The retest stability of four Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) short forms (Kaufman, Ishikuma, and Kaufman-Packer; Reynolds, Wilson and Clark; Silverstein; Ward) was investigated with 61 subjects aged 75 to 87 years. Short form stability in each instance was comparable to that of the standard WAIS-R. (SLD)

Classically parallel, tau-equivalently parallel, and congenerically parallel models representing various degrees of part-test parallelism and their appropriateness for tests composed of multiple item formats are discussed. An appropriate reliability estimate for a test with multiple item formats is presented and illustrated. (SLD)

First-year college students (n=214) completed wellness instrument and were given number of physical tests including measures of body composition, cholesterol, blood pressure, and pulse rate. Found no significant relationships between specific paper-and-pencil physical scores and specific objective physiological indicators. When several wellness…

Developed interview-based Geriatric Depression Rating Scale (GDRS) and administered 35-item GDRS to 68 older adults with range of affective disturbance. Found scale to have internal consistency and split-half reliability comparable to those of Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Geriatric Depression Scale. Concurrent validity, construct…

Examined equivalence of mode of administration of the Career Decision-Making System, comparing paper-and-pencil version and computer-based version. Findings from 61 undergraduate students indicated that the computer-based version was significantly more reliable than paper-and-pencil version and was generally equivalent in other respects.…

Argues that multiple-choice tests can be effective only if the items are written in a format suitable for testing the mastery of specific instructional objectives. Proposes the use of nonrestrictive test items and cites examples of such items. (FL)

Two item-writing rules were tested: phrasing stems as questions versus partial sentences; and using the "none-of-the-above" option instead of a specific content option. Results with 228 college students do not support the use of either stem type and provide limited evidence to caution against the "none-of-the-above" option.…

The delta method was used to derive standard errors (SES) of the Levine observed score and Levine true score linear test equating methods using data from two test forms. SES derived without the normality assumption and bootstrap SES were very close. The situation with skewed score distributions is also discussed. (SLD)

The Satz-Mogel Abbreviation of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Revised (WAIS-R) was compared with a 7-subtest short form of 130 healthy and 40 neurologically impaired older adults. Both short forms were found similar for normal or impaired adults in comparison with the full WAIS-R. (SLD)

Suggests that performance tests as currently represented in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)-Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) may not adequately address the basic concerns brought about by the perceived shortcomings of academic second language programs. Supports this argument with a critical analysis of the ACTFL…

This article invokes a literal image of test givers as measurement devices and explores the psychometric properties of these test administrator instruments. Concurrent and content validation and test-retest and parallel-forms validity are explored. (SLD)

Discussion of adapting traditional paper and pencil tests to electronic formats focuses on a study of undergraduates that examined the equivalence between computer-based and traditional tests when the computer testing provided opportunities comparable to paper testing conditions. Results showed no difference between scores from the two test types.…

Examined whether patterns of gender differential item functioning (DIF) in parcels of items are influenced by changes in item position. Findings for more than 2,000 college freshmen taking a test of mathematics suggest that the amounts of gender DIF and DIF present in item parcels tend not to be influenced by changes in item position. (SLD)

Four item response theory linking methods (2 moment methods and 2 characteristic curve methods) were compared to concurrent (CO) calibration with the focus on the degree of robustness to format effects (FEs) when applying the methods to multidimensional data that reflected the FEs associated with mixed-format tests. Based on the quantification of…

Studies of placement tests are typically narrowly concerned with their validation as instruments for the efficient grouping of students. They rarely explore the assumption that placement test content can be related to classroom tasks and so inform instructional decisions. This study focuses on a trial version of the Global Placement Test (GPT), a…