Research Article

The Effects of Reusing Written Test Items: A Study Using the Rasch Model

Table 2

Students’ fluctuation between test days and mean standard deviation of ability measure.

DayFluctuation Ability measure
(%) M/SD

1-cw209515875 (47%)20 95 “first test date”2.27/0.82
2-cw21183366200 (54%)152 200 “follow-up test date as scheduled”2.16/0.90
3-cw2267
4-cw23188147125 (85%)99 60 “strategic reschedulers”1.84/0.87

Total5356713552.14/0.88

cw: calendar week 2009; : number of persons taking the test as a pretest; : number of students assigned; : number of students staying as assigned; : number of students joining; : number of students assembled with different motivations (pretest takers only); ability measure: Rasch-based ability measure; first test date: students taking test on day 1, not motivated to benefit from leaked item content; follow-up test date as scheduled: students who had the opportunity to benefit from leaked content but did not bother to increase this opportunity; strategic reschedulers: students who increased their opportunity to benefit from item leakage by rescheduling to the latest possible test date.