High test scores may measure general intelligence or test taking "savvy" rather than acquisition of knowledge of a particular subject. Pretests may help instructors differentiate between material students already know and good performance based on flaws in the wording of tests as indicated by pretests administered to college chemistry…

Following a discussion of the role and importance of practical laboratory tests, describes an instrument designed for inquiry-oriented practical examinations. The instrument consists of 21 categories representing different inquiry skills. Examples and illustrative data based on results in biology matriculation examination in Israel are reported.…

Reinterpreted are findings obtained from cognitive preference test (CPT) literature and the author's personal research, in which the author states that data lend themselves to alternative explanations, not necessarily connected with cognitive preferences, and perhaps related more to "familiarity with content." Several suggestions for…

Provides exam questions and solutions for a problem in amplification sequence of reactions, and a problem in applying group theory techniques and making spectral assignments and structural determination by qualitative arguments in the bonding in metal complexes. (CS)

Discusses some of the problems associated with the organization of a British chemistry course. Results that can be achieved in this Mode 3 O-Level chemistry course are also discussed. (HM)

Describes a study to investigate problem-solving skills of science students. An analysis was made of the examination questions to determine what proportion of examination questions was associated with the skills needed for solving problems. (SK)

A study investigated the relationship between performance on basic science (BS) and clinical science (CS) national board examinations in optometry because many students do well on CS while failing on BS. Results indicated a high correlation between scores on the tests, underscoring the importance of the BS examination and the test's predictive…

Derives the current in the wire joining two points when n points are joined two by two by wires of equal resistance, and two of them are connected to the electrodes of a battery of electromotive force E and resistance R. (YP)

Asks whether the masses of a block of wood and a block of iron with the same weight are different. Discusses the buoyancy of air involved in the problem. (YP)

Asks the relationship between mass and skidding distance. Provides a problem with illustrations and an answer. (YP)

Presents a problem related to mass balances for checking the consistency of measured data from a process. Provides the solution to the problem with diagrams and calculation tables. (YP)

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is a 29-question, multiple-choice test designed to assess students' Newtonian and non-Newtonian conceptions of force. Presents an analysis of FCI results as one way to determine what the inventory actually measures. (LZ)

Describes the development of an authentic assessment model identifying 14 complex thinking processes. Two teachers designed a task allowing high school students to demonstrate their biotechnological knowledge and simultaneously deploy a complex thinking process (decision making). This model required students to synthesize and integrate what they…

In the grade 12 portion of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, Canadian students performed better than other participating G-8 countries. In fact, Canada scored consistently above the international mean for all three age groups tested. However, some educators and reformers have expressed dissatisfaction with these results. (MLH)