Describes the effort the state of Alabama has exerted to construct and use content-oriented tests valid for ranking applicants for employment in the state merit system. (IRT)

Research on human cognitive abilities and jobs' aptitude demands reveals that the two domains have essentially the same structure. Counselor reluctance to use cognitive assessments may be overcome by addressing the following: Which cognitive abilities should be considered? How should occupations be classified for the purposes of assessing…

Describes four effective and efficient person-centered assessment and planning tools to assist individuals with special needs in identifying skills, abilities, interests, and future plans. Discusses ways to use these tools for assessment, planning, and achievement of transition and rehabilitation goals. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/JOW)

Provides a conceptual basis for understanding factor analysis as an analytical technique. Illustrates the basic concepts of factor analysis through Edward L. Rainbow's data from a study of variables influencing students' musical aptitude. Suggests that this technique is most appropriate in music applications where the interrelationships between…

Despite being unremittingly attacked over the past decade, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) continues to thrive. The growth in SAT use has been stimulated by its critics and by Educational Testing Service and College Board promotional campaigns. The SAT is still erroneously used to summarize the quality of incoming classes and colleges. Includes…

The more students know about themselves and the world of work, the more likely they are to make satisfying decisions about their future. Middle-level school counselors can offer students a variety of career awareness experiences via interest inventories and aptitude tests, career cluster exploration, computer-assisted guidance, field trips,…

Describes a computerized assessment instrument to assess development in youngsters 2 to 7 years of age, based on the 12 developmental scales of Arnold Gesell. (SR)

Analyzes the practice of race norming (adapting test scores on the basis of race/ethnicity) and its justification. Outlines the background of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which prohibited race norming, and considers future implications for recruitment and selection. (SK)

A smoothed version of standardization, which merges kernel smoothing with the traditional standardization differential item functioning (DIF) approach, was used to examine DIF for student-produced response (SPR) items on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) I mathematics test at both the item and testlet levels. This nonparametric technique avoids…

This study used meta-analysis research techniques to determine if there are differences in General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) validities and test scores between males and females. The sample consisted of 26,111 subjects from 122 Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) validation or revalidation studies analyzed since 1972. Four approaches were…

Data are provided to the National Commission on Excellence in Education on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Statistics are provided on the following: yearly GMAT mean scores 1965-1966…

This annotated bibliography (1933-1982) lists currently available instruments that might be used with Spanish-speaking individuals. The bibliographic information, obtained from the holdings of the Educational Testing Service Test Collection, is not limited to any specific type of test. Thus, measures of achievement, aptitude, and attitude, etc.,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which item parameters estimated on pretest data from the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) can be used for equating purposes in a situation where intact final form SAT testing data have normally been used. Items appearing in two final SAT-verbal forms were calibrated…

Final grades in an introductory psychology course were found to correlate significantly with a test representative of course content and ACT scores. (Author)

This is a discussion of the results of the Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery used to determine the potential language-learning ability of secondary school students. (CK)