Individual differences in performance on figural analogy tests are usually attributed to quantitative differences in processing parameters rather than to qualitative differences in the formation and use of representations. Yet aptitude-related differences in categorizing standardized figural analogy problems between high and low scorers have been…

This study attempted to determine if test anxiety is manifested in pre-medical students as a result of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and if Beta-endorphin similarly responds to that type of situational stress. Seventeen participants completed the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) by Spielberger et al. (1980) and donated 30 ml of blood for…

The effects of two intervention methods on academic achievement as represented by spring semester grades in senior nursing curriculum courses were examined. The students were enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing education program at a predominantly black college. The sample of nursing students was divided into three groups based on the intervention…

This investigation of the effect of making a set of alternatives conform grammatically to a test item stem showed there is subject sensitivity to such cues. Content-free versions of American College Testing Assessment Experimental Social Science items representing singular-plural and vowel-consonant agreement without inappropriate grammatical…

Suggests that verbal aptitude may be a factor that affects the degree of students' test wiseness and may vary with the reading test that is administered. (Author)

The effect of three peer monitoring and retest conditions on student quiz scores, attitudes, study time, final course grades, and independent pretest-posttest scores was studied. The three conditions involved learning partners, unlimited number of retests, and a combination of learning partners and retests. Results indicate that some behavioral…

Response changes of two classes of 30 dental hygiene students each were tabulated on multiple-choice questions on quizzes, midterms, and final examinations. Response changes were classified as wrong to right, right to wrong, or wrong to wrong. Significantly more responses were changed from wrong to right than from right to wrong. (Author/CT)

The amount of notes and textbook use were related to candidates' previously measured abilities in the area, to their scores on the examination; and to their responses to a questionnaire. Results indicated that those who devoted more examination time to using notes and texts obtained less good scores and had obtained low scores on previous…

As the use of competency testing of teachers has increased, the issue of the effect of standardized testing on minority groups at all educational levels has resurfaced. Several programs designed to raise standards and increase test scores are described. (MT)

Disguising scale purpose by using an innocuous skill title and filler items had no effect on the reliability and validity of Rotter's Interpersonal Trust Scale. (Author)

Offers tips on how to prepare for test taking, including taking notes, reading textbooks, reviewing, and approaching the test with a positive attitude. (FL)

This paper looked at the experience that college students have when taking exams. The sample population was made up of students completing their first exam of the semester. The study was designed to offer research-based support on how to help students improve their performance on multiple-choice exams. Student perceptions of the number of items…

Effects of Test-Wiseness (TW) training and level of TW on multiple-choice item type performance, on standardized and teacher-made examinations in undergraduate medical education were considered. Conditions inherent in standardized tests must be present before a susceptibility to the extraneous source of variance of TW is evidenced. (Author/GK)

The skills-acquisition group was superior in performance on the analogue test as well as in grade point average. They reported greater knowledge of effective test-taking skills and less attentional interference during testing. Results suggest that inadequate test performance be reconceptualized as ineffective test taking. (Author)

Presents the results of a study, using a test-taking strategies questionnaire, that investigated the reasons why students in introductory psychology write on a 50-item multiple choice test. Reports that there are seven reasons students used for why they wrote on the examination. (CMK)