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Ability Estimation for Conventional Tests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

Jwa K. Kim  and
W. Alan Nicewander
Jwa K. Kim*
Affiliation:
Middle Tennessee State University
W. Alan Nicewander
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma
*
Requests for reprints should be sent to Jwa K. Kim, Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132.
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Abstract

Five different ability estimators—maximum likelihood [MLE (θ)], weighted likelihood [WLE (θ)], Bayesian modal [BME (θ)], expected a posteriori [EAP (θ)] and the standardized number-right score [Z (θ)]—were used as scores for conventional, multiple-choice tests. The bias, standard error and reliability of the five ability estimators were evaluated using Monte Carlo estimates of the unknown conditional means and variances of the estimators. The results indicated that ability estimates based on BME (θ), EAP (θ) or WLE (θ) were reasonably unbiased for the range of abilities corresponding to the difficulty of a test, and that their standard errors were relatively small. Also, they were as reliable as the old standby—the number-right score.

Keywords

item response theoryability estimationreliability
Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 58 , Issue 4 , December 1993 , pp. 587 - 599
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 The Psychometric Society

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