Large-scale assessments often use a computer adaptive test (CAT) for selection of items and for scoring respondents. Such tests often assume a parametric form for the relationship between item responses and the underlying construct. Although semi- and nonparametric response functions could be used, there is scant research on their performance in a…

Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) is now widely used. However, inserting new items into the question bank of a CAT requires a great effort that makes impractical the wide application of CAT in classroom teaching. One solution would be to use the tacit knowledge of the teachers or experts for a pre-classification and calibrate during the…

The comparison of item-level computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and multistage adaptive testing (MST) has been researched extensively (e.g., Kim & Plake, 1993; Luecht et al., 1996; Patsula, 1999; Jodoin, 2003; Hambleton & Xing, 2006; Keng, 2008; Zheng, 2012). Various CAT and MST designs have been investigated and compared under the same…

Four item selection indexes with and without exposure control are evaluated and compared in multidimensional computerized adaptive testing (CAT). The four item selection indices are D-optimality, Posterior expectation Kullback-Leibler information (KLP), the minimized error variance of the linear combination score with equal weight (V1), and the…

A fundamental assumption in computerized adaptive testing is that item parameters are invariant with respect to context--items surrounding the administered item. This assumption, however, may not hold in forced-choice (FC) assessments, where explicit comparisons are made between items included in the same block. We empirically examined the…

This inquiry is an investigation of item response theory (IRT) proficiency estimators' accuracy under multistage testing (MST). We chose a two-stage MST design that includes four modules (one at Stage 1, three at Stage 2) and three difficulty paths (low, middle, high). We assembled various two-stage MST panels (i.e., forms) by manipulating two…

Meijer and van Krimpen-Stoop noted that the number of person-fit statistics (PFSs) that have been designed for computerized adaptive tests (CATs) is relatively modest. This article partially addresses that concern by suggesting three new PFSs for CATs. The statistics are based on tests for a change point and can be used to detect an abrupt change…

The purpose of this inquiry was to investigate the effectiveness of item response theory (IRT) proficiency estimators in terms of estimation bias and error under multistage testing (MST). We chose a 2-stage MST design in which 1 adaptation to the examinees' ability levels takes place. It includes 4 modules (1 at Stage 1, 3 at Stage 2) and 3 paths…

An IRT-based sequential procedure is developed to monitor items for enhancing test security. The procedure uses a series of statistical hypothesis tests to examine whether the statistical characteristics of each item under inspection have changed significantly during CAT administration. This procedure is compared with a previously developed…

Most computerized adaptive tests (CATs) have been studied using the framework of unidimensional item response theory. However, many psychological variables are multidimensional and might benefit from using a multidimensional approach to CATs. This study investigated the accuracy, fidelity, and efficiency of a fully multidimensional CAT algorithm…

Problem Statement: Learning-teaching activities bring along the need to determine whether they achieve their goals. Thus, multiple choice tests addressing the same set of questions to all are frequently used. However, this traditional assessment and evaluation form contrasts with modern education, where individual learning characteristics are…

Adaptive testing is advantageous in that it provides more efficient ability estimates with fewer items than linear testing does. Item-driven adaptive pretesting may also offer similar advantages, and verification of such a hypothesis about item calibration was the main objective of this study. A suitability index (SI) was introduced to adaptively…

This study investigated item exposure control procedures under various combinations of item pool characteristics and ability distributions in computerized adaptive testing based on the partial credit model. Three variables were manipulated: item pool characteristics (120 items for each of easy, medium, and hard item pools), two ability…

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale is a well-known self-report instrument that is used to measure depressive symptomatology. Respondents who take the full-length version of the CES-D are administered a total of 20 items. This article investigates the use of curtailment and stochastic curtailment (SC), two sequential…

If classification in a limited number of categories is the purpose of testing, computerized adaptive tests (CATs) with algorithms based on sequential statistical testing perform better than estimation-based CATs (e.g., Eggen & Straetmans, 2000). In these computerized classification tests (CCTs), the Sequential Probability Ratio Test (SPRT) (Wald,…