The Nature and Extent of Test-Wiseness Cues in Seventh— and Tenth-Grade Classroom Tests

In the present study, 100 seventh— and tenth-grade tests across several content areas were examined for the presence of six types of test-wiseness cues. Questions addressed included: (a) What is the frequency of each type of cue, (b) is there a difference in the frequency of cued items between teacher-made and publisher-provided tests, (c) which type of item contains more cues, and (d) is there an increase in the likelihood of making a correct guess based on the use of existing cues? Analyses indicated approximately 75% of both types of tests contained cued items. The most frequent type of cue was length of option, followed by specific determiners. Increases in the likelihood of making a correct guess based on cue usage ranged from 8% to 1&9percnt; depending on item format. Implications for test construction and teaching test-taking skills are discussed.