TestAssembler is a simple, effective tool for automated test assembly (form building or construction) using either classical test theory (CTT) or item response theory (IRT). TestAssembler was designed with one purpose in mind: to save you time and money.
Consider the time that it would take to build 8 test forms
from a bank of item statistics where each form
- is equivalent in terms of content distribution and psychometric statistics;
- has internal anchor blocks that are also equivalent in
terms of content distribution and psychometric statistics;
- is constrained with additional bounds on the statistics of
individual items.
To do this manually would take you hours or even days. TestAssembler can complete this process in seconds and do it more accurately – meaning that TestAssembler can literally pay for itself with a single use!
Automated test assembly (ATA) is widely regarded as a valid and efficient method to the practical problem of creating test forms that are parallel and/or linked via
anchor items (Davey and Hendrickson, 2010).
TestAssembler is the first publicly available program designed specifically to implement ATA,
bringing the power of ATA to every testing organization. It can apply both
classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT).
- Produces
a high-quality Rich Text File (.rtf) report complete with title page,
colored headings, tables, narrative, and explanations of the results
- For CTT
assembly: Estimates the mean and standard deviation of raw
(number-correct) scores on each form
- For IRT
assembly: Provides plots of the test response function(s) and item
information function(s) separately for each form
- Allows
you to specify a higher minimum discrimination statistic for anchor items,
so that better items are selected as anchors
- Simultaneously
build up to 9 forms
- For CTT
tests there are two options for the psychometric targets of both the
internal anchor block and the total form: mean difficulty (P) and a
grouped frequency distribution of P
- For IRT
tests you can specify a psychometric target based on the mean difficulty (b)
parameter
- Allows
for item banks up to 1,000 items
- Input
of item bank statistics is by a simple text file with item statistics and
content codes
- Includes
a detailed manual that explains the input, output, and operation of the
program
TestAssembler’s interface (see screenshot below) is straightforward and user-friendly. It
is divided into three tabs:
1. Input
Options – Specify the input file, the output file, and the run title to
appear in the output. In addition, you must specify the measurement model
(either CTT or IRT) used for test assembly. You can also control the range of
acceptable item statistics, such as classical difficulty values between 0.50
and 0.90; only items that meet your specifications will be available for
selection.
2. New
Form Specifications – Specify the number of forms, number of items on each
form, then number of content areas, the number of items in each content area,
and the psychometric target for the final forms
3. Anchor
Items – Specify the percentage of the total form to be an internal anchor
block, as well as its statistical characteristics
Then click “Run” and your new forms are created in just a few
seconds!
The report produced by TestAssembler provides:
1. A description of the program and the purpose of the report
2. A record of the user specifications so that the analysis
can be repeated in the future
3. A description of the item bank status with respect to
the build
4. A list of the anchor items selected as well as a
description of the rationale for anchor items
5. A list of all items on the test, including their domain
and item statistics, allowing you to examine the results of the build
immediately
6. ForCTT tests: Summary statistics of the build, including the average difficulty,
average discrimination, and projected raw score average and standard deviation.
7. For IRT tests: Summary statistics for the item parameters, including the average
item difficulty (b), average item discrimination (a) for the 2-
and 3-parameter models, average pseudo-guessing parameter (c) for the
3-parameter model.
Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7
TestAssembler Demo Version
This is a time-limited Demonstration Version of TestAssembler that allows you
to use it to determine if it fits the needs of your organization. It is restricted
to only one test form of up to 50 items. If you decide to purchase TestAssembler, just e-mail or fax us the unlock codes and payment information - as soon as you receive our reply, you can unlock the software already on your computer without having to re-install TestAssembler and re-do your work. This download includes the complete PDF manual.
TestAssembler PDF Manual
This manual is the complete manual that ships with TestAssembler. Download it to
learn how TestAssembler can help you be more efficient!
TestAssembler licenses are determined by the use of the program. Volume discounts are available,
contact us for more information.
Student lab license
- Please contact
us . Note
that the demo version (downloaded below) can be used as a free student version.
Academic ($299 one-time cost) - The program will be used at an
accredited college or university for research or teaching purposes only.
Government/Non-profit ($299 annual or $598 for 3 years) - The program
will be used at a governmental or a non-profit organization, or by a school
district or college or university. The use of the program must also be
non-profit; that is, if the organization is non-profit but conducts consulting
activities for other organizations, the use is commercial.
Commercial (contact us for price) - The program will be used for commercial purposes, for example, in the course of consulting in test development and psychometrics.
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