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Impact of Fewer Questions per Section on SAT I Scores
Author(s) -
Bridgeman Brent,
Trapani Catherine,
Curley Edward
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of educational measurement
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.917
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-3984
pISSN - 0022-0655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-3984.2004.tb01167.x
Subject(s) - section (typography) , psychology , mathematics education , statistics , mathematics , computer science , operating system
The impact of allowing more time for each question on the SAT I: Reasoning Test scores was estimated by embedding sections with a reduced number of questions into the standard 30‐minute equating section of two national test administrations. Thus, for example, questions were deleted from a verbal section that contained 35 questions to produce forms that contained 27 or 23 questions. Scores on the 23‐question section could then be compared to scores on the same 23 questions when they were embedded in a section that contained 27 or 35 questions. Similarly, questions were deleted from a 25‐question math section to form sections of 20 and 17 questions. Allowing more time per question had a minimal impact on verbal scores, producing gains of less than 10 points on the 200–800 SAT scale. Gains for the math score were less than 30 points. High‐scoring students tended to benefit more than lower‐scoring students, with extra time creating no increase in scores for students with SAT scores of 400 or lower. Ethnic/racial and gender differences were neither increased nor reduced with extra time.