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GlossaryWhat is meant by test validity? Essentially, does a test do what it says it does? In relation to placement tests like the ones discussed here, does the test successfully place a student in the appropriate course? What is meant by test reliability? A test will have the same results when taken multiple times by the same subject, under the same conditions. What is a norm referenced test? A test designed to compare students to one another. This means a test is likely to be designed to maximize differentiation among students, and usually also to create a bell curve of scores. In other words, most will score somewhere in the middle, and a few will be outliers on both sides. What is a standards referenced test? A test that is measures student performance against a predetermined curriculum. What is a direct test? A test is direct if it asks students to demonstrate ability and/or knowledge in the content area the test is designed to measure. So, for example, a spelling test that asks students to spell the words being tested. What is an indirect test? An indirect test measures ability and/or knowledge that underlies, or is strongly correlated with whatever the test is designed to measure. So, for example, the SAT posits that their test can indirectly predict student success in post-secondary education. |