The Holland K index and variants are probability-based indices for psychometric forensics, like the Bellezza & Bellezza indices, but make use of conditional information in their calculations. All three estimate the probability of observing wij or more identical incorrect responses (that is, EEIC, exact errors in common) between a pair of examinees in a directional […]
FastTest has been ASC’s flagship platform for the past 11 years, securely delivering millions of online exams powered with computerized adaptive testing and item response theory. FastTest is based on decades of experience in computerized test delivery and item banking, from MICROCAT in the 1980s to FastTest PC/LAN in the 1990s. And now the time […]
A psychometrician is someone who practices psychometrics – the Science of Assessment. That is, they study the process of assessment development and validation itself, regardless of the type of assessment (certification, K-12, etc.). They are familiar with the scientific literature devoted to the development of fair, high-quality assessments, and they use this knowledge to improve […]
An item distractor, also known as a foil or a trap, is an incorrect option for a selected-response item on an assessment. What makes a good item distractor? One word: plausibility. We need the item distractor to attract examinees. If it is so irrelevant that no one considers it, then it does not do any […]
Technology-enhanced items are assessment items (questions) that utilize technology to improve the interaction of the item, over and above what is possible with paper. Tech-enhanced items can improve examinee engagement (important with K12 assessment), assess complex concepts with higher fidelity, improve precision/reliability, and enhance face validity/sellability. To some extent, the last word is the key […]
Automated item generation (AIG) is a paradigm for developing assessment items (test questions), utilizing principles of artificial intelligence and automation. As the name suggests, it tries to automate some or all of the effort involved with item authoring, as that is one of the most time-intensive aspects of assessment development – which is no news […]
If you have worked in the field of assessment and psychometrics, you have undoubtedly encountered the word “standard.” While a relatively simple word, it has the potential to be confusing because it is used in three (and more!) completely different but very important ways. Here’s a brief discussion. Standard = Cutscore As noted by the […]
The generalized partial credit model (GPCM, Muraki 1992) is a category in a group of families in item response theory (IRT). It is designed to work with items that are partial credit. That is, instead of just right/wrong as possible, scoring an examinee can receive partial points for completing some aspects of the item correctly. For […]
Scaled scoring is a process used in assessment and psychometrics to transform exam scores to another scale (set of numbers), typically to make the scores more easily interpretable but also to hide sensitive information like raw scores and differences in form difficulty (equating). For example, the ACT test produces scores on a 0 to 36 […]
Computerized adaptive testing: What is it? Computerized adaptive testing is an algorithm that personalizes how an assessment is delivered to each examinee. It is coded into a software platform, using the machine-learning approach of IRT to select items and score examinees. The algorithm proceeds in a loop until the test is complete. This makes the test […]
