Principles and Methods of Test Construction

Book excerpt: Leading experts describe the state-of-the-art in developing and constructing psychometric tests This latest volume in the series Psychological Assessment – Science and Practice describes the current state-of-the-art in test development and construction. The past 10-20 years have seen substantial advances in the methods used to develop and administer tests. In this volume many of the world's leading authorities collate these advances and provide information about current practices, thus equipping researchers and students to successfully construct new tests using the best modern standards and techniques. The first section explains the benefits of considering the underlying theory when designing tests, such as factor analysis and item response theory. The second section looks at item format and test presentation. The third discusses model testing and selection, while the fourth goes into statistical methods that can find group-specific bias. The final section discusses topics of special relevance such as multi-trait multi-state analyses and development of screening instruments.