A brief history of computerized adaptive and multistage testing

Adaptive testing involves varying test item presentation procedures according to characteristics of the individual being tested. The dual objectives are to measure each individual as precisely as possible and to make each test as short as possible while controlling its precision. In an adaptive test, one or more items are administered to an examinee, a score is calculated based on the examinee’s scored responses, and one or more new items are selected based on that score from an item bank comprised of items with known psychometric characteristics. The test is continued until it satisfies the dual objectives of efficiency and effectiveness. Although many previous and contemporary applications of adaptive testing have occurred in the educational environment, from a historical perspective, education was only one of several applications that led to contemporary computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and computerized multistage testing (MST). This chapter briefly reviews the history of adaptive testing and then introduces the most current practical issues and solutions focusing on adaptive testing via stages.