METHODS FOR IMPROVING TEST EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY IN A COMPUTER ADAPTIVE TEST (CAT)
A method for test item selection is provided that includes a computer implemented test battery having at least two or more sections with a plurality of test items. An ability estimate is calculated from an earlier section(s) of the at least two or more sections and an initial item and subsequent items for a subsequent section are selected from the plurality of test items based upon the ability estimate(s) from the earlier section(s). Use of a more informative initial ability estimate in the item selection process can improve interim ability estimation accuracy and item selection efficiency while keeping item exposure and item usage rates at acceptable levels.
1 . A method of test item selection comprising;
providing a computer and a computer implemented test battery comprising:
a plurality of test sections in the computer implemented test battery, each test section having a set of test items selected from a plurality of test items;
an item selection process;
administering one test section from the plurality of test sections to an examinee using the computer, wherein the computer receives the examinee's responses to the set of test items in the one test section; and
informing the item selection process for at least one subsequent test section based on scores from the one test section or previous test sections.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
calculating an initial ability estimate from the examinee's responses to the set of test items in the one test section.
3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising:
basing the item selection process for the at least one subsequent test section on the initial ability estimate.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the computer implemented test battery comprises a computer adaptive test battery further comprising related tests or test sections.
5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
matching item difficulty in the at least one subsequent section with an estimated examinee ability from the one test section or previous test sections.
6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
improving interim ability estimation accuracy and item selection efficiency by informing the item selection process with ability estimates from the one test section or previous test sections.
7 . A method of test item selection comprising;
providing a computer and a computer implemented test battery comprising at least two or more test sections having a plurality of test items;
administering one section of the at least two or more test sections to an examinee using the computer, wherein the computer receives the examinee's responses to a set of the plurality of test items for the one section;
calculating an initial ability estimate for the examinee's responses to the set of the plurality of test items in the one test section; and
selecting one or more test items from the plurality of test items to include in a subsequent test section to the one test section of the at least two or more test sections based upon the initial ability estimate from at least the one previous test section.
8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
providing an item selection process for selecting the one or more test items based upon the initial ability estimate from at least the one previous section.
9 . The method of claim 7 wherein the computer implemented test battery comprises a computer adaptive test.
10 . The method of claim 8 further comprising:
factoring into the item selection process interrelatedness between the at least the one test section and the subsequent test section.
11 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
minimizing overexposure and over usage of selected test items from the plurality of test items by basing item selection in the subsequent test section on the ability estimate from at least the one previous section.
12 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
minimizing the plurality of test items to a subset of test items based upon the initial ability estimate from at least the one previous section.
13 . The method of claim 8 further comprising:
improving interim ability estimation accuracy and item selection efficiency by informing the item selection process with ability estimates from the one test section or previous test sections.
14 . A method of test item selection comprising;
providing a computer and a computer implemented test battery comprising at least two or more test sections having a plurality of test items;
administering one section of the at least two or more test sections to an examinee using the computer, wherein the computer receives the examinee's responses to a set of the plurality of test items for the one test section;
calculating an initial ability estimate from the examinee's responses to the set of the plurality of test items in the one test section;
minimizing the plurality of test items to a subset of test items based upon the initial ability estimate from at least the one previous test section; and
selecting a next test item from the subset of test items for the subsequent test section.
15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
adapting the next test item selection to scores from at least the one previous section.
16 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
calculating an initial theta for the subsequent test section based on an examinee's ability from at least the one previous test section, wherein the at least one previous test section is related to the subsequent test section.
17 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
selecting the next test item from the subset of test items to include in the subsequent test section to the one test section of the at least two or more test sections based upon ability estimates from at least the one previous test section.
18 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
factoring interrelatedness between the at least two or more test sections into the next test item selection.
19 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
minimizing overexposure and over usage of selected test items from the plurality of test items by basing next test item selection in the subsequent test section on an interim ability estimate arrived at from the initial ability estimate.
20 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
improving interim ability estimation accuracy and item selection efficiency by informing the next test item selection with an interim ability estimates resulting from the initial ability estimates informed by ability estimates obtained from one test section or previous test sections.