The reliability and validity of a procedure to measure diagnostic-reasoning and problem-solving skills taught in predoctoral orthodontic education were studied using 68 second year dental students. The procedure includes stimulus material and 33 multiple-choice items. It is a feasible way of assessing problem-solving skills in dentistry education…

This study examined the effects of different types of directions on the guessing behavior on multiple-choice tests of 43 male and 39 female fifth-graders. Areas investigated included reward and penalty clauses and test anxiety. Students' understanding of directions was the only significant factor discovered. (TJH)

A system of medical classification based on the dimensions of body system, etiology, and stage of disease was evaluated by classifying the content of one specialty board's examinations. This classification system may allow a board to define the content of its examinations, monitor requirements for certification, and communicate its standards.…

Investigates effects of topic interest, writing ability, and summarization training on seventh-grade subjects' performance on multiple-choice tests and ability to summarize a social studies text. Finds that multiple-choice and summarization measures overlap little in the kinds of text comprehension they assess. (RS)

The second response conditional probability model of decision-making strategies used by examinees answering multiple choice test items was revised. Increasing the number of distractors or providing distractors giving examinees (N=106) the option to follow the model improved results and gave a good fit to data for 29 of 30 items. (SLD)

This study investigated the nature of progress made in learning Chinese as a Foreign Language by adult learners in an intensive summer program in an American university setting. Chinese language ability of 22 students was measured by a multiple choice test and an interview test. Data are interpreted and discussed in terms of implications for…

An experiment is reported in which 225 high school students were asked to choose among several multiple-choice items but then were required to answer them all. It is concluded that allowing choice while having fair tests is only possible when choice is irrelevant in terms of difficulty. (SLD)

A total of 36 third, fifth, and seventh graders were interviewed about strategies they used to solve multiple-choice questions involving estimation of discrete quantities. Successful estimators tended to use decomposition/recomposition and multiple benchmark strategies, whereas less successful estimators generally used perceptually based…

Elaborates on and responds to challenges of direct writing assessment. Speculates on future directions in writing assessment. Suggests that, if writing instructors accept that writing is a multidimensional, situational construct that fluctuates across a wide variety of contexts, then they must also respect the complexity of teaching and testing…

A list of materials and construction instructions are provided for making a Buzz Stick and Question Box, an inexpensive, technologically advanced teaching device that serves to reinforce classroom instruction with a self-correcting, independent activity. Any activity that uses a multiple-choice format is appropriate for the device. (JDD)

For 50 years, large-scale educational achievement testing in the United States was dominated by a (low-cost) multiple-choice assessment strategy. The problem is finding adequate financial resources to support constructed-response methods used in authentic or performance testing. Matrix sampling, featuring low-proportion sampling of both students…

A new method for evaluating the content representation of a test is illustrated. Item similarity ratings were obtained from three content domain experts to assess whether ratings corresponded to item groupings specified in the test blueprint. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis provided substantial information about the test's content…

Research on true-false (TF), multiple-choice, and alternate-choice (AC) tests is reviewed, discussing strengths, weaknesses, and the usefulness in classroom and large-scale testing of each. Recommendations are made for improving use of AC items to overcome some of the problems associated with TF items. (SLD)

An Ohio school board member contends that standardized tests wrongly assume a standardized test-taking population and that legislatures and others believe education is not successful unless students pass tests. Believes the goal should be to help all students perform up to their own potential and to instill in children a love of learning. (MLF)

A study involving 124 university accounting students (84 males and 40 females) suggests that students who change their answers on multiple-choice tests (as demonstrated by erasure marks) tend to improve their performance, with a net gain in scores. Students predominantly underestimated the benefits of their own answer-changing behaviors. (SLD)