Test Topics
Glossary
Face validity - Face validity refers to the extent to which a test appears to measure what it is supposed to measure. While it may be of value for a test to have face validity with the stakeholders of the exam program, it is not sufficient for establishing that the test actually has validity. Other, more substantive types of validity should be investigated and documented.
Fairness - This refers to whether an exam is free from any bias, or tendency to disadvantage an examinee based on characteristics such as race, religion, gender, or age. It is an important criteria for evaluating the quality of a test.
Feasibility analysis - This refers to a preliminary study that can be conducted prior to converting an exam program to computer-based testing. The feasibility analysis can help determine whether CBT is the right choice for a particular exam program, and what critical program issues may need to be addressed to ensure a successful conversion.
Field test - This refers to a phase in the test development process when items are administered to examinees, for the purpose of collecting data to evaluate the performance of the items themselves.
Frequency distribution - This refers to a tabular or graphical representation of a set of data in an orderly arrangement. In testing, one common type of frequency distribution is a test score distribution, in which test scores are arranged from lowest to highest (or highest to lowest), and the frequency with which each score occurred is displayed.