Students' Expectations and Their Answer-Changing Behavior

Answer-changing data were collected on 100 multiple choice test items from a course in statistics and research methods taken by a class of professional school students. After the course 92 of the students responded to an instrument assessing their reasons for revising answers and beliefs relative to the consequences of answer changing. A majority (86%) indicated that their response changes reflected decisions based upon reconsideration; however, the remaining subjects cited other motives. Most subjects incorrectly expected answer changing to result in a loss of test score points. Subjects' beliefs regarding the consequences of answer changing did not influence their behavior in test-taking.

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An Attempt to Identify Predictors of Test-Wiseness

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1986.58.2.663 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 663-672 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John P. Dolly ◽

Denise S. Vick

Keyword(s):

Grade Point Average ◽

Multiple Choice ◽

Choice Test ◽

Pretest Score ◽

Multiple Choice Test ◽

Self Perception ◽

Grade Point ◽

Test Items ◽

Test Taking ◽

And Control

The purpose of this study was to investigate potential predictors of test-wiseness, including self-perception of test-taking ability and a test-wiseness score on a multiple-choice test which served as a pretest for subsequent training on guessing strategies. Specific strategies incorporated into the test were (1) midrange, (2) length of option, (3) deduction, and (4) similarity/oppositeness. Five test items for each strategy and five items which were determined to be nonsusceptible to test-wiseness were included. The two predictor measures were administered to experimental ( n = 19) and control ( n = 22) groups as was a posttest measure similar to the pretest. Analyses indicated that test-wiseness can be predicted from pretest score, grade point average, and subjects' test-taking perceptions. Subjects who had a GPA below 3.5, scored below 70% on the pretest or perceived themselves as poor test-takers benefited the most from the training.

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Measuring the Appropriateness of Multiple-Choice Test Scores

Journal of Educational Statistics ◽

10.3102/10769986004004269 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 269-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

Michael V. Levine ◽

Donald B. Rubin

Keyword(s):

Test Score ◽

Choice Test ◽

Multiple Choice Test ◽

Aptitude Test ◽

Test Items ◽

Test Taking ◽

Relative Ability ◽

Test Taking Strategies ◽

Alignment Errors ◽

Ability Measure

A student may be so atypical and unlike other students that his or her aptitude test score fails to be a completely appropriate measure of his or her relative ability. We consider the problem of using the student’s pattern of multiplechoice aptitude test answers to decide whether his or her score is an appropriate ability measure. Several indicators of appropriateness are formulated and evaluated with a simulation of theScholastic Aptitude Test. Applications to investigations of alignment errors, exceptional creativity, suboptimal test taking strategies, and unauthorized access to test items are noted.

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