Test Design & Development Flashcards
7 cards from real CASAS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Test Design & Development flashcards as text
What does the item difficulty index (p-value) represent in CASAS test development?
Answer: The proportion of test-takers who answered the item correctly
The p-value (item difficulty) is the proportion of test-takers who answered correctly, where higher values indicate easier items.
An item discrimination index of 0.40 or higher generally indicates:
Answer: A well-functioning item that differentiates ability levels
An item discrimination index of 0.40 or above is considered acceptable and shows the item distinguishes between higher- and lower-performing test-takers.
In classical test theory, a negative item discrimination index indicates:
Answer: Lower-performing students answered correctly more often than higher-performing students
A negative discrimination index means lower scorers outperformed higher scorers on that item, signaling a flawed or misleading question.
What is the purpose of a distractor analysis in CASAS item development?
Answer: To evaluate whether incorrect answer options attract test-takers as intended
Distractor analysis checks that wrong answer choices are plausible enough to attract lower-ability test-takers, confirming each option is functioning correctly.
What is the primary purpose of piloting test items before placing them in the operational CASAS test bank?
Answer: To collect statistical data on item performance with real test-takers
Piloting exposes items to a representative sample so developers can analyze difficulty, discrimination, and distractor effectiveness before operational use.
In Item Response Theory (IRT), the 'b' parameter refers to:
Answer: Item difficulty
In IRT, the 'b' parameter is the item difficulty parameter, representing the point on the ability scale where a test-taker has a 50% chance of answering correctly.
Which step in CASAS test development ensures that items from different test forms measure the same constructs at equivalent difficulty levels?
Answer: Equating and scaling
Equating and scaling procedures link scores across different test forms so that equivalent scale scores reflect equivalent skill levels regardless of which form was taken.