Although most international students arrive with required language qualifications, many struggle with the linguistic demands of their programmes. This study explored whether the test-preparation industry undermines the qualifications with which students arrive. English proficiency of 153 Chinese student in the UK was tested on the Duolingo English…

The Hope Scale is an 11-item teacher-rating instrument designed to help identify academic and social components of giftedness. It provides insights from teachers who work with students on a daily basis, which may differ from the type of information yielded through achievement and ability tests. The Hope Scale development was made possible by the…

We study the properties of two specification tests that have been applied to a variety of estimators in the context of value-added measures (VAMs) of teacher and school quality: the Hausman test for choosing between random and fixed effects and a test for feedback (sometimes called a "falsification test"). We discuss theoretical…

Cognitive ability tests are widely used in organizations around the world because they have high predictive validity in selection contexts. Although these tests typically measure several subdomains, testing is usually carried out for a single subdomain at a time. This can be ineffective when the subdomains assessed are highly correlated. This…

Newton's article (2010) makes three main contributions to the literature. First, it is transatlantic, bringing together literatures that have been dealing with similar problems, using sometimes different methods and certainly with distinctive educational, cultural perspectives. He points out that neither of these literatures has all of the…

The article "Thinking About Linking" by Newton (2010) presents a novel philosophical perspective on the way that educational assessments should be linked. Newton starts by describing the linking framework as it was characterized in various publications and identifies a cross-cultural dimension in the definitions and uses of test…

The current study examines the views of experts in the science of mental abilities about the primacy and uniqueness of "g" and the social implications of ability testing, and compares their responses to the views of a group of non-expert psychologists. Results indicate expert consensus that "g" is an important, non-trivial determinant (or at least…

The emphasis placed on test scores in college admissions is discussed. The need for colleges to periodically analyze and define their admissions policy is recommended. (Author/AL)

Total errors served as the criterion, and combined errors from the first four subtests served as the predictor. Correlation coefficients of .89 and .88 were obtained in validation and cross-validation phases. The first four subtests provide a suitable, stable estimate of the total score in this population. (Author)

Multidimensional creativity tests are more cost-effective than expert opinion in predicting creative thinking. Torrance (1966) delineated five purposes for using creativity tests: to promote understanding of the human mind, assist development of individualized instruction, provide additional information for remedial and psychotherapeutic programs,…

Three measures of person-fit (the extent to which an examinee's response pattern on a multiple-choice test is consistent with his ability as estimated by total score) were computed for students taking classroom tests under 12 different instructors at a comprehensive university. Supplementary questions on each test inquired concerning students'…

All published empirical studies of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII), 1974 thru 1980, are reviewed. While only a few predictive validity studies have been completed, concurrent and construct validity studies are consistently supportive of the validity of the General Occupational Themes, Basic Interest Scales and Occupational Scales.…

The known interval scale, referred to as the 7.8 scale, has been criticized as an invalid measuring instrument in the form of an attitude scale. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that this scale can produce spuriously inflated correlation coefficients, high reliability, and false significance on statistical tests. The case will be…

Examined the usefulness of subtle personality scales in which test respondents are provided with knowledge and motivation to distort self-presentation. Results indicated that subtle scales were not superior when faking occurred. Scores under these faking conditions were less valid, failing to support the utility of disguised approaches. (Author)

The common approach to studies of predictive bias is analyzed within the context of a conceptual model in which predictors and criterion measures are viewed as fallible indicators of idealized qualifications. (Author/PN)