User Guide for the TIMSS International Database.pdf - TIMSS and ...

C H A P T E R 2 I N S T R U M E N T S
Table 2.3
Ordering of Item Clusters Within Population 1 Booklets
Cluster Order
Booklet
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1st B C D E F G H B
2nd A A A A A A A A
3rd C D E F G H B R
4th S W T X U Y V Z
Break
5th E F G H B C D I
6th J N K O L P M Q
7th T X U Y V Z W S
The Population 1 test booklets were designed to be administered in two consecutive testing
sessions with a 15-20 minute break between the sessions. The order of the clusters within the
Population 1 booklets is shown in Table 2.3. All booklets contain mathematics and science
items. The core cluster appears in the second position in all booklets. The rotation design
used to assign cluster B through H to booklets 1 through 7 allows the estimation of all item
covariances for the items in cluster A through H. Each of the focus clusters occurs once in the
first, third, and fifth positions in booklets 1 through 7. There are free-response clusters in Part
1 as well as in Part 2 of each test booklet (fourth and seventh cluster in each booklet). Booklet
8, which contains three breadth clusters, serves primarily to increase the content coverage of
the tests.
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