In 2015, the "Programme for International Student Assessment" (PISA) introduced multiple changes in its study design, the most extensive being the transition from paper- to computer-based assessment. We investigated the differences between German students' text responses to eight reading items from the paper-based study in 2012 to text…

The General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) is a 5-level, criterion-referenced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) testing system implemented in Taiwan to assess the general English proficiency of EFL learners. In 1999, with the aim of encouraging the general study of English and to result in beneficial washback effects on the teaching and…

"Above-level testing" (also called "above-grade testing," "out-of-level testing," and "off-level testing") is the practice of administering to a child a test that is designed for an examinee population that is older or in a more advanced grade. Above-level testing is frequently used to help educators design…

An achievement test score can be viewed as a joint function of skill and will, of knowledge and motivation. However, when interpreting and using test scores, the "will" part is not always acknowledged and scores are mostly interpreted and used as pure measures of student knowledge. This paper argues that students' motivation to do their…

The Woodcock Johnson III Brief Assessment is a "maximum performance test" (Reynolds, Livingston, Willson, 2006) that is designed to assess the upper levels of knowledge and skills of the test taker using both power and speed to obtain a large amount of information in a short period of time. The Brief Assessment also provides an adequate…

Test-taking skills should be part of learning-disabled students' instruction. Student performance on previous tests should be analyzed to determine lack of information, carelessness, misinterpretation, material not studied, or incorrect reading. Notetaking techniques, language problems, and special problems presented by essay tests and math tests…

Seventeen medical school students who participated in a commercial test preparation course were matched with 17 other students judged to be of equal ability. These two groups were compared on the basis of their scores on Part I of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). The two groups were matched closely on both the grade point average…

Examined the effects of separate answer sheets on the California Achievement Test scores of third, fourth, and fifth graders. Students recorded their answers on their test booklets, separate answer sheets, or separate answer sheets after being trained in the use of separate answer sheets. Found no response mode treatment effect and no evidence of…

Test validity, coaching, the college admissions process, and achievement tests are discussed by the director of the Iowa Testing Programs. Data published on the SAT are examined. It is suggested that systematic instruction in problem-solving skills may improve not only test performance but also skills the test is designed to assess. (Author/MLW)

Guidelines are presented to help college students prepare for taking tests, with particular instructions for objective, essay, and quantitative tests. A check list suggests the types of information which should be known before starting to study for a test--such as type of questions and probable content. Techniques for studying include outlining…

This bulletin addresses all concerned with examinations for the Certificate of Secondary Education, particularly teachers, with suggestions to improve the efficiency and fairness of examining. The bulletin is divided into two parts: Part I - Examining Techniques: General Principles, covers such major subjects as objectives of the course, analysing…

In this publication, designed to serve interested laymen as well as educators, various authors explore the viewpoints of the proponents and the opponents of the National Assessment Program. In their analysis of assessment and its related issues, these authors attempt to provide information that could serve as a basis for an objective consideration…

Based on findings of previous research, this project developed, implemented, and examined the effect of instructional materials and procedures designed to eliminate the influence on test scores of the following four factors: (1) differential levels of test-taking skills on the part of students; (2) student's lack of familiarity with and consequent…

To explain discrepancies in Utah's elementary school test results under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act's Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS), researchers investigated the adequacy and validity of TIERS evaluation models. Model A (norm-referenced testing) is used in most Utah school districts, in preference to Models B or C…

This paper summarizes some of the issues involved in educational testing. First, it describes four of the fundamental characteristics of tests: whether they are measures of aptitude or achievement, whether they require students to produce or just recognize the best answer, whether they are interpreted in relationship to the scores of other…