TY - JOUR T1 - Assembling a computerized adaptive testing item pool as a set of linear tests JF - Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics Y1 - 2006 A1 - van der Linden, W. J. A1 - Ariel, A. A1 - Veldkamp, B. P. KW - Algorithms KW - computerized adaptive testing KW - item pool KW - linear tests KW - mathematical models KW - statistics KW - Test Construction KW - Test Items AB - Test-item writing efforts typically results in item pools with an undesirable correlational structure between the content attributes of the items and their statistical information. If such pools are used in computerized adaptive testing (CAT), the algorithm may be forced to select items with less than optimal information, that violate the content constraints, and/or have unfavorable exposure rates. Although at first sight somewhat counterintuitive, it is shown that if the CAT pool is assembled as a set of linear test forms, undesirable correlations can be broken down effectively. It is proposed to assemble such pools using a mixed integer programming model with constraints that guarantee that each test meets all content specifications and an objective function that requires them to have maximal information at a well-chosen set of ability values. An empirical example with a previous master pool from the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) yielded a CAT with nearly uniform bias and mean-squared error functions for the ability estimator and item-exposure rates that satisfied the target for all items in the pool. PB - Sage Publications: US VL - 31 SN - 1076-9986 (Print) ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Infeasibility in automated test assembly models: A comparison study of different methods JF - Journal of Educational Measurement Y1 - 2005 A1 - Huitzing, H. A. A1 - Veldkamp, B. P. A1 - Verschoor, A. J. KW - Algorithms KW - Item Content (Test) KW - Models KW - Test Construction AB - Several techniques exist to automatically put together a test meeting a number of specifications. In an item bank, the items are stored with their characteristics. A test is constructed by selecting a set of items that fulfills the specifications set by the test assembler. Test assembly problems are often formulated in terms of a model consisting of restrictions and an objective to be maximized or minimized. A problem arises when it is impossible to construct a test from the item pool that meets all specifications, that is, when the model is not feasible. Several methods exist to handle these infeasibility problems. In this article, test assembly models resulting from two practical testing programs were reconstructed to be infeasible. These models were analyzed using methods that forced a solution (Goal Programming, Multiple-Goal Programming, Greedy Heuristic), that analyzed the causes (Relaxed and Ordered Deletion Algorithm (RODA), Integer Randomized Deletion Algorithm (IRDA), Set Covering (SC), and Item Sampling), or that analyzed the causes and used this information to force a solution (Irreducible Infeasible Set-Solver). Specialized methods such as the IRDA and the Irreducible Infeasible Set-Solver performed best. Recommendations about the use of different methods are given. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA ) (journal abstract) VL - 42 ER -