Research in validity suggests that stakeholders' interpretation and use of test results should be an aspect of validity. Claims about the meaningfulness of test score interpretations and consequences of test use should be backed by evidence that stakeholders understand the definition of the construct assessed and the score report information. The…

The Zhuang language test ("Vahcuengh Sawcuengh Suijbingz Gaujsi", VSSG) is the first minority language test in the People's Republic of China. It was designed with multiple goals including improving Zhuang language teaching, recruiting students for relevant majors of tertiary study, identifying proficiency for work-related applications,…

Validity is the sine qua non of properties of educational assessment. While a theory of validity and a practical framework for validation has emerged over the past decades, most of the discussion has addressed familiar forms of assessment and psychological framings. Advances in digital technologies and in cognitive and social psychology have…

The tension between criterion-referenced and norm-referenced assessment is examined in the context of curriculum planning and assessment in outcomes-based approaches to higher education. This paper argues the importance of a criterion-referenced assessment approach once an outcomes-based approach has been adopted. It further discusses the…

This article describes a study, from a Canadian technical institute's upgrading mathematics course, where students played a role in developing the final closed-book exam that they sat. The study involved a process where students developed practice exams and solutions keys, students sat each other's practice exams, students evaluated classmates'…

The identification of gifted and talented students and the accompanying fact that most identification systems result in the underrepresentation of students from African American, Hispanic, Native American, English language learning, and low-income families are two of the most discussed and hotly debated topics in the field. This article provides…

This paper explores how admissions tests are used in different higher education systems around the world. This is a relatively new area of research, despite the fact that admissions processes are a key component of university practices and given the ever increasing globalisation of higher education. This paper shows that aptitude and achievement…

The process of giving official acknowledgment to formal, informal and non-formal prior learning is commonly labelled as assessment, accreditation or recognition of prior learning (APL), representing a practice that is expanding in higher education in many countries. This paper focuses specifically on the assessment part of APL, which undoubtedly…

Multiple uses of the same assessment may present challenges for both the design and use of an assessment. Little advice, however, has been given to assessment developers as to how to understand the phenomena of multiple assessment use and meet the challenges these present. Particularly problematic is the case in which an assessment is used for…

To examine the interrater reliability of the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) (R. Ruff, 1988), 124 college students completed the measure and scored RFFT test protocols. Results indicated substantial interscorer reliability on the RFFT, particularly for number of unique designs. Reliability was lower for scoring perseverative errors and error…

Assessment influences cognitive and operant aspects of learning. Finds that integration of the planning of exams and examination rules will drive student learning in a positive way. (Author/CCM)

Describes the American Psychological Association's (APA's) development of the Task Force on Test User Qualifications, explaining the APA's purpose in developing guidelines for the use of psychological tests. Highlights the historical background, the scope of the guidelines, generic knowledge and skills considered important for good test use, and…

Compared Erwin's Scale of Intellectual Development (SID) and Allen's Paragraph Completion Instrument to enhance understanding of intellectual development according to the Perry scheme. Indicated that the SID-Dualism subscale held the most promise for discriminating between students at various levels of intellectual development, as measured by the…

Analyzed the Vocational Identity (VI) scale items of My Vocational Situation for entering college freshmen (n=4,378). Identified four major clusters suggesting that vocational identity as measured by the VI scale is not a unitary construct. (Author/ABL)

Examined relative efficacy of individual scale scores of college students (n=331) on Career Factors Inventory (CFI) and two calculations of Career Decision Scale (CDS-A and CDS-B) in predicting career decidedness and career implementation. Results indicated that different scales of CFI and CDS-B made unique contributions to prediction of career…