Describe how questions are presented to a test taker in a computerized adaptive test. How does the test start? How are the questions chosen for the middle of the test? When does the test end?
What will be an ideal response?
• In CAT, all test takers start with the same small set of questions—usually those of moderate difficulty. As the test progresses, the computer software chooses and presents each test taker with harder or easier questions depending on how well the test taker answered previous questions.
• CAT software is programmed to begin the test with one to three questions of moderate difficulty. The software is then programmed to select the subsequent test questions based on the test taker’s skill level, which is determined by the answers to the previous questions.
• The computer scores the response to each item immediately, enabling the software to choose the next question based on whether or not the test taker correctly answered the prior question. If so, the next question presented will be at a higher level of difficulty. If not, the next question presented will be at a lower level of difficulty.
• Because of the way in which the questions are chosen in a CAT, there is usually no fixed number of questions that will be presented. The test continues until the software can establish a reliable estimate of the test taker’s skill level. Different test takers may receive tests of different lengths.
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