Assessing the Equivalence of Internet-Based vs. Paper-and-Pencil Psychometric Tests

Michal Baumer, Keren Roded, Naomi Gafni

National Institute for Testing and Evaluation, Jerusalem, Israel

Abstract

The equivalence of Paper-and-Pencil (P&P) and Computer Based Tests (CBT's) has become an important focus of research in the past 20 years. However, few studies have specifically addressed the equivalence of Internet-Based Tests (IBT's) and P&P administrations of high-stakes admissions tests (Potosky & Bobko, 2004). Despite the fact that there is a shortage of evidence with regard to the equivalence of scores obtained in the IBT and P&P modalities, the number of tests administered via the Internet is constantly rising. The goal of the present study was to compare the achievements of examinees who took the paper-and-pencil version of a Psychometric Test with the achievements of those who took it via the Internet. The study was conducted using the Psychometric Entrance Test, used for admission to institutions of higher education in Israel. 370 examinees participated in the study. Half were given a Web-based format in a computer lab and the other half were given the same test in paper-and-pencil format. The study confirmed equivalence between IBT and traditional P&P versions of the test for the sample.