Approximately 300 prospective graduate students each wrote two essays for the Graduate Record Examinations in 40-minute and 60-minute time periods. Analysis revealed that performance was, on average, significantly better with the 60-minute limit. There was no interaction between self-described test-taking style (fast versus slow) and time limits.…

Canadian postsecondary students (n=133) with moderate second-language competence took the Wonderlic Personnel Test with or without the standard time limit in English or French. Findings suggest that time accommodation can be applied to clients who are taking an intelligence test in their second language. (SLD)

Mixed integer linear programing models for customizing two-stage tests are presented. Model constraints are imposed with respect to test composition, administration time, inter-item dependencies, and other practical considerations. The models can be modified for use in the construction of multistage tests. (Author/TJH)

A speed reading technique is described for use with reluctant readers. The technique uses timed probes with practically any reading material, to heighten student motivation in addition to increasing fluency. Methods for self-recording progress data and strategies for building fluency are described. (JDD)

In an effort to explain gender differences in Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, a study tested the effects of changing time limits and directions (standard and non-standard) on performance of academically talented males and females on the math and verbal test sections. Several potentially explanatory patterns were found. (MSE)

Comparison of the mental rotation skill of mathematically talented male (n=152) and female (n=143) high school juniors under both timed and extended time conditions showed higher performance by males under both conditions, but the male advantage decreased substantially when the effect of time was minimized. (Author/DB)

A study of 1,283 academically talented junior high students found that males had higher scores on three of the four subtests of the Spatial Test Battery of the Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth. Females scored higher on the visual memory test and spent more time on the tests. (Author/CR)

A study examined the effects of extended and untimed testing on 31 postsecondary students with learning disabilities and 40 typical students. By extending the time limits on the Nelson Denny Reading Test, students with learning disabilities realized significant gains on their test scores and typical students made less dramatic gains. (Contains…

The present study examined the comparability of 4 alternate forms of the Digit Symbol Substitution test and the Symbol Digit Modalities (written) test, including the original versions. Male contact-sport athletes (N=112) were assessed on 1 of the 4 forms of each test. Reasonable alternate form comparability was demonstrated through establishing…

This study compared four methods for setting item response time thresholds to differentiate rapid-guessing behavior from solution behavior. Thresholds were either (a) common for all test items, (b) based on item surface features such as the amount of reading required, (c) based on visually inspecting response time frequency distributions, or (d)…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the scores students earned on multiple choice tests and the number of minutes students required to complete the tests. The 5 tests were made up of 20 randomly drawn questions from a large pool of questions about research methods. Students were allowed an unlimited amount of time…

A model for the validation of standardized tests of academic achievement upon populations not represented in the samples used to standardize the tests is presented, and the results of a field testing of the model are described. The 1973 editions of the Stanford Achievement Test and the Test of Academic Skills were administered to a sample of…

This paper reports an experiment designed to test theoretical relations among fast problem solving, more complex and slower problem solving, and research concerning fundamental memory processes. Using a cathode ray tube, subjects were presented with propositions of the form "Y is in list X" which they memorized. In later testing they were asked to…

To determine whether gifted children are faster than average students on all behaviors sampled or only on academic subjects, 46 gifted and 30 average children were tested. The time rates for tapping, walking, reading, answering, and calculating were determined. All children were from grades 4 through 6; median IQ of the gifted was 138, and for the…

A method for estimating power scores is described. By way of illustration, it is applied to 21 students who were improperly timed on a standard test. Some empirical results are given in support of the estimation procedure. (Author)