A New Multidimensional Computerized Testing Approach: On-the-Fly Assembled Multistage Adaptive Testing Based on Multidimensional Item Response Theory

Jingwen Li, Jianan Sun (), Mingyu Shao, Yinghui Lai and Chen Chen
Additional contact information
Jingwen Li: College of Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Jianan Sun: College of Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Mingyu Shao: College of Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Yinghui Lai: School of Educational Sciences, Hunan Institute of Science and Technology, Yueyang 414006, China
Chen Chen: College of Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Mathematics, 2025, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-27

Abstract: Unidimensional on-the-fly assembled multistage adaptive testing (OMST), a flexible testing method, integrates the strengths of the adaptive test assembly of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and the modular test administration of multistage adaptive testing (MST). Since numerous latent trait structures in practical applications are inherently multidimensional, extending the realm from unidimensional to multidimensional is necessary. Multidimensional item response theory (MIRT), a branch of mathematical and statistical latent variable modeling research, has an important position in the international testing field. Based on MIRT, this study proposes an approach of multidimensional OMST (OMST-M), and on-the-fly automated test assembly algorithms are proposed based on point estimation and confidence ellipsoid, respectively. OMST-M can effectively and flexibly measure multidimensional latent traits through stage-by-stage adaptive testing. The simulation results indicated that under different settings of latent trait structures, module lengths, and module contents, the OMST-M approach demonstrated good performance in terms of ability estimation accuracy and item exposure control. The empirical research revealed that the OMST-M approach was comparable to both multidimensional MST and CAT in ability estimation accuracy and exhibited remarkable flexibility in adjusting the length and content across its test stages. In summary, the proposed OMST-M features relatively high measurement accuracy, efficiency, convenient implementation, and practical feasibility.

Keywords: multidimensional item response theory; on-the-fly assembled multistage adaptive testing; ability point estimation; ability confidence ellipsoid; ability estimation accuracy; item exposure control (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/4/594/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/4/594/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:13:y:2025:i:4:p:594-:d:1588711

Access Statistics for this article

Mathematics is currently edited by Ms. Emma He

More articles in Mathematics from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().