Scores of 111 Australian and 145 British vocational instructors on the Smith Whetton Critical Reading Test (CRT) showed no significant differences. The CRT's construct validity was supported; it was shown to be a useful tool for demonstrating problematic aspects of the concept of thinking skills. (SK)

Reviews a volume of descriptive and evaluative information on 47 commercially available English language proficiency tests used in North America, Great Britain, and Australia. The book includes discussions of uses and misuses of tests, and overviews of English as second language testing in North America and Great Britain. (SV)

Several surveys of British local school boards' and schools' use of and reaction to standardized tests are reported. Most boards use the tests to monitor for accountability or for transfer or screening. Teachers tend to favor testing but do not use the results. (MSE)

Suggests that the aims and objectives of the British 16+ public examination in English are so watered-down as to be useless. (HOD)

Argues that research shows that the concerns expressed about the Graded Assessment in Mathematics (GAIM) project are not serious and do not outweigh the positive benefits of the program. States that levels of achievement and development of mathematical learning are related. Urges the linking of summative and formative assessment. (KO)

Focuses on Subject-Pair Analysis, a technique for comparing examinations in different subjects, to demonstrate that reliance on statistical comparisons of standards between subjects is misplaced. Explicates the fundamental assumptions underlying the Subject-Pair Analysis. Argues that this and related analyses are inappropriate for dealing with the…

The differences in raw scores between two versions of the Standard Progressive Matrices Test (SPM) and differences in available norms for one version and the currently studied population were investigated. The SPM was originally designed to measure the general factor of intelligence unrestrained by language. Scores for the untimed SPM version…

A discussion of the British higher education admission system describes the drawbacks of the process and the examination on which it relies, examines the implications for the higher education participation rate and social inequality, and argues that alternatives such as developmental courses can not be expected to produce significant change. (MSE)

Assessment and testing associated with implementation of the national curriculum developed by the British Department of Education and Science (London) are reviewed. Topics addressed include: profile components in the assessment framework, assessment and testing methods, bias in assessments, assurance of confidence in national assessment,…

The work in second language education of the Assessment of Performance Unit, established by the Department of Education and Science of England and Wales to monitor certain areas of the public education curriculum is described. The focus is on the development of a rationale for testing, the elicitation procedures used in the assessment of speaking…

Examines issues involved in the separation of testing and diagnostic assessment in the area of mathematics education. Argues that the demands imposed by grading for certification purposes are irreconcilable with the requirements of diagnostic assessment thus leading to serious internal contradictions. Reviews the Graded Assessment in Mathematics…

The role of assessment in science education is explored, focusing on summative assessment in British public certificate examinations. Examples of test items are presented to illustrate difficulties in making valid and reliable assessments, and issues with implications for formative assessment are discussed. (SLD)

The President and the Department of Education have advocated national testing, but they have not really justified their use. Most educators argue for the importance of multiple assessments, rather than a single test of achievement with great impact on the future of a student and an educational system. Misuses of test results would plague national…

The fair test is predominately used by primary teachers participating in a science-education project with King's College London. Debates whether this level of use of fair test investigations is appropriate. (DDR)

This guide contains descriptive and evaluative information on 47 major commercially-available English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) tests in current use around the world. For each test, the following information is provided: complete title; acronym; publication date; targeted audience; intended purpose; scoring method; administration type (group or…