Assessment & Evaluation Methods Flashcards

A test administrator notices that examinees in the front row consistently score higher than those in the back. This most likely indicates a problem with:

Answer: Standardized testing conditions

Inconsistent physical conditions across the testing room (such as visibility or noise) violate standardization requirements.

When an ACT administrator is instructed to read directions verbatim, the PRIMARY reason is to:

Answer: Ensure all examinees receive identical instructions

Reading verbatim ensures standardization so that no examinee gains an unfair advantage from paraphrased or expanded explanations.

A norm-referenced test compares an individual's performance to:

Answer: The performance of a defined reference group

Norm-referenced tests rank examinees relative to a norming sample, not against a fixed performance standard.

Standard error of measurement (SEM) is BEST described as:

Answer: An estimate of variability in an examinee's observed scores due to measurement error

SEM quantifies how much an individual's observed score is expected to vary from their true score due to measurement error.

Which accommodation is typically NOT considered appropriate for a standard ACT administration unless documented in an approved accommodation plan?

Answer: Providing extended time beyond the standard limits

Extended time is a formal accommodation requiring prior approval and documentation to maintain test validity.

In assessment, 'face validity' refers to the degree to which a test:

Answer: Appears relevant and appropriate to examinees on its surface

Face validity is a superficial judgment that a test looks like it measures what it purports to measure, not a technical measure of validity.

An examinee's scaled score differs from a raw score because scaling:

Answer: Adjusts for differences in difficulty across test forms

Scaling (equating) allows scores from different test forms of varying difficulty to be compared on a common scale.