Test Fraud : Statistical Detection and Methodology

Recent reports of widespread problems with state student accountability tests and teacher certification testing have raised questions about the very validity of assessment programs. Few books outline the statistical procedures used for detecting various types of potential test fraud and the associated research findings. This edited volume expands on the current literature base by including examples of detailed research findings arrived at by statistical methodology, and provides a synthesis of the current state of the art with regard to the statistical detection of testing infidelity, particularly for large-scale assessments.

There has been an increase in awareness (and perhaps occurrence) of individual and organized cheating on tests. Recent reports of widespread problems with state student accountability tests and teacher certification testing have raised questions about the very validity of assessment programs. While there are several books that specifically detail the issues of test security cheating on assessments, few outline the statistical procedures used for detecting various types of potential test fraud and the associated research findings. Without a significant research literature base, the new generation of researchers will have little opportunity or incentive to improve on existing methods.

Enlisting a variety of experts and scholars in different fields of testing, this edited volume expands on the current literature base by including examples of detailed research findings arrived at by statistical methodology. It also provides a synthesis of the current state of the art with regard to the statistical detection of testing infidelity, particularly for large-scale assessments. By presenting methods currently used by testing organizations and research on new methods, the volume offers an important forum for expanding the literature in this area.