ATP Test Security & Integrity Flashcards

What is 'item harvesting'?

Answer: Collecting and sharing live test items without authorization, often for commercial gain

Item harvesting involves the unauthorized collection and dissemination of live test items, typically to sell to examinees preparing for the test.

What security advantage does computer-based testing (CBT) offer over paper-based testing?

Answer: CBT allows randomized item delivery and large item pools to reduce the impact of item sharing

CBT allows for item randomization, adaptive testing, and varied item pools, which reduces the effectiveness of memorized item lists and brain dumps.

How does cheating threaten 'score validity'?

Answer: It undermines the accuracy of scores as measures of the intended construct

Cheating threatens score validity because inflated or fraudulent scores no longer accurately represent examinees' true knowledge or ability.

What is an 'irregularity report' in test administration?

Answer: Documentation of any deviation from standard testing procedures during an administration

An irregularity report documents any deviation from standardized testing procedures, such as disruptions, security incidents, or examinee misconduct.

What obligations govern 'test content confidentiality' in professional testing organizations?

Answer: Professional codes of conduct, legal agreements, and copyright law

Testing organizations are obligated to maintain test content confidentiality through professional codes, licensing agreements, and copyright protections.

What is computer adaptive testing (CAT) and its primary security benefit?

Answer: A computer-administered test that selects items based on examinee ability, using a large item pool to reduce item sharing

CAT selects items from a large bank based on examinee responses, making it harder to share a fixed set of items since each examinee's test is unique.