The Rasch model is commonly used to calibrate multiple choice items. However, the sample sizes needed to estimate the Rasch model can be difficult to attain (e.g., consider a small testing company trying to pretest new items). With small sample sizes, auxiliary information besides the item responses may improve estimation of the item parameters.…

Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), a high-stakes English language proficiency test, underwent substantial revisions in 2021. The test duration was reduced from 3 h to 2 h by reducing specific task numbers and sections. This study investigates the impact of these changes on teachers' perceptions and teaching practices, areas…

This study develops a theoretical model for the costs of an exam as a function of its duration. Two kind of costs are distinguished: (1) the costs of measurement errors and (2) the costs of the measurement. Both costs are expressed in time of the student. Based on a classical test theory model, enriched with assumptions on the context, the costs…

There is a great deal of research about item response theory (IRT) conducted by simulations. Item and ability parameters are estimated with varying numbers of replications under different test conditions. However, it is not clear what the appropriate number of replications should be. The aim of the current study is to develop guidelines for the…

Fully "qualitative" surveys, which prioritise qualitative research values, and harness the rich potential of qualitative data, have much to offer qualitative researchers, especially given online delivery options. Yet the method remains underutilised, and there is little in the way of methodological discussion of qualitative surveys.…

Purpose: Based on the general formula, which depends on the length and difficulty of the test, the number of respondents and the number of ability levels, this study aims to provide a closed formula for the adaptive tests with medium difficulty (probability of solution is p = 1/2) to determine the accuracy of the parameters for each item and in…

A common practical challenge is how to assign ability estimates to all incorrect and all correct response patterns when using item response theory (IRT) models and maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) since ability estimates for these types of responses equal -8 or +8. This article uses a simulation study and data from an operational K-12…

Traditional IRT characteristic curve linking methods ignore parameter estimation errors, which may undermine the accuracy of estimated linking constants. Two new linking methods are proposed that take into account parameter estimation errors. The item- (IWCC) and test-information-weighted characteristic curve (TWCC) methods employ weighting…

In this study, the purpose is to compare factor retention methods under simulation conditions. For this purpose, simulations conditions with a number of factors (1, 2 [simple]), sample sizes (250, 1.000, and 3.000), number of items (20, 30), average factor loading (0.50, 0.70), and correlation matrix (Pearson Product Moment [PPM] and Tetrachoric)…

This study examined the impact of two questionnaire characteristics, scale position and questionnaire length, on the prevalence of random responders in the TIMSS 2015 eighth-grade student questionnaire. While there was no support for an absolute effect of questionnaire length, we did find a positive effect for scale position, with an increase of…

Due to low cost monte-carlo (MC) simulations have been extensively conducted in the area of educational measurement. However, the results derived from MC studies may not always be generalizable to operational studies. The purpose of this study was to provide a methodological discussion on the other different types of simulation methods, and run…

The aim of the study was to examine the common items in the mixed format (e.g., multiple-choices and essay items) contain parameter drifts in the test equating processes performed with the common item nonequivalent groups design. In this study, which was carried out using Monte Carlo simulation with a fully crossed design, the factors of test…

Psychometric work with young children faces the particular challenge that children's attention spans are relatively short, and therefore, shorter assessments are required while retaining comprehensive coverage. This article reports on three empirical studies that encompass the development and validation of the research-based early mathematics…

This paper presents improvements made to a computerized adaptive testing (CAT)-based version of the FCI (FCI-CAT) in regards to test security and test efficiency. First, we will discuss measures to enhance test security by controlling for item overexposure, decreasing the risk that respondents may (i) memorize the content of a pretest for use on…

Differential item functioning (DIF) is often used to examine validity evidence of alternate form test accommodations. Unfortunately, traditional approaches for evaluating DIF are prone to selection bias. This article proposes a novel DIF framework that capitalizes on regression discontinuity design analysis to control for selection bias. A…