Entries by Nathan Thompson, PhD

Test Response Function in Item Response Theory

The Test Response Function (TRF) in item response theory (IRT) is a mathematical function that describes the relationship between the latent trait that a test is measuring, which psychometricians call theta (θ), and the predicted raw score on the test in a traditional notion (percentage/proportion/number correct).  An important concept from IRT, it provides a way […]

ASC Speaks on the SaaS Builders podcast

ASC’s CEO, Nathan Thompson PhD, was recently invited to speak on the SaaS Builders podcast hosted by Code Warriors.  Listen to Dr. Thompson talk about ASC’s next-generation software for item banking, online testing, and psychometrics, and how stronger assessment software can impact just about any industry by improving what we know about people.  ASC’s platforms […]

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Classical Test Theory vs. Item Response Theory

Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory (CTT & IRT) are the two primary psychometric paradigms.  That is, they are mathematical approaches to how tests are analyzed and scored.  They differ quite substantially in substance and complexity, even though they both nominally do the same thing, which is statistically analyze test data to ensure reliability […]

Norm-Referenced vs. Criterion-Referenced Testing

The two terms Norm-Referenced and Criterion-Referenced are commonly used to describe tests, exams, and assessments.  They are often some of the first concepts learned when studying assessment and psychometrics. Norm-referenced means that we are referencing how your score compares to other people.  Criterion-referenced means that we are referencing how your score compares to a criterion such […]

Item-total point-biserial correlation

The item-total point-biserial correlation is a common psychometric index regarding the quality of a test item, namely how well it differentiates between examinees with high vs low ability. What is item discrimination? While the word “discrimination” has a negative connotation, it is actually a really good thing for an item to have.  It means that […]

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California Department of Human Resources Selects Assessment Systems Corporation as Vendor for Online Assessment Platform

The California Department of Human Resources (CalHR, calhr.ca.gov/) has selected Assessment Systems Corporation (ASC, assess.com) as its vendor for an online assessment platform. CalHR is responsible for the personnel selection and hiring of many job roles for the State, and delivers hundreds of thousands of tests per year to job applicants. CalHR seeks to migrate to a […]

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Best Online Proctoring Software

Online proctoring software refers to platforms that proctor educational or professional assessments (exams or tests) when the proctor is not in the same room as the examinee.  This means that it is done with a video stream or recording using a webcam and sometimes an additional device, which are monitored by a human and/or AI.  […]

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Learn About Tech Innovation With Dr. Nathan Thompson On The EdNorth EdTech Podcast

Nathan Thompson, Ph.D., was recently invited to talk about ASC and the future of educational assessment on the Ednorth EdTech Podcast. EdNorth is an association dedicated to continuing the long history of innovation in educational technology that has been rooted in the Twin Cities of Minnesota (Minneapolis / Saint Paul). Click below to listen online, […]

Assess.ai: Finalist in 2021 EdTech Awards

We are proud to announce that ASC’s next-generation platform, Assess.ai, was recently announced as a Finalist for the 2021 EdTech Awards. This follows the successful launch of the landmark platform in 2020, where it quickly garnered attention as a finalist for the Innovation award at the 2020 conference of the Association of Test Publishers. What […]