Four essential dimensions of a performance test are detailed: directness of test method, type of criterion, standardization of conditions, and objectivity of scoring. For simplicity these factors are described as if each were dichotomous, when in actuality each is a continuum; a test method may be more or less direct, conditions more or less…

Teaching performance tests are measures which assess a teacher's ability to accomplish prespecified instructional objectives. Although possessing much face validity, little psychometric information is available about such assessment devices. Three separate studies were conducted to provide information about the validity, reliability,…

The relationship between scores on a typical bar exam and the ability to practice law was investigated with 485 applicants who took the bar exam and a 2-day performance test involving basic oral and written legal tasks. These tasks consisted of simulated cases; each participant functioned as the attorney for the plantiff in one case and as the…

Discussion of testing methods that adequately measure the ability to perform manipulative tasks focuses on criterion-referenced performance tests (CRPT) to evaluate trainees. Topics discussed include predictive validity; physical fidelity; test construction; testing constraints; performance conditions; criteria for attainment standards; scoring…

The problem of determining relative weights for quantity and quality in scoring foreign language speaking and writing fluency tests is studied. French speaking and writing fluency tests were administered to students of French in several schools in England. Data from these tests was analyzed to support the suggestion that scoring formulas should…

Performance tests are considered significant instruments in facilitating the accurate assessment of an individual's overall competency. The importance of measuring performance and the advantages of using performance tests are discussed. Developing the test involves identifying the objectives to be measured, the task to be performed, and the time…

The microcomputer has increased interest in performance testing, which samples what a person can do rather than what he or she knows. Conventional psychometric theory is based on knowledge tests, but in performance testing the unit of analysis is a trial, and it is unreasonable to assume that mean performance and interim correlations are…

Research partially supported by the UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation of Instructional Programs.

The College Outcome Measures Project/American College Testing Program (COMP/ACT) Writing Assessment is described, and issues of validity and reliability in the assessment of writing samples using qualitative rating scales are explored. COMP/ACT is composed of three role-playing tasks in the social sciences, natural sciences, and arts, which are…

The relationship among writing assessment strategies which may be applicable to competency based testing was examined in a study involving 128 high school students in six English classes in grades 11 and 12. Each student wrote two essays of at least 200 words on topics designed to test expository, or explanatory writing, and completed an objective…

This manual outlines the rationale for using the Criterion Referenced Test (CRT) approach and suggests specific guidelines for test developers to use in constructing test items. Methods for assessing the adequacy of a CRT are also provided. (Author/RC)

This packet contains a manual and a workbook for developing performance tests in vocational education. The manual gives an in-depth description of how to develop, score, and use performance tests. It includes the following sections: definitions of performance testing, steps in developing a performance test, selecting a performance development…

Utilizing eight apprentices in the mentals trades, this study empirically evaluated a number of techniques designed to produce performance tests that are economically feasible, reliable, content-valid, and less disadvantageous to minority group members than paper-and-pencil measures. The final test was economically feasible, reliable with respect…

This symposium consists of five papers and presents some recent developments in adaptive testing which have applications to several military testing problems. The overview, by James R. McBride, defines adaptive testing and discusses some of its item selection and scoring strategies. Item response theory, or item characteristic curve theory, is…

During the course of investigations on such topics as the instructional styles, interaction patterns and personality characteristics of teachers, the organizational structure of schools, the technology of instruction, and the affective and cognitive growth of students, researchers have developed hundreds of psychological and educational…