25-item test of basic algebra skills given to 36 students in an…

When test questions are not intended to measure language skills, it is important to know if language is an extraneous characteristic that affects item performance. This study investigates whether certain stylistic changes in the way items are presented affect item performance on examinations for a health profession. The subjects were medical…

A questionnaire concerning attitudes toward the importance of communication skills and toward different modes of communication was administered to 290 incoming freshmen at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Students responded to one of two types of a 38-item questionnaire: a multiple choice, or Likert-type (strongly agree...strongly…

Figural response items (FRIs) in science were administered to 347 fourth graders, 365 eighth graders, and 322 twelfth graders. Item and test statistics from parallel FRIs and multiple-choice questions illustrate FRIs' more difficult and more discriminating nature. Relevance of guessing to FRIs and diagnostic value of the item type are highlighted.…

Presented at the Annual National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) in New York in March 2008. This presentation explores how different item weighting can affect the effective weights, validity coefficents and test reliability of composite scores among test takers.

This paper is a preliminary report on the development of alternate forms of an attitude scale to assess parents' and professionals' views toward the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process, a process evolving as a result of Federal regulations regarding early-intervention services. Development of the set of attitude scales is unique in…

Intended as a guide for college and secondary school educators involved in establishing institutional policy or providing students with academic counseling, this booklet presents basic information about the wide variety of English composition and literature examinations offered by College Board programs. It begins with a description of the role…

This report provides information on test development, test administration, and score interpretation for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The GMAT, first administered in 1954, provides objective measures of an applicant's abilities for use in admissions decisions by graduate management schools. It is currently composed of five…

A comparison is presented of alternate-choice and true-false item forms used in an undergraduate natural science course. The alternate-choice item is a modified two-choice multiple-choice item in which the two responses are included within the question stem. This study (1) compared the difficulty level, discrimination level, reliability, and…

A study investigated the appropriate use of item types for testing reading at various levels of proficiency. It was specifically concerned with item types found in the standardized group-administered Defense Language Proficiency Tests. The item formats investigated were signs in the target language, identification of underlined information,…

The Microcomputer Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP) was designed to broaden the use of microcomputers in student testing, for elementary and secondary school use, and for a variety of test item formats. MDTP was designed to administer tests, to allow teachers to create or revise tests, to print out test forms when desired, to score tests, to…

Reviews study conducted to compare levels of achievement on final exams for college students responding to combinations of test-item feedback methods and modes of test-item presentation. The PHOENIX computer system used in the comparison is described, and the use of ACT (American College Testing Program) scores for ability comparison is discussed.…