It has been a concern among educators and academics that U.S. students suffer from a lack of knowledge about the world around them. This is reflected in low history scores, particularly in world history. The common explanation for this is that there is some systematic deficiency in American students, in that they either do not know the material or…

Students often feel time pressure when taking tests, and students with disabilities are sometimes given extended time testing accommodations, but little research has been done on the factors that affect students' test-taking speed. In the present study, 253 students at two colleges completed measures of processing speed, reading fluency, and…

This study investigated the influence of strategy training instruction and an extrinsic incentive on American fourth- and fifth-grade students' (N = 35) performance, confidence in performance, and calibration accuracy. Using an experimental design, children were randomized to either an experimental group (strategy training and an extrinsic…

In order to understand the test-taking behavior, needs, and strategies of postsecondary students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focus group comments from 17 university students with ADHD were analyzed. These comments formed the basis for a series of research studies that are in progress regarding test-taking and individuals…

Does correctly answering a test question about a multiterm fact enhance memory for the entire fact? We explored that issue in 4 experiments. Subjects first studied Advanced Placement History or Biology facts. Half of those facts were then restudied, whereas the remainder were tested using "5 W" (i.e., "who, what, when, where",…

Promoting students' self-regulated learning (SRL) is one way to improve postsecondary student success. However, few studies have investigated the instructional practices of postsecondary instructors that may support students' SRL. This study sought to fill this gap. An undergraduate mathematics course was observed to determine instruction utilized…

This study investigates the relationships between test takers' metacognitive and cognitive strategy use through a questionnaire and their test performance on an English as a Foreign Language reading test. A total of 593 Chinese college test takers responded to a 38-item metacognitive and cognitive strategy questionnaire and a 50-item reading test.…

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic approach to food safety education for the food industry. To receive a HACCP certificate, participants must receive an 80% or higher on the final examination. Language barriers, educational levels, and age have been noted as primary reasons for not passing the final examination.…

University education has been massified in South Africa and this has disrupted conventions and practices of assessment. Universities are perceived as promoting complex achievements and complex skills through rigorous curriculum specifications and assessment instruments. Due to experiences in high school and the novelty of university education,…

As military connected students transition, the scope and sequencing of courses and expectations for standardized testing is often inconsistent and unpredictable. Military leaders work diligently with education agencies to develop programs and legislature which levels the playing field for these students in order to provide them the most…

Most computerized adaptive testing (CAT) programs do not allow test takers to review and change their responses because it could seriously deteriorate the efficiency of measurement and make tests vulnerable to manipulative test-taking strategies. Several modified testing methods have been developed that provide restricted review options while…

Students' use of test information to prepare for a test in a controlled or supervised test environment has been examined in studies outside Australia. This paper reports the findings of the use of test information and its value, in terms of an improvement/decline in marks, in an actual test of an undergraduate subject taught at an Australian…

The purpose of this study was to compare high- and low-achieving undergraduate college students on selfefficacy, test anxiety, and self-reported test-taking ability. Eighty students from 2 sections of educational psychology course participated in the study; complete data were collected for 76 students. Before taking their first exam, students…

Sometimes, test-takers may not be able to attempt all items to the best of their ability (with full effort) due to personal factors (e.g., low motivation) or testing conditions (e.g., time limit), resulting in poor performances on certain items, especially those located toward the end of a test. Standard item response theory (IRT) models fail to…

This study examined the empirical differences between the tendency to omit items and reading ability by applying tree-based item response (IRTree) models to the Japanese data of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) held in 2009. For this purpose, existing IRTree models were expanded to contain predictors and to handle…