Technical Report - International Military Testing Association

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Test Construction Procedures
wILLI\c’ .,.. ‘: tP*?rE, ..a CIIA,.NN ,
, US &my Enl;fir?d Evaluation Center
The te5t construction procedure is an especially crucial one in
,.obtainino, a valid instrument, especially for test6 such as o*.ir~ t’nat
usuaily cannot’ be given experimentally prior to operational use.
For evaluation activities to be most effective, they should consjs:
of the best possible techniques, used In accordance with what we know to
be the besr and most effective psychological principles.
One feature that distin&uishes reputable *hotk in test development
from that of the mas.; of self-styled “test constructots” or “test experts”
a>d outright quacks is that the reputable worker in the field is continuously
concerned with testing, verifying, and improving: the adeauoc)
of his procedures, He, knows that he does not know all t!le answers, and
he is cvcr on the alert to find out more and to improve his procedures.
There is no easy road to scientific test construction.’ The’roat’ is loni;
and tortuous and beset with many pitfalls.
Xn our types of testins programs, there usually is no test available
that corresponds satisfactorily tp a function h+iich seems important to
test. We as test psycholoI:-.sts and subject-matter experts, and coordinators,
are then truly put upon our own mettie to originate improved patterns of
test performance and to develo? a crude test idea into a practical and
reliable testing instrument. This constitutes the most exacting and, at
the same tfme, the most interesting and rewardfng phase of tesK development
work. It requires truly creative efforts.
The topics to be presented by the four symposium members are some&at
diverse in nature and should stimulate our thinking in the direction of
improved test construction procedures. At this time, I would like to fntroducc
the fou; symposium members:
Mr. Isadore J. Newman, 6570th Personnel Research Laboratory,
US Air Force
Mr. John Crediford, US Naval Examining Center
Mr. Charles E. Cassidy, US Army Enlisted Evaluation Center
Mr. Fred B. Honn, US Army Enlisted Evnluation Ccntcr
Since the four ?apers to be presented by these gentlemen arc somewhat
diverse and to keep our thinking “warm” relative to the particular topic,
we will have a short question-and-answer period following etch presentation.
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