The development of a set of guidelines for the revision of psychological tests and the use of revised psychological tests

The psychological testindustry has produced a wide variety of psychological tests that are used by professionals to facilitate measurement and decision-making. Tests are updated and revised periodically in order to remain current, valid and reliable in what is a competitive psychometric industry. Despite the prevalence of test revisions, especially in recent years, a number of authors have commented on the lack of comprehensive guidelines for test revision. Guidelines shouldcover aspects such as what the different types of revision are, when to embark on a revision, whatprocessto followand how test users should use revised tests. Test revision differs from test construction in a number of ways. There are external factors that affect the regularity with which a test should be revised. Test revision also involves more role players than test construction, including the opinions of those test users who may be resistant to any change in the previous test edition. Finally, revised tests sometimes have to contend with requirements from the test publisher who purchased the test or distribution rights from the developer. Test revision is expensive and time consuming, which leaves little scope for experimentation or trial-and-error. The availability of expertise, as well as the human and financial resources required to complete test revisionscan make such projects unaffordable, especiallyforprofessionals indeveloping countries, such as South Africa.It may be more feasible for such professionalsto collaborate with international revision projects. By doing so they cangain experience in test revision, contribute indigenous information that could shapethe revision ofan international test, increase opportunities to engage with international users, and potentially source international funding for research in their own country. The current studydevelopeda comprehensive and practical set of 30 guidelines to assist those involved in test revision. These guidelines were peer-reviewed and refined. Finally, the guidelines were field-tested using a case study of a recently revised ivdevelopmentaltest, the Griffiths III. Professionals from South Africa, including the present researcher,formed part of the international team for the extensive revision of the Griffiths III, which makes this test an ideal case study from both the perspectives of the developed test revision guidelines as well as collaboration of professionals from a developing country in an international test revision. The knowledge gainedfrom the development of guidelines and international collaboration in test revision is reflected on

A system review of higher education admissions testing practices in Israel: implications for South Africa

Internationally, the practice of admissions entry testing in Higher Education (HE) has gained momentum over the past few decades, sparking ongoing research on its effectiveness. On a national level, three factors have signalled a timeous evaluation of admissions practices at HE institutions. Firstly, changes in the school curriculum and the new format of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) have impacted on the admissions criteria of HE institutions. Secondly, with the merging of HE institutions an alignment in admissions practices between the institutions involved were necessitated. Thirdly, South Africa has embarked on the development of National Benchmark Tests (NBTs). The primary aim of this research study was to develop a set of recommendations to guide admissions testing practices in the South African HE context. These recommendations had to place special emphasis on the multicultural and multilingual context of this country. To achieve this aim a systematic review was conducted on HE admissions testing in Israel, as it was identified as a multicultural and multilingual country that had successfully implemented national HE admissions testing. More specifically, a retrospective systematic review was performed on research regarding the national HE admissions test, the Psychometric Entrance Test (PET), used in Israel. The systematic review also contained a narrative overview on the educational landscape in Israel and the specifications of the PET, from which themes were also extracted. Eight broad themes emerged through the systematic review and narrative overview as being of critical importance to an effective national HE admissions test. These were the components of the test, the implementation of the testing programme, the method in which the test results are used to make HE admission decisions, the reliability xi of the test, the validity of the test, bias inherent in the test, other psychometric aspects related to the admissions test, and the effect of coaching or specialized preparation on test results. These themes, together with their sub-components, were used to develop eight recommendations that can guide the development and implementation of the National Benchmark Test (NBTs) in South Africa. Both the themes that emerged during the systematic review and narrative overview as well as the recommendations that were made to guide the development and implementation of a national admission test, represent an important contribution to the field of admission testing and decision-making in South Africa

Book Review

Child Health for All. A Manual for Southern Africa. Second edition. Edited by M. A. Kibel and l. A. Wagstaft. Pp. xii + 453. Illustrated. R120. Cape Town: Oxford University Press. 1995. ISBN 0-19-571253-6.Clinical Echocardiography' By John Chambers. Pp. viii + 256. Illustrated. £55. London: BMJ. 1995. ISBN 0-7279-0810-3.ABC of Hypertension' Third edition. Edited by E. T. O'Brien, D. G. Beevers and H. J. Marshal/. Pp. 76. Illustrated. £14. London: BMJ. 1995. ISBN 0-7279-0769-7.ABC of Breast Diseases' Edited by J. M. Dixon. Pp. 69. Illustrated. £15. London: BMJ. 1995. ISBN 0-7279-0915-0.Community-based Distribution of Contraceptives. A Guide for Programme ManagersWHO. Pp. xi + 135. Illustrated. Sw.fr.32/USS28.80. Geneva: WHO. 1995. ISBN 92-4-154475-9.Visceral Pain. Process in Pain Research Management. Volume 5. InternationalAssociation for the Study of Pain Edited by Gerald F. Gebhart. Pp. x + 501. Illustrated. US$69. Seattle: IASP Press. 1995. ISBN 0-931092-10-8