0000000000328984
AUTHOR
Steven L. Wise
Assisted Self-Adapted Testing: A Comparative Study
Abstract: A new type of self-adapted test (S-AT), called Assisted Self-Adapted Test (AS-AT), is presented. It differs from an ordinary S-AT in that prior to selecting the difficulty category, the computer advises examinees on their best difficulty category choice, based on their previous performance. Three tests (computerized adaptive test, AS-AT, and S-AT) were compared regarding both their psychometric (precision and efficiency) and psychological (anxiety) characteristics. Tests were applied in an actual assessment situation, in which test scores determined 20% of term grades. A sample of 173 high school students participated. Neither differences in posttest anxiety nor ability were obta…
The Choice of Item Difficulty in Self-Adapted Testing
Summary: The difficulty level choices made by examinees during a self-adapted test were studied. A positive correlation between estimate ability and difficulty choice was found. The mean difficulty level selected by the examinees increased nonlinearly as the testing session progressed. Regression analyses showed that the best predictors of difficulty choice were examinee ability, difficulty of the previous item, and score on the previous item. Four strategies for selecting difficulty levels were examined, and examinees were classified into subgroups based on the best-fitting strategy. The subgroups differed with regard to ability, pretest anxiety, number of items passed, and mean difficult…