Influence of Test Form on Assessment

Abstract

Problems of measuring aptitudes and abilities are at present rather great. Errors of measurement within a test, coupled with fluctuations in a candidate's performance, necessitate that a test score be interpreted with caution.One of many possible variables influencing test scores was suggested by Ralph Tyler in 1930. He reported a correlation of '38 between two forms of the same test presented to 66 freshmen college students studying zoology. One form of the test required students to express, in their own words, suitable hypotheses that might be drawn from given facts. The other form, presented immediately after the expression test papers had been collected, entailed the selection of the most suitable hypotheses. After each set of given facts a number of hypotheses were presented from which students were required to select one. From his results, Tyler deduced that "the ability to select the most reasonable inference from a given list is not the same as the ability to propose an original inference" (pp. 477-8). A later study undertaken by A. S. Hurd (1932) showed, however, quite a high relationship, as indicated by a coefficient of '78 between parallel expression and recognition forms of a science test given to a large number of school children. As no details were included in the report regarding the age range and education level of the sample, these and other variables might have obscured the effect of test form in the ranking of pupils.M. R. Dunstan (1963) took a fresh approach to the study of test form. He employed a method of factor analysis to examine the structure underlying scores obtained by Teachers' College students on expression and recognition tests of English skills. Although his results showed evidence for an "expression form" factor in testing English, it should be pointed out that the materials on which the tests were based varied in content. Studies, such as those reported by J. M. Trenaman (1967) and M. Smilansky and L.

Influence of affective ratings and preferences on reading comprehension scores

“…The 16 questions in part 1 of the test related to material in passage 1 and the 15 questions in part 2 were based on passage 2. Questions were worded so that they could be answered either by selecting the best statement in a multiple-choice form or by expressing the answer in the subject's own words in an expression form (Boyd, 1971). One week after subjects had taken the multiple-choice form of the test the expression form was administered with the passages present for reference.…”