In a confidence weighting situation, the examinee is asked to indicate the correct answer, and how certain he or she is of the correctness of that answer. This paper reviews the bases for confidence marking, its validity and accuracy in evaluating students, and it's use in research. (BW)

Probabilistic testing involves having the examinee assign probabilities to each of the options of a multiple-choice item. These probabilities reflect the student's perception of the correctness of each option. What is presented in the paper is a rationale for probability testing, the current theoretical and empirical findings, and some suggested…

Instructions are provided on how to create and take computer aided admissible probability measurement (CAAPM) tests using programs available on PLATO IV. Admissible probability measurement is a testing procedure that permits a user to express a degree of uncertainty as to the correctness of alternative answers. Section II describes PLATO IV, an…

Effects of logically weighting incorrect item options in conventional tests and different scoring functions with confidence tests on reliability and validity were examined. Ninth graders took conventionally administered Verbal and Mathematical Reasoning tests, scored conventionally and by a procedure assigning degree-of-correctness weights to…

A comparison of reliability and validity was made for three testing procedures: 1) responding conventionally to Verbal Ability and Mathematical Reasoning tests; 2) using a confidence weighting response procedure with the same tests; and 3) using the elimination response method. The experimental testing procedures were not psychometrically superior…

The first four chapters of this report primarily provide an extensive, critical review of the literature with regard to selected aspects of the criterion-referenced and mastery testing fields. Major topics treated include: (a) definitions, distinctions, and background, (b) the relevance of classical test theory, (c) validity and procedures for…

A student's choice of an answer to a test question is a coarse measure of his knowledge about the subject matter of the question. Much finer measurement might be achieved if the student were asked to estimate, for each possible answer, the probability that it is the correct one. Such a procedure could yield two classes of benefits: (a) students…

Technical improvements, which may be made in the reliability and validity of tests through confidence scores, are discussed. However, studies indicate that subjects do not handle their confidence uniformly. (MS)