Chapter 5: Test Design with Higher Order Cognition in Mind

Test design has often been characterized as an art more than a science. Recent efforts on the part of test developers, educators, and psychometricians, however, have encouraged an increase in the “science” of test development. This shift is no more evident than in the 2001 National Research Council’s report Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessment (KWSN; NRC, 2001). In its introductory chapter and throughout the report, the authors lay out a contemporary approach to assessment design that is more complex and multidisciplinary than traditional methods described in the majority of measurement and psychometric textbooks. The most significant change is the centralized role of cognition—including theories and methods of cognitive psychology—as the foundation and guiding ruler for the test development process.