A theoretical study of two-stage testing

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. 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.