This paper describes the development of EPT (English-Second-Language Placement Test) 100-200-300 which places adult students into the first three levels of English-Second-Language classes and discusses work done on EPT 400-500-600, an experimental test to place students in the last three levels of ESL classes. (Author/FB)

Alternate versions of Hutchinson's theory were compared, and one which implies the existence of partial knowledge was found to be better than one which implies that an appropriate measure of ability is obtained by applying the conventional correction for guessing. (Author/PN)

Many studies have found that men have a higher level of economic understanding than women. Why such performance differences might matter for practical purposes is discussed. Results of a study which explored whether the gender differences found may be partly a result of the test instruments used are presented. (RM)

Alternatives to multidimensional scaling analysis of numerical relationship judgments in extracting information about students' knowledge were investigated. Undergraduate students completed a multiple choice test over knowledge of individual concepts, an essay test covering relationships among concepts, and a relationship judgment test that…

Discusses the hypothesis that the difficulty of a multiple-choice comprehension test does not just depend on the difficulty of the text, but rather on the text and the questions. Presents ways to evaluate the difficulty of the text, the questions on it, and the test as a whole. (EKN)

Mobilizing relevant preexisting knowledge significantly facilitated retention of information inconsistent with prior knowledge but did not affect retention of congruous information. A topically organized passage was not better remembered than a topically disorganized one. (Author/PN)

Three item-construction principles for multiple-choice tests were studied to determine how they affected test results for high school students: (1) use of incomplete sentence stem; (2) location of blank in the stem; and (3) presence of noncueing material. Differences in item construction had a slight effect on test results. (Authors/CJ)

A study of recurrent faults in multiple-choice items in Britain's Open University's computer-marked tests has led to a procedure for avoiding these faults. A description of the study covers the incidence and sources of faults (obviousness, memorization, unclear instruction, ambiguity, distractors, inter-item effects, and structure) and…

College students were assigned to either take their own personal notes or to use full or partial notes that were distributed in class. The use of personal or partial notes resulted in higher scores on the essay test, and students preferring personal notes scored higher on the multiple-choice exam. (Author/JN)

Number right and elimination scores were analyzed on a college level mathematics exam assembled from pretest data. Anxiety measures were administered along with the experimental forms to undergraduates. Results suggest that neither test scores nor attitudes are influenced by item order knowledge thereof, or anxiety level. (Author/GK)

The effects of two item formats on item difficulty and item discrimination indices for mathematics problem solving multiple-choice tests were investigated. One format required identifying the proper "set-up" for the item; the other format required complete solving of the item. (Author/JKS)

A mathematics achievement test with instructions to avoid guessing wildly was given to 168 elementary school pupils who were later asked to complete all the questions using a differently colored pencil. Results showed examinees, particularly the more able students, tend to omit too many items. (CTM)

Assesses the applicability of corrective feedback (CF) testing, which allows multiple attempts to respond to a test item, to the community college classroom. Compares CF testing to single answer testing, especially with regard to reliability, equitability, and effect on student motivation. (DD)

Multivariate and univariate analysis of variance indicated that students tested under a norm referenced condition earned higher achievement scores than those tested under criterion referenced conditions. A significant relationship was observed between risk-taking and achievement only under a criterion referenced condition. (Author/RC)