An a-stratified design (H. Chang and Z. Ying, 1997) is a new concept proposed to address the issues of item security and pool utilization in testing. It has been demonstrated to be effective in lowering the test overlap rate and improving the use of the entire pool when content constraints are not main concerns. However, it cannot really solve the…

Tasks are the most visible element in an educational assessment. Their purpose, however, is to provide evidence about targets of inference that cannot be directly seen at all: what examinees know and can do, more broadly conceived than can be observed in the context of any particular set of tasks. This paper concerns issues in an assessment design…

Creating a survey that asks the right questions at a level appropriate for the intended audience is a difficult task. This guide is designed to support educators who want to be confident that the data they gather will be useful. The guide is organized according to the developmental steps in creating a survey. Individual chapters correspond to the…

Computerized testing has created new challenges for the production and administration of test forms. This paper describes a multi-stage, testlet-based framework for test design, assembly, and administration called computer-adaptive sequential testing (CAST). CAST is a structured testing approach that is amenable to both adaptive and mastery…

In this study, three structural characteristics--stem format, inclusive versus specific distracters, and stem orientation--were selected for experimental manipulation, while the number of alternatives, the number of correct answers, and the order of items were experimentally controlled. (Author)

Presents the theoretical advantages of banks of test items from which tests with pre-determined characteristics can be constructed, with particular emphasis on the possibility of providing comparable achievement data concerning students from different schools without forcing all to take exactly the same test. Reviews some related literature. (AL)

Purpose of this study was to test a short version of the Stanford-Binet, Form L-M using a group covering a wide age and ability level in an attempt to reduce the time factor involved in administration of some of the S-B tests, without sacrificing the reported accuracy. (Author/CB)

Some students study, and some learn, in preparation for exams; to increase their number, author (a high school teacher) presents a restructured exam program." (SP)

A discussion of the need to utilize a training approach based on job performance requirements and criterion tests." (Author/AK)

The most reliable test is the student made or question-test". Suggestions for administering and grading this type of test are presented. (AF)

Reviewed are a definition of intelligence level, the origin of intelligence tests, technical points concerning intelligence test construction, and individual intelligence tests. (CB)

A de-emphasis on the use of tests, in and of themselves, will minimize a great deal of the anxiety that typically accompanies the test-taking situation in school children. (Author)

Discusses the sociology of examinations, their interaction with teachers, with aims and philosophy of teaching programs, and with students. Emphasizes the need to (1) construct valid tests, (2) test for understanding instead of memory, and (3) use meaningful grading procedures. (LC)