Score equating is essential for any testing program that continually produces new editions of a test and for which the expectation is that scores from these editions have the same meaning over time. Particularly in testing programs that help make high-stakes decisions, it is extremely important that test equating be done carefully and accurately.…

This article discusses a particular type of concordance table and the potential for test score misuse that may result from employing such a table. The concordance that is discussed is typically created between scores on different, nonequatable versions of a test that share the same or close to the same test title. These concordance tables often…

The purposes of this paper are five-fold to discuss: (1) when item response theory (IRT) equating methods should provide better results than traditional methods; (2) which IRT model, the three-parameter logistic or the one-parameter logistic (Rasch), is the most reasonable to use; (3) what unique contributions IRT methods can offer the equating…

Two independent replications of a sequence of simulations were conducted to aid in the diagnosis and interpretation of equating differences found between representative (random) and matched (nonrandom) samples for three commonly used conventional observed-score equating procedures and one item-response-theory-based equating procedure. (SLD)

Two recent simulation studies were conducted to aid in the diagnosis and interpretation of equating differences found between random and matched (nonrandom) samples for four commonly used equating procedures: (1) Tucker; (2) Levine equally reliable; (3) Chained equipercentile observed-score; and (4) three-parameter, item response theory true-score…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which item parameters estimated on pretest data from the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) can be used for equating purposes in a situation where intact final form SAT testing data have normally been used. Items appearing in two final SAT-verbal forms were calibrated…

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using item response theory (IRT) methods to equate different forms of three College Board Achievement Tests (Biology, American History and Social Studies, and Mathematics Level II) and one Graduate Record Examinations Achievement Test (Advanced Biology), rather than conventional or…

Procedures used to establish the comparability of scores derived from the College Board Admissions Testing Program (ATP) computer adaptive Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) prototype and the paper-and-pencil SAT are described in this report. Both the prototype, which is made up of Verbal and Mathematics computer adaptive tests (CATs), and a form of…

This paper provides the basis for understanding score equating through item response theory (IRT). Theoretical justifications and practical advantages of IRT true-score test procedures are discussed. Three steps in the equating process are specified, and a self-test is included. (SLD)

In item response theory (IRT), preequating depends upon item parameter estimate invariance. Three separate simulations, all using the unidimensional three-parameter logistic item response model, were conducted to study the impact of the following variables on preequating: (1) mean differences in ability; (2) multidimensionality in the data; and…

A previous study of pre-equating the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) using item response theory provided unacceptable equating results for SAT-mathematical data. The purpose of this study was to investigate two possible explanations for these unacceptable pre-equating results. Specifically, the calibration process, which made use of the…

The feasibility of pre-equating, or establishing conversions from raw to scaled scores through the use of pretest data before operationally administering a test, was investigated for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Item-response theory based equating methods were used to estimate item parameters on SAT pretest data, instead of using final form…