Chapter 5

Question 1

Standard

Answer 1

This refers to a level or performance required or experienced. This also refers to a set of principles used as a basis for evaluating what language testers do

Question 2

Standard setting

Answer 2

The process of determining cut-scores for a test. There may be a single pass mark, or performance may be reported on a scale, with each level representing a specified standard.

Question 3

Cut-score

Answer 3

A score that represents achievement of the criterion, the line b/n success and failure, mastery or non-mastery. Methods of establishing this always involve making some kind of subjective judgment regarding the acceptability of test performance. May refer to absolute or relative standard.

Question 4

Standardized score

Answer 4

A transformation of raw scores which provides a measure of relative standing in a group and allows comparison of raw scores from different distributions, e.g. from tests of different lengths. It does this by converting a raw score into a standard frame of reference which is expressed in terms of its relative position in the distribution of scores.

Question 5

Standardized Test

Answer 5

It is typical of a norm-referenced test, the goal of which is to place test-takers on a continuum across a rage of scores and to differentiate test-takers by their relative ranking. Went through a thorough process of empirical research and development. Places heavy emphasis on reliability

Question 6

Central tendency

Answer 6

refers to the average or typical score in a distribution

Question 7

Mode

Answer 7

It is defined as the most frequently occurring score, class interval, or nominal scale category in a distribution

Question 8

Medium

Answer 8

the point in the distribution above which exactly half of the scores occur, and below which the other half occur

Question 9

Mean

Answer 9

The arithmetic balancing point in the distribution

Question 10

Range

Answer 10

This is a measure of variability equal to the highest score minus the lowest score in the distribution

Question 11

Variance

Answer 11

It measures the variability of a distribution as the average squared deviation of scores around the mean.

Question 12

Standard Deviation

Answer 12

This is a measure of variability equal to the square root of the variance. This is approximately equal to the average absolute deviation of scores around the mean

Question 13

z score

Answer 13

This measures the difference b/n a raw score and the mean of the distribution using the standard deviation of the distribution as the unit of measure

Question 14

Item Facility (IF)

Answer 14

the extent to which an item is easy or difficult for the proposed group of test-takers.
(# of students answering the item correctly) / (Total # of Students responding to that item)

Question 15

Item Discrimination (ID)

Answer 15

the extent to which an item differentiates between high- and low-ability test-takers.
(high group # correct – low group # correct) / (1/2 X total of your two comparison groups)

Question 16

Distractor efficiency

Answer 16

the extent to which the distractors lure a sufficient number of test-takers, especially lower-ability ones, and those responses are somewhat evenly distributed across all distractors

Question 17

Item Response Theory (IRT)

Answer 17

assumes that each item has invariant and persistent characteristics across the testing context. Each item can be represented with the item characteristic curve. Each item is innately associated with the item information such as difficulty, discrimination, and guessing factor