Item Rearrangement Under Typical Test Conditions

Analysing item position effects due to test booklet design within large-scale assessment

“…There is not enough evidence to conclude that a position effect takes place in this data set. This confirms results of previous studies showing that there are no position effects for mathematical or quantitative items under power conditions (Flaugher et al, 1968;Mollenkopf, 1950;Sax & Cromack, 1966). Results of other large-scale assessments showed an increasing item difficulty at the end of the test, but for all of these assessments the testing conditions were different.…”

“…For mathematical or quantitative tests, previous research on item position effects mostly found that no item position effect occurred if the test was administered under power conditions (i.e., with enough testing time; Flaugher, Melton, & Myer, 1968;Mollenkopf, 1950;Sax & Cromack, 1966) as opposed to speeded maths tests, where a position effect occurred. In the latter case, it seems that item difficulties are biased because (some of) the examinees get no chance to work on the items at the end of the test due to the time limit.…”

The Extent, Causes and Importance of Context Effects on Item Parameters for Two Latent Trait Models

“…Rearrangements of the items in other tests produced little change in item difficulties under slightly speeded or power conditions (Flaugher et al, 1968;Gerow, 1980;Huck & Bowers, 1972;Moilenkopf, 1950;Monk & Stallings, 1970). While item-test biserials were not systematically affected by position under power conditions (Flaugher et al, 1968;Mollenkopf, 1950), under speeded conditions biserials were higher when an item appeared near the end of a test than when it came near the beginning (Mollenkopf, 1950). Whitely and Dawis (1976) investigated context effects on classical and Rasch item difficulties for a verbal analogies test.…”

“…When administered under power or slightly speeded conditions, items on some tests tended to be somewhat easier when they appeared near the beginning of a test than when they appeared near the end of a test (Fiaugher, Melton, & Myers, 1968;Mollenkopf, 1950). Rearrangements of the items in other tests produced little change in item difficulties under slightly speeded or power conditions (Flaugher et al, 1968;Gerow, 1980;Huck & Bowers, 1972;Moilenkopf, 1950;Monk & Stallings, 1970). While item-test biserials were not systematically affected by position under power conditions (Flaugher et al, 1968;Mollenkopf, 1950), under speeded conditions biserials were higher when an item appeared near the end of a test than when it came near the beginning (Mollenkopf, 1950).…”

Headings Within Multiple‐choice Tests as Facilitators of Test Performance

“…. performance" (p. 77), a claim given some limited empirical support by Flaugher et al (1968) using random and grouped presentation of items of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The current study sought to determine the effect of headings for groups of items on test performance.…”