Subscores

A treatment of proper and improper uses of subscores for test publishers and developers, psychometricians, and all users of scores.

This book describes how subscores are currently used, when their use is or is not appropriate, how they should be reported, and how they can be improved. Applications are demonstrated through a single unifying example of a test with subscores as well as numerous illustrations of other subscores currently reported.This authoritative guide directs consumers and users of test scores on when and how to provide subscores and how to make informed decisions based on them. The book is designed to be accessible to practitioners and score users with varying levels of technical expertise, from executives of testing organizations and students who take tests to graduate students in educational measurement, psychometricians, and test developers. The theoretical background required to evaluate subscores and improve them are provided alongside examples of tests with subscores to illustrate their use and misuse. The first chapter covers the history of tests, subtests, scores, and subscores. Later chapters go into subscore reporting, evaluating and improving the quality of subscores, and alternatives to subscores when they are not appropriate. This thorough introduction to the existing research and best practices will be useful to graduate students, researchers, and practitioners.