Leading experts describe the state-of-the-art in developing and constructing psychometric tests This latest volume in the series Psychological Assessment – Science and Practice describes the current state-of-the-art in test development and construction. The past 10-20 years have seen substantial advances in the methods used to develop and administer tests. In this volume many of the world's leading authorities collate these advances and provide information about current practices, thus equipping researchers and students to successfully construct new tests using the best modern standards and techniques. The first section explains the benefits of considering the underlying theory when designing tests, such as factor analysis and item response theory. The second section looks at item format and test presentation. The third discusses model testing and selection, while the fourth goes into statistical methods that can find group-specific bias. The final section discusses topics of special relevance such as multi-trait multi-state analyses and development of screening instruments.

This edition continues Sax's tradition of comprehensive and comprehensible coverage of testing and measurement principles while including the most recent theory and research.

The second edition of the Handbook of Test Development provides graduate students and professionals with an up-to-date, research-oriented guide to the latest developments in the field. Including thirty-two chapters by well-known scholars and practitioners, it is divided into five sections, covering the foundations of test development, content definition, item development, test design and form assembly, and the processes of test administration, documentation, and evaluation. Keenly aware of developments in the field since the publication of the first edition, including changes in technology, the evolution of psychometric theory, and the increased demands for effective tests via educational policy, the editors of this edition include new chapters on assessing noncognitive skills, measuring growth and learning progressions, automated item generation and test assembly, and computerized scoring of constructed responses. The volume also includes expanded coverage of performance testing, validity, fairness, and numerous other topics. Edited by Suzanne Lane, Mark R. Raymond, and Thomas M. Haladyna, The Handbook of Test Development, 2nd edition, is based on the revised Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, and is appropriate for graduate courses and seminars that deal with test development and usage, professional testing services and credentialing agencies, state and local boards of education, and academic libraries serving these groups.

Constructing test items for standardized tests of achievement, ability, and aptitude is a task of enormous importance. The interpretability of a test's scores flows directly from the quality of its items and exercises. Concomitant with score interpretability is the notion that including only carefully crafted items on a test is the primary method by which the skilled test developer reduces unwanted error variance, or errors of measurement, and thereby increases a test score's reliability. The aim of this entire book is to increase the test constructor's awareness of this source of measurement error, and then to describe methods for identifying and minimizing it during item construction and later review. Persons involved in assessment are keenly aware of the increased attention given to alternative formats for test items in recent years. Yet, in many writers' zeal to be `curriculum-relevant' or `authentic' or `realistic', the items are often developed seemingly without conscious thought to the interpretations that may be garnered from them. This book argues that the format for such alternative items and exercises also requires rigor in their construction and even offers some solutions, as one chapter is devoted to these alternative formats. This book addresses major issues in constructing test items by focusing on four ideas. First, it describes the characteristics and functions of test items. A second feature of this book is the presentation of editorial guidelines for writing test items in all of the commonly used item formats, including constructed-response formats and performance tests. A third aspect of this book is the presentation of methods for determining the quality of test items. Finally, this book presents a compendium of important issues about test items, including procedures for ordering items in a test, ethical and legal concerns over using copyrighted test items, item scoring schemes, computer-generated items and more.

This book describes the process of language test construction and reviews current practice.

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), for disabled individuals, and their dependent family members, who have worked and contributed to the Social Security trust funds, and Supplemental Security Income (SSSI), which is a means-tested program based on income and financial assets for adults aged 65 years or older and disabled adults and children. Both programs require that claimants have a disability and meet specific medical criteria in order to qualify for benefits. SSA establishes the presence of a medically-determined impairment in individuals with mental disorders other than intellectual disability through the use of standard diagnostic criteria, which include symptoms and signs. These impairments are established largely on reports of signs and symptoms of impairment and functional limitation. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination considers the use of psychological tests in evaluating disability claims submitted to the SSA. This report critically reviews selected psychological tests, including symptom validity tests, that could contribute to SSA disability determinations. The report discusses the possible uses of such tests and their contribution to disability determinations. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination discusses testing norms, qualifications for administration of tests, administration of tests, and reporting results. The recommendations of this report will help SSA improve the consistency and accuracy of disability determination in certain cases.

Learning in groups, rather than in formal lectures or presentations, allows students to have greater scope to negotiate meaning and express themselves and their own ideas. It also helps them to establish far more effective releationships, not only with their tutors and trainers but with each other. Yet many tutors and trainers find the leadership role required when working in groups difficult to perform satisfactorily and revert to their traditional role as subject expert and prime talker. This handbook is a truly comprehensive guide for anyone involved in groupwork, containing advice and practical exercises to develop group learning skills for both learners and tutors. This new edition has been thoroughly updated, containing valuable new material throughout on group learning and collaborating online, action research and the role of reflection and emotional intelligence.

This work covers topics such as: the psychometric and cognitive theory of item generation; construct-oriented approaches to item generation; implementation; and applications of item-generative principles.

With the current push toward educational reform, there is great potential for innovation and change, particularly in large scale testing. One area where change is possible is in cognitive diagnostic assessment. Researchers in educational measurement and cognitive psychology are finally in a position to design tests targeted specifically for providing valuable information about students' cognitive strengths and weaknesses. This self-contained volume organizes what is known about cognitive diagnostic assessment in education, including its conceptual and philosophical basis, methods, and applications. The complete list of topics includes educational demand, philosophical rationale, construct validity, cognitive methods, test construction, statistical models, and unresolved issues (e.g., how to best translate diagnostic information into teaching practices). Leighton and Gierl present a comprehensive and up-to-date examination of cognitive diagnostic assessment in education.

Automated testing is a cornerstone of agile development. An effective testing strategy will deliver new functionality more aggressively, accelerate user feedback, and improve quality. However, for many developers, creating effective automated tests is a unique and unfamiliar challenge. xUnit Test Patterns is the definitive guide to writing automated tests using xUnit, the most popular unit testing framework in use today. Agile coach and test automation expert Gerard Meszaros describes 68 proven patterns for making tests easier to write, understand, and maintain. He then shows you how to make them more robust and repeatable--and far more cost-effective. Loaded with information, this book feels like three books in one. The first part is a detailed tutorial on test automation that covers everything from test strategy to in-depth test coding. The second part, a catalog of 18 frequently encountered "test smells," provides trouble-shooting guidelines to help you determine the root cause of problems and the most applicable patterns. The third part contains detailed descriptions of each pattern, including refactoring instructions illustrated by extensive code samples in multiple programming languages.