Judgmental standard setting methods, such as the W. H. Angoff (1971) method, use item performance estimates as the basis for determining the minimum passing score (MPS). Therefore, the accuracy of these item performance estimates is crucial to the validity of the resulting MPS. Recent researchers, (L. A. Shephard 1994; J. Impara, 1997) have called…

School districts and credentialing agencies use information gathered in standard setting studies to establish minimum passing scores (MPS) for a variety of purposes. These scores may be used to make decisions ranging from subject remediation to licensure. Multiple standard setting methods may be used to provide a range of scores to the…

Judgmental standard setting approaches rely on the perceptions of experts about examinee performance on a test. Traditional standard setting methods ask panelists to estimate how well a randomly selected hypothetical examinee who is representative of a well-defined target group, usually a minimally competent candidate (MCC), will perform on each…

Two studies of variations of the Angoff method (W. Angoff, 1971) involving nine elementary school teachers in each case compared a yes/no estimation with a proportion correct estimation for setting cut scores. Both methods yielded essentially equal cut scores, but judges found the yes/no method easier to implement. (SLD)

Judgmental standard setting methods, such as the Angoff method (W. Angoff, 1971), use item performance estimates as the basis for determining the minimum passing score (MPS). Therefore the accuracy of these item performance estimates is crucial to the validity of the resulting MPS. Recent researchers (L. Shepard, 1994; J. Impara, 1997) have called…

A key component of the Angoff (W. Angoff, 1971) method for setting cut scores is the target examinee. Expert judges are asked, following training and discussion, to consider the ability and the likely performance of some subset of examinees and to then estimate, item by item, the likely performance of such examinees on the test for which a cut…

Judgmental standard setting approaches rely on the perceptions of experts about examinee performance on a test. Traditional standard setting methods ask panelists to predict the probability that a randomly selected, hypothetical minimally competent candidate (MCC) will correctly answer test questions. Item performance predictions are difficult for…