The multilevel characteristics of test item data are considered as a method for examining the characteristics of standardized norm-referenced tests. A theoretical rationale for examining multilevel characteristics is presented. It can be used as an aid to understand why program and instructional effects on measures constructed from…

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of symbolic format of test material on short- and long-term recognition. Subjects, 104 undergraduate students, viewed slides of either a black-and-white photograph, a one-sentence verbal description of the photo, a black-and-white drawing based on the verbal description, or a black-and-white line…

The present study was an attempt to alleviate some of the difficulties inherent in multiple-choice items by having examinees respond to multiple-choice items in a probabilistic manner. Using this format, examinees are able to respond to each alternative and to provide indications of any partial knowledge they may possess concerning the item. The…

An approach to improve the test-taking abilities of minority students, and especially college students, are discussed. The problem of lower performance of minorities on norm-referenced, standardized test is also considered. One approach to help improve students' scores on standardized tests is test-taking instruction and practice on simulated…

Since acceptable writing is essential to success in job training programs and in many entry-level jobs, a writing sample was included in the Training and Employment Prerequisites Survey, a multiple-choice test about skills like mechanics, usage, and spelling. The two writing prompts asked students to give directions for finding a location in a…

Mandatory evaluation of classroom instruction in the University System of Georgia has posed the problem of whether item context on inventories used to obtain the evaluation (i.e. the content of other items on a questionnaire), and the type of inventory, influence students' global (over-all) appraisal of instruction. This problem, and the question…

Consistent with its mission of synthesizing available information on performance assessment in a variety of skill areas, the Clearinghouse for Applied Performance Assessment has prepared this summary of the role of performance assessment in selected published tests of problem-solving skill. Performance assessment is defined in terms of assessment…

To help determine the role that test instrument formats play in evaluation, two parallel examinations were given to 227 second-year medical students. The tests were based on information presented in a medical case history. One required students to generate their own problem lists (the generate group); the other required the students to select…

Forty-five graduate students in two educational psychology classes were randomly assigned to three groups for a classroom test on the course content. One group was asked to go to another room and then was privately excused from the test. The other two groups took tests with the same 32 items, but one group used a multiple-choice format and the…

Two studies investigate whether the placement and/or wording (either positively or negatively) of diagnostic rating scale items influenced student responses to the global items in the evaluation of a course of instruction. The Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) developed at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign was used to…

Number right and elimination scores were analyzed on a 48-item college level mathematics test that was assembled from pretest data in three forms by varying the item orderings: easy-hard, uniform, or random. Half of the forms contained information explaining the item arrangement and suggesting strategies for taking the test. Several anxiety…

This study examined response bias in 108 female adolescents randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) interactive computer interview; (2) face-to-face interview, or (3) self-administered questionnaire. Results showed no significant group differences on reports of sexual behavior, substance use or symptomatology. (Author/BS)

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of test generation programs. Includes setting up, printing exams and "bells and whistles." Reviews eight computer packages for Apple and IBM personal computers. Compares features, costs, and usage. (CW)

A biochemistry examination administered to 114 dental students consisted of 20 items that measured knowledge and 18 items that measured either comprehension or application. Each item was written with five choices, half the class being presented the original version, half a content-similar derivative that included three choices. (Author/LMO)

Two matched forms of a 50 item grammar test were developed. Twenty items designed to be humorous were included in one form. Inclusion of humorous items did not affect grammar scores on matched humorous/nonhumorous items, nor on commmon post-treatment items. Inclusion did not affect results of anxiety measures. (Author/DWH)