This study compared the analytic scores on an essay test of clinical judgment generated by nonphysician readers with those of physician readers. Generalizability theory was applied to determine the number of essays and scorers required to reach specified levels of reproducibility. Results suggested that with training nonphysicians could…

The diversity of grading systems used in 23 of Canada's largest universities is examined. Various suggestions are offered that, if adopted, should improve the communication value of grades and increase their effectiveness in decision-making. (Editor/LBH)

Extended matching, a test item format used currently in medical licensing examinations, is described. Procedures for writing and reviewing such test items are outlined, test development and psychometric advantages are discussed, and issues in test administration and scoring are examined. The extended matching form is also seen as having uses for…

Methods of adjusting cut scores used in placement decisions are examined empirically. Admission and performance variables are used to study alternate methods of adjusting cut scores for placement in standard and accelerated rhetoric courses in a large university setting, with the predicted variable being success or failure as measured by…

Methods for setting cutoff scores based on criterion performance, normative comparison, and absolute judgment were compared for scores on a multiple-choice psychology examination for 121 undergraduates and 251 undergraduates as a comparison group. All methods fell within the standard error of measurement. Implications of differences for decision…

The level of confidence in pass/fail decisions obtained with computer adaptive tests (CATs) was compared to decisions based on paper-and-pencil tests. Subjects included 645 medical technology students from 238 educational programs across the country. The tests used in this study constituted part of the subjects' review for the certification…

A comprehensive guide to the kinds of verbal and mathematical questions likely to appear in the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is presented. The current GMAT consists of multiple-choice questions, which are divided among eight separately timed sections. A general description and brief discussion are presented of the objectives and…

The Simulation of Interactive Decision-Making is a videotape administered instrument designed to measure functional, rather than academic, professional knowledge of teachers. Validity studies with experienced teachers and college students not trained as teachers support use of the instrument as an easily scored measure of functional professional…

Data from the Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST) are compared to data from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to establish CanTEST as a valid admissions tool for English-as-a-Second Language college applicants. Data are taken from four groups of examinees who took both tests. (eight references) (LR)

The objectives of this study were identification and verification of key processes that could be used by higher education quality administrators to implement continuous improvement programs and benchmarking processes. East Tennessee State University's Continuous Improvement Key Process Relationship Matrix was used as the basis of a 44-item…