Measurement Problems and Their Treatments in Essay-Type Tests

Abstract

There has been increased awareness of the importance of assessing “higher-level abilities” such as abilities of thinking, written expression, and creativity in recent years. For this purpose, the use of essay-type tests has become popular, especially in university entrance and personnel examinations. However, many researchers have pointed out that essay-type tests are subject to measurement problems such as reliability, validity, and bias, while these measurement problems and their treatments have not been fully addressed so far.

This paper overviewed these measurement problems in the literature, and summarized how these problems can be related to each phase in the construction and operation of essay-type tests. Based on this review, this paper provided test practitioners and measurement specialists with critical issues to be considered and how they can be addressed in practice.