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Three Studies of SAT-Verbal Item Types SAT

Author(s):
Schrader, William B.
Publication Year:
1984
Report Number:
RR-84-33
Source:
ETS Research Report
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
47
Subject/Key Words:
College Board, Item Analysis, Predictive Validity, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Statistical Analysis, Test Items, Test Validity, Verbal Tests

Abstract

Each of the three studies in this report examines a different aspect of the basic question of what the four item types (analogies, antonyms, reading comprehension, and sentence completion) on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) verbal section are measuring and of whether a change in the relative emphasis on the various item types would enhance the validity of SAT-verbal scores. The first study, "A Survey of Item and Test Analysis Results for SAT-Verbal Item Types," examines differences in difficulty and biserial correlations between the various types, and differences in patterns of attempts from one item type to another that may have resulted from differences in candidate strategies. The second study, "The Relation of SAT Reading and Vocabulary Scores to Measures of High School Performance," provides information on the correlations of SAT reading and vocabulary scores with College Board Achievement Test scores, with self-reported high school grades, and with high school rank, and on multiple correlations when each subscore is combined with SAT-mathematical scores and high school rank. The third study, "The Validity of SAT-Verbal Item Types," includes validity coefficients and multiple correlations for the four item types when scores are based on all items of each type and also when scores are based on matched subsets including eight items of each type. (BW). (47pp.)

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