Speededness refers to the extent to which time limits affect examinees'test performance, and it is often measured by calculating the proportion of examinees who do not reach a certain percentage of test items. However, when tests are number‐right scored (i.e., no points are subtracted for incorrect responses), examinees are likely to rapidly guess on items rather than leave them blank. Therefore, this traditional measure of speededness probably underestimates the true amount of speededness on such tests. A more accurate assessment of speededness should also reflect the tendency of examinees to rapidly guess on items as time expires. This rapid‐guessing component of speededness can be estimated by modeling response times with a two‐state mixture model, as demonstrated with data from a computer‐ administered reasoning test. Taking into account the combined effect of unreached items and rapid guessing provides a more complete measure of speededness than has previously been available.

Mastery of language skills is an important predictor of daily functioning and health. Vocabulary comprehension and reading decoding are relatively quick and easy to measure and correlate highly with overall cognitive functioning, as well as with success in school and work. New measures of vocabulary comprehension and reading decoding (in both English and Spanish) were developed for the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (CB). In the Toolbox Picture Vocabulary Test (TPVT), participants hear a spoken word while viewing four pictures, and then must choose the picture that best represents the word. This approach tests receptive vocabulary knowledge without the need to read or write, removing the literacy load for children who are developing literacy and for adults who struggle with reading and writing. In the Toolbox Oral Reading Recognition Test (TORRT), participants see a letter or word onscreen and must pronounce or identify it. The examiner determines whether it was pronounced correctly by comparing the response to the pronunciation guide on a separate computer screen. In this chapter, we discuss the importance of language during childhood and the relation of language and brain function. We also review the development of the TPVT and TORRT, including information about the item calibration process and results from a validation study. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of the measures are discussed.

An item-selection algorithm is proposed for neutralizing the differential effects of time limits on computerized adaptive test scores. The method is based on a statistical model for distributions of examinees’ response times on items in a bank that is updated each time an item is administered. Predictions from the model are used as constraints in a 0-1 linear programming model for constrained adaptive testing that maximizes the accuracy of the trait estimator. The method is demonstrated empirically using an item bank from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.

The task inventory approach is commonly used in job analysis for establishing content validity evidence supporting the use and interpretation of licensure and certification examinations. Although the results of a task inventory survey provide job task‐related information that can be used as a reliable and valid source for test development, it is often the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required for performing the tasks, rather than the job tasks themselves, which are tested by licensure and certification exams. This article presents a framework that addresses the important role of KSAs in developing and validating licensure and certification examinations. This includes the use of KSAs in linking job task survey results to the test content outline, transferring job task weights to test specifications, and eventually applying the results to the development of the test items. The impact of using KSAs in the development of test specifications is illustrated from job analyses for two diverse professions. One method for transferring job task weights from the job analysis to test specifications through KSAs is also presented, along with examples. The two examples demonstrated in this article are taken from nursing certification and real estate licensure programs. However, the methodology for using KSAs to link job tasks and test content is also applicable in the development of teacher credentialing examinations.

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