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A theoretical study of two-stage testing

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Abstract

When items cannot be answered correctly by guessing, certain two-stage testing procedures are about as effective over the ability range of interest as the “best” up-and-down procedures studied previously. When answers can be guessed correctly 20 percent of the time, no two-stage procedure is found to match the “best” up-and-down procedures over this ability range. Feet-on-the-desk designs for two-stage procedures may produce poor results.

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This work was supported in part by contract N-00014-69-C-0017, project designation NR 150-303, between the Office of Naval Research and Educational Testing Service. Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted for any purpose of the United States Government.

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Lord, F.M. A theoretical study of two-stage testing. Psychometrika 36, 227–242 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02297844

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02297844

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