Describes one high school's program to address concerns of parents and students regarding college admission tests, not through a quick-fix strategy, but by making testing an integral part of the education process. The plan described consists of three main parts: demystifying the process, developing a partnership with the school and family, and…

A genre analysis of 284 essay examination prompts reveals specific discoursal characteristics that function to communicate what type of response will be considered legitimate. The finding suggests that, for test-takers to decode prompts, they must draw from the same functional/linguistic knowledge of genre that the test constructor did. (15…

Examines the following study habits of postgraduate students who learn under the distance-education system of Madras University: learning patterns at home; kind of participation during the semester; learning habits before the examination; ways they answer during the examination; reasons for studying by distance education; and reasons for joining…

Assesses unique contributions of learning, study, and test-taking strategies; students' attitudes about college; and ACT scores, and linked them to college grade point average (GPA) and retention. Findings suggest that learning and study strategies and students' college attitudes affect attrition indirectly through GPA. (Author/MKA)

Subgroup differences are expected on traditional knowledge, skill, ability, and achievement tests. Considers actions to reduce differences and fairly assess individual attributes. Suggests that selection materials assess the full range of relevant attributes using a format that minimizes verbal content as much as is appropriate. Recommends using…

This research investigated factors affecting examination anxiety and aimed to increase schools' understanding of this topic. The study was a school-based initiative, evaluating intervention strategies to help secondary pupils with the self-management of their examination anxiety. The study compared the effects of a range of approaches on…

The attractiveness of computer-based tests (CBTs) is due largely to their capability to expand the ways we conduct testing. A relatively unexplored application, however, is actively using the computer to reduce construct-irrelevant variance while a test is being administered. This investigation introduces the effort-monitoring CBT, in which the…

Previous studies of washback (the influence of a test on teaching and learning) have provided insights into the complexity of educational systems and test use, especially in relation to the role of the teacher, but have given insufficient attention to the relationship between observed practices and test design features. In this article a washback…

Results from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) indicate that English as a Second Language (ESL) and English Literacy Development (ELD) students have comparatively low success and high deferral rates. This study examined the 2002 and 2003 OSSLT test performances of ESL/ELD and non-ESL/ELD students in order to identify and…

Increased demand for accountability in the public schools has led to an increase in the number of testing situations for all students, including students with disabilities. The purpose of this project was to develop and validate an interactive hypermedia (IH) program to teach a test-taking strategy to secondary-level students with disabilities.…

Test-taking skills and methods used to prepare students for taking an examination are independent of knowledge and skills in the content area being tested. Test-taking skills do not give students the correct answers, but do allow the student to concentrate on answering questions without being confused by the mechanics of the test. Students who…

An adaptation of the standardization approach to assessing differential item functioning that applies to all item responses, including omits and not reached, is described. Applications of this method to evaluate differential speededness show that there is evidence of differential speededness for Blacks and Hispanics, but not for Asian Americans.…

This article summarizes the performance of 52 college students who completed a one-credit class for the reduction of test anxiety. The anxiety reduction program uses a variety of study skills and behavioral strategies to improve school performance. The 8-to-10 week class is taught in small groups of from 2 to 6 students. Content focuses on: (1)…

The realities of inappropriate and sometimes unethical testing practices must be confronted to make sure that current assessments are as reliable and effective as possible. While this paper does not attempt to provide practical guidelines for ethical and appropriate testing, it does draw a picture of appropriate and ethical testing practices. All…

"Tooth and Nail" is a novel that teaches vocabulary for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in context. Rather than presenting lists of vocabulary words to memorize, the mystery novel presents some 1,200 words, which have appeared in past SATs, in context. The story, about going off to college, features a literacy treasure hunt involving…