Analyzing Tests and Scales

¶ … tests (CRTs) and scales vs. norm-Referenced

Criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) are often the preferred method of assessing the performance of many practitioners in the healthcare and 'helping' professions such as nursing. An example of a criterion-based objective is that a student mastered 90% of the terms on a particular test (McDonald 2002). The NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) for nurses is an example of such a test: all nurses that pass the test can obtain licensure. The test is deemed to be both reliable and valid. "The reliability of the NCLEX examination is assessed via a decision consistency statistic. This statistic is used instead of a traditional reliability statistic such as Cronbach's alpha because it captures the reliability of dichotomous pass/fail decisions rather than the reliability of continuous scores or ability estimates" (Reliability of NCLEX, 2013, NCSBN: 2).

In terms of the NCLE, the exam attempts to ensure content validity; face validity; construct validity; predictive validity; and scoring (passing standard) validity. A variety of item writers are contracted to ensure the content will "cover the entire domain of entry-level nursing practice;" sampling validity is ensured by "on going evaluation of the scope of entry-level nursing practice;" face validity is ensured through "real and simulated examinations...read by experienced test developers to ensure that the balance and juxtaposition of content is on face, representative of the domain of nursing;" scoring validity is determined by the process whereby "each examinee receives at least 15 'tryout' items…not counted towards an examinee's score…performance on these items is tracked for all examinees" to assess what types of examinees do well on the test; and "the minimum level of competency that an examinee must attain in order to pass the NCLEX examination is investigated thoroughly on a triennial basis" (Reliability of NCLEX, 2013, NCSBN: 3-4).