The frequency of multiple testing on the Proficiency Examination Program (PEP) multiple-choice tests, the characteristics of examinees who retest, and the effects of retesting on test scores were examined. Tests in the PEP program cover a broad range of academic disciplines and generally include material covered in one or two semesters of an…

Reports that no significant difference in reliability appeared between a heterogeneous and a homogeneous form of the same general science matching-item test administered to 316 sixth-grade students but that scores on the heterogeneous form of the test were higher, independent of the examinee's sex or intelligence. (SB)

Laird studies the relationship between two computerized nursing tests and finds a relationship between the two sets of scores. (Contains 2 tables.)

Standard errors and bias of unidimensional and multidimensional ability estimates were compared in a factorial, simulation design with two item response theory (IRT) approaches, two levels of test correlation (0.42 and 0.63), two sample sizes (500 and 1,000), and a hierarchical test content structure. Bias and standard errors of subtest scores…

A part-form methodology was used to study the effect of varying degrees of multidimensionality on the consistency of pass/fail classification decisions obtained from simulated unidimensional item response theory (IRT) based licensure examinations. A control on the degree of form multidimensionality permitted an assessment throughout the range of…

This study examined the relationship between the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency Critical Thinking test (CAAP-CT) and the College Outcome Measures Program objective test battery (COMP). Focus was on determining: (1) the relationship between the CAAP-CT and the COMP process-oriented subscores and the freshman to sophomore gains in…

The performance of baccalaureate nursing school graduates on the new National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) was compared to graduates' performance on the old examination, the State Board Test Pool Examination (SBTPE). Data were gathered for 287 graduates who took the SBTPE between 1979-1981 and 175 graduates who took the NCLEX in 1982 and…

Results indicated that despite very high correlations between deviation quotients and traditional measures, changes of potential diagnostic significance occurred in scores of over half the sample (N=2,200). Discusses the potential utility of the factorially pure deviation quotients. Presents a table for translation of scaled scores into these…

Comments on the apparent disparity between mathematics achievement as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress and various international studies, focusing on the comparability among studies, the magnitude of change in average test scores, and the role of family-related factors in achievement trends in other countries. (SM)

Sources of continuity among nine measures of infant cognitive processing and later childhood intelligence quotient were examined through developmental structural equation models applied to a sample of 208 twin pairs measured from 7 to 36 months. Skills assessed appear related to general cognitive ability in a relatively unstable manner. (SLD)

A study examined the effect of geographic mobility on elementary school students' achievement. Although such mobility, which requires students to make multiple moves among schools, can have a negative impact on academic achievement, the hypothesis for the study was that it was not a determining factor in reading achievement test scores. Subjects…

To investigate the psychometric feasibility of replacing a paper-and-pencil licensing examination with a computer-administered test, a validity study was conducted. The computer-administered test (Cadm) was a common set of items for all test takers, distinct from computerized adaptive testing, in which test takers receive items appropriate to…

Recent test results reveal that the test score decline has ended, but the legacy of this highly publicized educational episode continues. One widespread interpretation of the decline and recovery is that permissiveness and a collapse of standards in the late 1960s led to the decline and that a return to the basics and to tougher standards caused…

Results for 78 college students who took a pretest on basketball knowledge, read a passage on basketball, and took an immediate or delayed posttest indicate that pretest scores are significantly related to immediate posttest scores, whereas delayed posttest scores are related to Scholastic Aptitude Test verbal scores. (SLD)

To investigate the relationship between reading and listening test scores, 3 different sets of listening items accompanied by answer sheets requiring varying amounts of reading were administered to 1,200 students in grades 3 through 8. Listening scores increased as more printed information was added to the answer sheet. (SLD)