Nine methods for automated test construction are described. All are based on the concepts of information from item response theory. Two general kinds of methods for the construction of parallel tests are presented: (1) sequential test design; and (2) simultaneous test design. Sequential design implies that the tests are constructed one after the…

Computer simulation was used to assess the effects of item parameter estimation errors on different item selection strategies used in adaptive and conventional testing. To determine whether these effects reduced the advantages of certain optimal item selection strategies, simulations were repeated in the presence and absence of item parameter…

A new test construction method based on integer linear programming is described. This method selects optimal tests in small amounts of computer time. The new method, called the Cluster-Based Method, assumes that the items in the bank have been grouped according to their item information curves so that items within a group, or cluster, are…

The purpose of this paper is to report results on the development of a new computer-assisted methodology for creating parallel test forms using the item response theory (IRT) information function. Recently, several researchers have approached test construction from a mathematical programming perspective. However, these procedures require…

Although two-stage testing is not the most efficient form of adaptive testing, it has some advantages. In this paper, linear programming models are given for the construction of two-stage tests. In these models, practical constraints with respect to, among other things, test composition, administration time, and inter-item dependencies play an…

The symposium, "Taming the Rasch Tiger: Using Item Response Theory in Practical Educational Measurement," was organized to deemphasize the technical complexities of item response theory (IRT) and to show the audience how IRT can be used in practical educational measurement. Four papers from the symposium are summarized and comments are…

Item banking offers psychometric efficiency and user flexibility when compared with standardized testing. This article discusses the theories, procedures, and potential of item banks for improving educational measurement. (BS)

The specification of a computerized adaptive test, like the specification of computer-assisted instruction, is easier and can be done by personnel who are not proficient in computer programming if an authoring language is provided. The Minnesota Computerized Adaptive Testing Language (MCATL) is an authoring language specifically designed for…

In connection with the development of item pools for the Navy's experimental Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) system, items in five different content areas (General Science, Paragraph Composition, Word Knowledge, Math Knowledge, and Arithmetic Reasoning) have been calibrated using item response theory (IRT) methodology. Operational Armed…

The Navy Personnel Research and Development Center is developing a computerized adaptive test (CAT) administration, scoring, and reporting system for use in the selection and classification of military applicants. Scaling of the CAT version of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) will produce CAT scores comparable to the current…

New theory and practice in testing is replacing the standard test by the test item bank and classical test theory by item response theory. Eight papers and a commentary are presented in this special issue concerning test item banking. (SLD)

Potential benefits of using item response theory in test construction are evaluated, based on the experience and evidence accumulated during 9 years of using a three-parameter model in the construction of major achievement batteries. Specific benefits covered include obtaining sample-free item calibrations and item-free person measurement,…

CSAR (Characteristic Storage And Retrieval) is the name of an interactive item bank system for the storage, retrieval, manipulation, and summarization of information about multiple choice test items. The purpose of the system is to facilitate the test construction process. The system has two main components: one or more item banks and an…

The use of item response theory (IRT) is a prerequisite to successful use of computerized test systems. In item response models, as opposed to classical test theory, the abilities of the examinees and the properties of the items are parameterized separately. Therefore, when measuring the abilities of examinees, the model implicitly corrects for…

The development of a Spanish computerized adaptive placement test at Brigham Young University (Utah) is described. The test is based on an approach that locates an examinee's ability along a continuum of latent ability rather than determining the degree to which an individual's ability differs from the abilities of others taking the test, as in…