According to item response theory (IRT), examinee ability estimation is independent of the particular set of test items administered from a calibrated pool. Although the most popular application of this feature of IRT is computerized adaptive (CA) testing, a recently proposed alternative is self-adapted (SA) testing, in which examinees choose the…

A computer program was developed to increase GED test candidate's level of test taking skills, knowledge of algebra and geometry, and self-confidence for the GED Mathematics Test. The computer program was developed and written, then implementation was administered by three teachers in a GED study center. Two math scores were used to determine the…

A study investigated the relationship of different aspects of anxiety and second language production in a relatively non-threatening oral production task. Subjects were 43 introductory psychology students who had completed grade 12 French instruction at least 1 year prior to the study who had not had any formal French instruction since then. The…

This report of a conference dedicated to the growth of professionalism within the field of learning assistance begins with a brief introduction reviewing the origins and objectives of the sponsoring association, followed by 10 representative papers. The papers have the following titles and authors: "The Classroom Research Project: Results at…

This leaflet describes simple techniques for developing children's ability to do well on tests, as derived from research done through the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Suggestions for parents are divided into five sections: (1) Why Test?; (2) Ask the School; (3) Avoid Test Anxiety; (4) Do's and Don'ts; and (5) After the Test.…

A major barrier to minority student participation in the Arizona State University teacher preparation program is the state-mandated requirement that all sections of the PreProfessional Skills Test (PPST) be passed before any teacher preparation courses can be taken. This paper describes the significant features of a minority recruitment/support…

In self-adapted testing, examinees are allowed to choose the difficulty of each item to be presented immediately before attempting it. Previous research has demonstrated that self-adapted testing leads to better performance than do fixed-order tests and is preferred by examinees. The present study examined the strategies that 29 college students…

Examinees (N=1,233) at the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation (JOCRF) were administered one of three test forms in which only item order differed. The study was undertaken to determine the validity of the assumption underlying item response theory (IRT) that there are fixed item parameters that can predict performance. The Rasch IRT model was…

Undoubtedly test anxiety is a troublesome condition found to be prevalent today among college students. Over the years various attempts have been made to explore how test anxiety influences academic achievement. This paper discusses the extent to which test anxiety affects academic achievement of college students, and the techniques found to be…

This handbook is intended to illustrate to students that they are not alone in their fear of tests and to help students reduce their own test anxiety. The handbook is a compilation of writings contributed by students who attended an adult basic education (ABE) program to prepare teenage and adult students to take the General Educational…

Traditionally, matching test formats have been avoided in favor of multiple-choice items for several reasons, including item analysis properties and chance performance characteristics. In the light of research on test format and anxiety, this study postulates that, if a matching test could assess knowledge for a given topic as effectively as an…

Parallel studies, by Sally L. Lusk at the University of Michigan, and by Linda Petty at Hampton Institute (Virginia), tested the hypothesis that students with a high amount of test anxiety would derive the greatest benefit from using information retrieval aids in the form of notecards during an examination. Also examined was the relationship…

An investigation of worry and emotionality as different components of test anxiety is presented through a longitudinal study of subjects in grades 6 and 9. The study aimed at describing and explaining the development of school-related anxiety, dissatisfaction and the perceived learning environment. By confirmatory factor analysis with boys and…

The motivational dynamics of educationally disadvantaged students in Title I education programs in Illinois were studied. Pretesting and posttesting for 450 students in grades 1 through 6 were conducted by using two test forms, the Mature Test Form for the older students and the Happy Face Form for the younger students. Ethnicity included Whites,…

This program of research has three general thrusts. First, the relations between motivation and achievement performance were studied across children of various sociocultural backgrounds including lower- and middle- class white, black, and hispanic children. Motivational test bias was found to be strong for students of all sociocultural…