Discusses (1) perspectives from which standardized test developers, users, and interpreters must consider test results; (2) test components that affect student test performance; (3) test abuses that contribute to the shortening of tests; and (4) how educators can effect a change in the increased reliance on standardized tests. (HTH)

Summarizes classifications of educational objectives, types of test items, and principles underlying the construction of tests. Indicates that a combination of essay and objective tests is preferable in the overall evaluation of a course. (CC)

Results suggest that, in general, low scorers on the aptitude measures (low-efficiency listeners) performed better when the material was presented at a normal rate or read and when not required to take notes. (Author/MB)

Paper read at the Second Congress of Applied Linguistics, Cambridge, England, 1969. (VM)

This report describes the design and field testing of a 50-item objective test designed to measure high school students' understanding of the state of Georgia's history, geography, government, econcomics, and culture. A copy of the test is included in the appendix. (AM)

To determine if a given standard-setting procedure will yield consistent evaluation outcomes, one of three parallel certifying examinations was administered to three classes of second year medical students. The results indicated that the standard-setting procedure is a significant factor in the determination of the evaluation outcome. (Author/BW)

Focuses on objective techniques, a powerful and long-run force in educational assessment. But how successful have individual objective techniques been? This question must be answered for each test. Includes brief reference to an evaluation of one instrument. (Author)

The relative efficacy of content-appropriate, orally administered true/false and multiple-choice testing was examined with retarded adolescents. Both approaches demonstrated utility and psychometric adequacy. Implications regarding test development for retarded students are briefly discussed. (Author)

An account is given of the introduction of multiple-choice and other forms of objective testing into the assessment of a first-year university elementary analysis class. (MP)

Literature on the use of true-false examination questions is reviewed, and it is concluded that such questions can be written to measure the range of cognitive outcomes efficiently. However, except among professional test developers, this does not usually happen. Research does not clarify whether the answer lies in better teacher training or in…

This article describes a curriculum-based measure, vocabulary matching, that can be used to assess the performance of students with reading difficulties in the content areas. Data showing the validity and reliability of vocabulary matching as a measure of performance in the content areas are included. A case study illustrates the use of vocabulary…

Basic principles that should be followed by anyone developing a scale are reviewed, with emphasis on verbally mediated measures. The essential first step is a clear conceptualization of the target construct. Item development and ensuring unidimensionality follow. Factor analysis can be crucial in establishing unidimensionality and discriminant…

The criterion-related validity evidence and other psychometric characteristics of multiple-choice and multiple true-false (MTF) items in medical specialty certification examinations were compared using results from 21,346 candidates. Advantages of MTF items and implications for test construction are discussed. (SLD)