Test response inconsistency in young children

Five studies were conducted which indicated that young children show a high degree of inconsistency of response from test to retest. The first three studies included one in which the same concepts were measured on two different forms of a test of basic concepts given one day apart—one in which the same test was given prior to and following a 3-month intervention program, and one in which the same concepts were presented twice on the same test. Studies four and five employed standardized test items from the Stanford Binet, WPPSI and McCarthy Scales with retest intervals of approximately 3 months and 15 minutes, respectively. Results indicated that preschool children show a high degree of variability when responding to the same test questions even with a short time interval. In the first two studies, 90% to 100% of the children were inconsistent in responding. In the third study, one third of the children responded inconsistently. The last two studies with standardized test items revealed inconsistency of response among approximately 40% to over 80% of the children, depending upon the retest interval and the items examined. The studies highlight the need for those who evaluate educational programs and those who design tests to have a greater understanding of the manner in which young children perform in situations that are designed to demonstrate learning.