Knowing questions in advance enabled students to structure their study process and to devote more time and effort to learning content. Student responses to this method of testing, test scores, and comparison with results from other methods showed that a high level of learning was achieved. (Author/MS)

Humanistic psychologists tend to describe psychodiagnostic assessment as nonhumanistic. They argue that assessment is reductionistic and artificial, ignores the examiner-patient relationship, judges people, and is overly intellectual. These concerns are then addressed from a pro-assessment perspective. (EVH)

A three-dimensional (3-D) test, comparable to twenty-five items from the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, constructed to determine whether 3-D stimuli would facilitate responses when compared to two dimensional (2-D) stimuli, revealed no significant effects for the version of the test (2-D or 3-D) or the order of administration. (MB)

Complex multiple choice (CMC) items are frequently used to test knowledge about repetitive information. In two independent comparisons, performance on the CMC items surpassed that of the multiple true-false clusters. Data indicate that performance on CMC items is inflated, and distractors on CMC items fail to prevent guessing. (Author/PN)

This article is mainly concerned with a study of the relation between the content of a multiple choice test and its composition, from the point of view of those features in tests which enable the testee to derive the correct answer by studying the composition of the test itself. (Author/POP)

The Wisconsin legislature has required the Department of Public Instruction to adopt or approve standardized tests for statewide use to measure student attainment of knowledge and concepts in grades 4, 8, and 10. Although school districts generally gave high ratings to the contents of TerraNova (McGraw Hill), the testing instrument most recently…

Summarizes the views of two teachers who hold widely divergent views on what can be called classical examination methods - essay papers and objective exams. One of these authors is an Englishman, the other an American, but their views, while obviously conditioned by training, are shared or questioned by many colleagues regardless of national…

The results of this study suggest that instructions are a source of information to students about the testing environment that modifies their test-taking behavior. Individual students interpret the same instructions in different ways, and these differences, in turn, result in variations in behavior reflected in test scores. (Author)

Reports a number of modifications to the computer readability program STAR (Simple Tests Approach to Readability) designed to make it more useful. (FL)

States that the correlation between social desirability (SD) and hopelessness is open to several interpretations, but, in the absence of further data, concern for false-negative rates dictates caution in interpreting hopelessness scores when assessing suicidal behavior. Presents data on the relationship of SD, hopelessness, and prediction of…

Examines and rejects nine reasons given by educators for opposing externally designed tests. Suggests a tenth, unvoiced reason that may be the most valid: that testing may reveal deficiencies in the school's educational program. (PGD)

The Educational Testing Service must take on more responsibility for preparing students to take tests and to better understand the legal and social aspects of testing. (Author/AL)