Cambium Test Cambium Evaluation Content and Structure 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which testing mode does Cambium's Smarter Balanced Assessment primarily use to adjust question difficulty based on student responses?
- Linear fixed-form testing
- Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) (Correct answer)
- Portfolio-based assessment
- Paper-and-pencil testing
Correct answer: Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT)
Smarter Balanced uses Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT), which adjusts question difficulty in real time based on each student's responses.
Question 2: In Cambium assessments, what does a 'Performance Task' require students to do compared to a standard CAT section?
- Answer more multiple-choice questions in less time
- Complete an extended, multi-part task demonstrating deeper thinking (Correct answer)
- Watch a video and answer comprehension questions
- Retake failed sections immediately
Correct answer: Complete an extended, multi-part task demonstrating deeper thinking
Performance Tasks are extended, multi-part activities that assess deeper critical thinking, research, and writing skills beyond what multiple-choice items measure.
Question 3: Which content standards do Cambium's Smarter Balanced ELA and Math assessments primarily align to?
- Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
- Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (Correct answer)
- National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
- Advanced Placement (AP) course standards
Correct answer: Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
Smarter Balanced assessments are explicitly designed to measure student mastery of the Common Core State Standards in ELA and Mathematics.
Question 4: What grade bands are typically assessed by the Smarter Balanced summative assessments administered through Cambium?
- Grades K–3 only
- Grades 3–8 and grade 11 (Correct answer)
- Grades 6–12 only
- Grades 1–5 and grade 10
Correct answer: Grades 3–8 and grade 11
Smarter Balanced summative assessments are administered in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school at grade 11.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of Cambium's Interim Assessment Blocks (IABs)?
- They replace the summative assessment for low-performing students
- They provide instructional feedback on specific content clusters during the school year (Correct answer)
- They are administered only to English Language Learners
- They measure physical fitness benchmarks
Correct answer: They provide instructional feedback on specific content clusters during the school year
IABs are focused, shorter assessments designed to give teachers actionable feedback on specific content clusters throughout the instructional year.
Question 6: On Cambium assessments, which score scale is used to report student performance on the Smarter Balanced summative tests?
- 1–36 composite score
- Overall scale score of roughly 2000–2800 depending on grade (Correct answer)
- Percentile rank from 1–99
- Letter grades A through F
Correct answer: Overall scale score of roughly 2000–2800 depending on grade
Smarter Balanced reports a scale score typically ranging from about 2000 to 2800, with cut scores defining four achievement levels.
Question 7: What is the role of 'embedded field-test items' within a Cambium CAT administration?
- They count double toward the student's final score
- They are unscored items used to gather data for future test development (Correct answer)
- They appear only in the Performance Task section
- They serve as bonus questions for advanced students
Correct answer: They are unscored items used to gather data for future test development
Embedded field-test items are interspersed throughout the CAT but do not count toward the student's score; they are used to collect psychometric data for future item development.
Cambium Test Cambium Evaluation Content and Structure 2
Which testing mode does Cambium's Smarter Balanced Assessment primarily use to adjust question difficulty based on student responses?