Language test preparation has often been studied within the consequential validity framework in relation to ethics, equity, fairness, and washback of assessment. The use of independent and integrated speaking tasks in the "TOEFL iBT"® test represents a significant development and innovation in assessing speaking ability in academic…

An important problem in psychological test theory is the development of a sound method for determining whether a test which purports to measure the level of a certain ability is, in reality, significantly contaminated by one or more other abilities displayed by persons taking the test. Because of the large number of private and governmental…

COUNSELORS OFTEN ADMINISTER TESTS OF QUESTIONABLE VALIDITY. IN RELIABILITY STUDIES, EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO STABILIZE THE STIMULUS SITUATION. IN ASSESSING VALIDITY, CONCERN CENTERS ON BEHAVIOR UNDER DIFFERENT STIMULUS CONDITIONS. CRONBACH'S THEORETICAL LIMIT FOR A VALIDITY COEFFICIENT OF A TEST IS THE SQUARE ROOT OF THE RELIABILITY…

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'…

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)

Generally, this paper aims to: (1) provide clarification, quantification, and some mathematical analysis to the statistical problem of restricted range in a college admissions situation; and (2) discuss various questions related to the problem of selection strategies. (Author/PN)

A number of different ways of ascertaining whether or not a test measures the same thing in different cultures are examined. Methods range from some that are obvious and simple to those requiring statistical and psychological sophistication. Simpler methods include such things as having candidates "think aloud" and interviewing them about how they…

Two independent studies were conducted to investigate possible differences in General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) aptitude M resulting from the use of different test equipment (wooden vs. plastic apparatus.) As part of a ten-year longitudinal study of Vocational Development being conducted in the Department of Vocational Education at The…

Subjects are asked to answer six questions, partly with a frequency and partly by marking a verbally anchored scale with five categories. Some univariate and multivariate analyses are performed to elucidate the relations between variables with the two different modes of response. Although there are similarities in results for the two types of…

The purpose of this paper is to describe a set of procedures, that, when carried out, permit the conclusion that a test is a fair measure from the standpoint of specific sub-groups within a test population. A fair test is defined as a test for which a set of data-collection procedures have been carried out and the results reported. (Author/JM)

Two studies are presented in this report. The first is titled "Empirical Studies of Multilevel Approaches to Test Development and Interpretation: Measuring Between-Group Differences in Instruction." Because of a belief that schooling does affect student achievement, researchers have questioned the empirical and measurement techniques…

Performance testing often entails the usage of expensive, time-consuming measures in the quest for determining the level of performance on some desired behavior. It is concluded that a generalizability theory approach to dealing with departures from reality in testing can aid in the establishment of empirically-based choices of measurement…

During the past few years the problem of bias in testing has become an increasingly important issue. In most research, bias refers to the fair use of tests and has thus been defined in terms of an outside criterion measure of the performance being predicted by the test. Recently however, there has been growing interest in assessing bias when such…

The quality of mathematics multiple choice items and their susceptibility to test wiseness were examined. Test wiseness was defined as "a subject's capacity to utilize the characteristics and formats of the test and/or test taking situation to receive a high score." The study used results of the Graduate Record Examinations Aptitude Test (GRE) and…