An Approach to Measuring the Achievement or Proficiency of an Examinee

Throughout the United States, various school systems are developing what is referred to here as proficiency tests. These tests are conceptualized as representing a variety of skills with one or more items per skill. One purpose of the test might be to determine whether a student will receive a high school diploma. This paper discusses how certain recent technical advances might be extended to examine these tests. In contrast to existing analyses, errors at the item level are included. It is shown that inclusion of these errors implies that a substantially longer test might be needed. One approach to this problem is described and directions for future research are also suggested.