Handheld calculators have been used on the job for more than 30 years, yet the degree to which these devices can affect performance on employment tests of mathematical ability has not been thoroughly examined. This study used a within-subjects research design (N = 167) to investigate the effects of calculator use on test score reliability, test…

A procedure for estimating the degree to which a subtest uniquely contributes to total test performance is presented and discussed. Uniqueness analysis may be appropriately applied to any composite measurement instrument such as a multipart test or a multitest battery to assess the unique contribution of each component to the total test. The…

Occupational norms exist for some tests, and differences in the distributions of test scores by occupation are evident. Sampling error (SE), situationally specific factors (SSFs), and differences in job content (DIJCs) were explored as possible reasons for the observed differences. SE was explored by analyzing 742 validity studies performed by the…

The construction and norming of Form N of the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) is described. The new form serves the same purpose as its predecessor and possesses basically the same characteristics. References are made to the research which provided the basis for most of the changes. Other changes were made because of the admission of…

Meta-analysis techniques were used to determine whether or not there are differences in General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) validity and test scores between samples from the Northern, Southern, and Western United States census areas. The sample consisted of 26,111 subjects from 122 validation studies of the Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB).…

Meta-analytic techniques were used to analyze the effects of age, education, and work experience on General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) validities and test scores. The sample consisted of 30,568 subjects from 143 Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) validation or revalidation studies analyzed since 1972. The effect of these three variables on…

Test scores on three pretest forms of a content-validated test were correlated with job performance ratings by social worker supervisors. The correlations predicted the job performance ratings of entry level social workers who were employed in urban settings more accurately than those of workers located in rural settings. (Author/PN)

Setting pass/fail cutoffs that accurately reflect physical ability required for job performance is a key consideration for public-sector employment testing. Top-down ranking is less appropriate than job-performance expectancy banding. (SK)

Two new indices of stability of content-referenced standard-setting results are presented, relating variability of judges' decisions to the variability of candidate scores and to the reliability of the test. These indices are used to indicate whether scores resulting from a standard-setting study are of sufficient precision. (Author/LMO)

This paper describes a testing program that established job-related standards of performance and testing procedures for the technician position within a gas transportation company. New standards were being established in response to safety concerns stemming from investigations that identified training inadequacy as a cause of accidents. The job…

As high-stakes use of tests increases, it becomes vital that test developers and test users communicate clearly about the accuracy and limitations of the scores generated by a test after it is assembled and used. A procedure is described for portraying the accuracy of test scores. It can be used in setting accuracy targets during form construction…

A proposed model for the validity of measures of professional competence treats validation as the evaluation of inferences drawn from test scores, focusing on evaluation, generalization, and extrapolation. The model is used to indicate strengths and weaknesses of assessments of professional competence: observations of performance, simulations, and…

A study used item response theory to examine the vocational interests of 2,709 high school students (1,436 males; 1,273 females) in Australia in relation to Holland's vocational interest typology (1973, 1985, 1997), which identifies six fundamental vocational types (realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional) that…

The analyses of J. E. Hunter (1983) were replicated with an expanded data set. The Hunter study, the basis of the Validity Generalization system used by the United States Employment Service, contained 515 General Aptitude Test Battery validation studies. The data set in this study included these and additional studies to bring the data set to 755…

This notebook contains the following conference presentations: "Identifying and Validating Task Lists by Business and Industry for Test/Test Item Development" (Charles Losh); "Conducting a Task Analysis for Competency-Based Test Item Development" (Brenda Hattaway); "Writing and Reviewing Test Items: Multiple Choice,…