Describes how to construct questions to test all cognitive levels of learning for a course in introductory programming. The framework for learning is based on Bloom's taxonomy. Practical advice is given through examples and by describing a computer system to help deliver quizzes. Includes example questions. (Author/AEF)

Describes the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study. Compares the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Civics Report Card with the IEA Civic Education Study. Focuses on the gaps in the NAEP that the IEA research will fill. (CMK)

The psychometric literature is replete with comprehensive discussions of test validity, test validation, and the characteristics of quality assessment programs. The most authoritative source for guidance regarding sound test development and evaluation practices is the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. However, the Standards are…

Educational tests used for accountability purposes must represent the content domains they purport to measure. When such tests are used to monitor progress over time, the consistency of the test content across years is important for ensuring that observed changes in test scores are due to student achievement rather than to changes in what the test…

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) is intended as a reference document for language education including assessment. This article describes a project that investigated whether the CEFR can help test developers construct reading and listening tests based on CEFR levels. If the CEFR scales together with the detailed description of…

End-of-course examinations are only as good as the assumptions used in designing them. What is a course's "essential" content? And what does it mean to master it? The end-of-course examinations developed by ACT are derived from assumptions that offer unique and challenging answers to these questions. This brief explains the process used to develop…

This publication identifies and examines existing assessment instruments in oral communication for K-12 and higher education, and abstracts and describes assessment instruments and systematically reports their availability and interest to scholars, teachers, and administrators. It also provides background research needed to develop oral…

An informal workplace literacy self-test was developed to enable employees to assess their math and reading skills and decide whether to enroll in appropriate literacy programs. The math section of the test consisted of 15 questions; the reading section consisted of 10 questions. The test was quick, confidential, self-administered, and…

This booklet presents the social studies test required for graduation in Alberta, Canada. The grade 12 diploma examination consists of multiple-choice questions (70 percent of the total mark) and written response questions (30 percent). Time for the examination is expected to be two-and-one-half hours with an additional one-half hour given to…

This booklet presents the social studies test required for graduation in Alberta, Canada. The grade 12 diploma examination consists of multiple-choice questions (70 percent of the total mark) and written response questions (30 percent). Time for the examination is expected to be two-and-one-half hours with an additional one-half hour given to…

Many testing programs include a section of optional questions in addition to mandatory parts of a test. These optional parts of a test are not often truly parallel to one another, and groups of examinees selecting each optional test section are not equivalent to one another. This paper provides a general method based on missing-data methods for…

A qualitative study investigated the test-taking behaviors, knowledge, and perceptions of 20 urban, adult basic education students reading at third to fifth grade equivalency levels. The entire reading comprehension subtest of the Test of Adult Basic Education, levels E and M, was administered under standardized conditions. A combination of…

In 1998 and again in 2002, samples of eighth grade students in California were tested in reading as part of the state-level component of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In each of these years, all eighth graders in the state were also required to participate in the state's accountability testing, which included the reading…

This paper compares two methods of establishing content validity, forced-choice judgmental review and a latent category judgmental review. It also compares content validity evidence with the results of a scale reliability analysis and makes recommendations of the two content validity procedures. Two different groups of graduate students enrolled…

This handbook provides information for persons who are preparing to take a test for certification in the plastics industry. The nine sections of the handbook provide information on the following: (1) the mission of the Society of the Plastics Industry and the value of the National Certification in Plastics; (2) tips on preparing for the exam; (3)…