Wim van der Linden was just given a lifetime achievement award by the National Council on Measurement in Education. There is no one more prominent in the area of educational testing.

There are hundreds of computer-based credentialing exams in areas such as accounting, real estate, nursing, and securities, as well as the well-known admissions exams for college, graduate school, medical school, and law school - there is great need on the theory of testing.

This book presents the statistical theory and practice behind constructing good tests e.g., how is the first test item selected, how are the next items selected, and when do you have enough items.

Item response theory has become an essential component in the toolkit of every researcher in the behavioral sciences. It provides a powerful means to study individual responses to a variety of stimuli, and the methodology has been extended and developed to cover many different models of interaction. This volume presents a wide-ranging handbook to item response theory - and its applications to educational and psychological testing. It will serve as both an introduction to the subject and also as a comprehensive reference volume for practitioners and researchers. It is organized into six major sections: the nominal categories model, models for response time or multiple attempts on items, models for multiple abilities or cognitive components, nonparametric models, models for nonmonotone items, and models with special assumptions. Each chapter in the book has been written by an expert of that particular topic, and the chapters have been carefully edited to ensure that a uniform style of notation and presentation is used throughout. As a result, all researchers whose work uses item response theory will find this an indispensable companion to their work and it will be the subject's reference volume for many years to come.

The arrival of the computer in educational and psychological testing has led to the current popularity of adaptive testing---a testing format in which the computer uses statistical information about the test items to automatically adapt their selection to a real-time update of the test taker's ability estimate. This book covers such key features of adaptive testing as item selection and ability estimation, adaptive testing with multidimensional abilities, sequencing adaptive test batteries, multistage adaptive testing, item-pool design and maintenance, estimation of item and item-family parameters, item and person fit, as well as adaptive mastery and classification testing. It also shows how these features are used in the daily operations of several large-scale adaptive testing programs.

Drawing on the work of internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Volume Two: Statistical Tools presents classical and modern statistical tools used in item response theory (IRT). While IRT heavily depends on the use of statistical tools for handling its models and applications, systematic introductions and reviews that emphasize their relevance to IRT are hardly found in the statistical literature. This second volume in a three-volume set fills this void. Volume Two covers common probability distributions, the issue of models with both intentional and nuisance parameters, the use of information criteria, methods for dealing with missing data, and model identification issues. It also addresses recent developments in parameter estimation and model fit and comparison, such as Bayesian approaches, specifically Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.

Drawing on the work of internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Volume One: Models presents all major item response models. This first volume in a three-volume set covers many model developments that have occurred in item response theory (IRT) during the last 20 years. It describes models for different response formats or response processes, the need of deeper parameterization due to a multilevel or hierarchical structure of the response data, and other extensions and insights. In Volume One, all chapters have a common format with each chapter focusing on one family of models or modeling approach. An introductory section in every chapter includes some history of the model and a motivation of its relevance. Subsequent sections present the model more formally, treat the estimation of its parameters, show how to evaluate its fit to empirical data, illustrate the use of the model through an empirical example, and discuss further applications and remaining research issues.

Drawing on the work of internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Volume 3: Applications presents applications of item response theory to practical testing problems. While item response theory may be known primarily for its advances in theoretical modeling of responses to test items, equal progress has been made in its providing innovative solutions to daily testing problems. This third volume in a three-volume set highlights the major applications. Specifically, this volume covers applications to test item calibration, item analysis, model fit checking, test-score interpretation, optimal test design, adaptive testing, standard setting, and forensic analyses of response data. It describes advances in testing in areas such as large-scale educational assessment, psychological testing, health measurement, and measurement of change. In addition, it extensively reviews computer programs available to run any of the models and applications in Volume One and Three. Features Includes contributions from internationally acclaimed experts with a history of advancing applications of item response theory Provides extensive cross-referencing and common notation across all chapters in this three-volume set Underscores the importance of treating each application in a statistically rigorous way Reviews major computer programs for item response theory analyses and applications. Wim J. van der Linden is a distinguished scientist and director of research and innovation at Pacific Metrics Corporation. Dr. van der Linden is also a professor emeritus of measurement and data analysis at the University of Twente. His research interests include test theory, adaptive testing, optimal test assembly, parameter linking, test equating, and response-time modeling as well as decision theory and its applications to problems of educational decision making.

Drawing on the work of 75 internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Three-Volume Set presents all major item response models, classical and modern statistical tools used in item response theory (IRT), and major areas of applications of IRT in educational and psychological testing, medical diagnosis of patient-reported outcomes, and marketing research. It also covers CRAN packages, WinBUGS, Bilog MG, Multilog, Parscale, IRTPRO, Mplus, GLLAMM, Latent Gold, and numerous other software tools. A full update of editor Wim J. van der Linden and Ronald K. Hambleton's classic Handbook of Modern Item Response Theory, this handbook has been expanded from 28 chapters to 85 chapters in three volumes. The three volumes are thoroughly edited and cross-referenced, with uniform notation, format, and pedagogical principles across all chapters. Each chapter is self-contained and deals with the latest developments in IRT.

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the latest developments in the theory and practice of CAT. It can be used both as a basic reference and a valuable resource on test theory. It covers such topics as item selection and ability estimation, item pool development and maintenance, item calibration and model fit, and testlet-based adaptive testing, as well as the operational aspects of existing large-scale CAT programs.

Drawing on the work of 75 internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Three-Volume Set presents all major item response models, classical and modern statistical tools used in item response theory (IRT), and major areas of applications of IRT in educational and psychological testing, medical diagnosis of patient-reported outcomes, and marketing research. It also covers CRAN packages, WinBUGS, Bilog MG, Multilog, Parscale, IRTPRO, Mplus, GLLAMM, Latent Gold, and numerous other software tools. A full update of editor Wim J. van der Linden and Ronald K. Hambleton's classic Handbook of Modern Item Response Theory, this handbook has been expanded from 28 chapters to 85 chapters in three volumes. The three volumes are thoroughly edited and cross-referenced, with uniform notation, format, and pedagogical principles across all chapters. Each chapter is self-contained and deals with the latest developments in IRT.

Drawing on the work of internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Volume 3: Applications presents applications of item response theory to practical testing problems. While item response theory may be known primarily for its advances in theoretical modeling of responses to test items, equal progress has been made in its providing innovative solutions to daily testing problems. This third volume in a three-volume set highlights the major applications. Specifically, this volume covers applications to test item calibration, item analysis, model fit checking, test-score interpretation, optimal test design, adaptive testing, standard setting, and forensic analyses of response data. It describes advances in testing in areas such as large-scale educational assessment, psychological testing, health measurement, and measurement of change. In addition, it extensively reviews computer programs available to run any of the models and applications in Volume One and Three. Features Includes contributions from internationally acclaimed experts with a history of advancing applications of item response theory Provides extensive cross-referencing and common notation across all chapters in this three-volume set Underscores the importance of treating each application in a statistically rigorous way Reviews major computer programs for item response theory analyses and applications. Wim J. van der Linden is a distinguished scientist and director of research and innovation at Pacific Metrics Corporation. Dr. van der Linden is also a professor emeritus of measurement and data analysis at the University of Twente. His research interests include test theory, adaptive testing, optimal test assembly, parameter linking, test equating, and response-time modeling as well as decision theory and its applications to problems of educational decision making.

Drawing on the work of internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Volume Two: Statistical Tools presents classical and modern statistical tools used in item response theory (IRT). While IRT heavily depends on the use of statistical tools for handling its models and applications, systematic introductions and reviews that emphasize their relevance to IRT are hardly found in the statistical literature. This second volume in a three-volume set fills this void. Volume Two covers common probability distributions, the issue of models with both intentional and nuisance parameters, the use of information criteria, methods for dealing with missing data, and model identification issues. It also addresses recent developments in parameter estimation and model fit and comparison, such as Bayesian approaches, specifically Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.

The arrival of the computer in educational and psychological testing has led to the current popularity of adaptive testing---a testing format in which the computer uses statistical information about the test items to automatically adapt their selection to a real-time update of the test taker's ability estimate. This book covers such key features of adaptive testing as item selection and ability estimation, adaptive testing with multidimensional abilities, sequencing adaptive test batteries, multistage adaptive testing, item-pool design and maintenance, estimation of item and item-family parameters, item and person fit, as well as adaptive mastery and classification testing. It also shows how these features are used in the daily operations of several large-scale adaptive testing programs.

Wim van der Linden was just given a lifetime achievement award by the National Council on Measurement in Education. There is no one more prominent in the area of educational testing.

There are hundreds of computer-based credentialing exams in areas such as accounting, real estate, nursing, and securities, as well as the well-known admissions exams for college, graduate school, medical school, and law school - there is great need on the theory of testing.

This book presents the statistical theory and practice behind constructing good tests e.g., how is the first test item selected, how are the next items selected, and when do you have enough items.

Modern computer technology has opened up several new possibilities for optimizing the administration of educational and psychological tests. In computer adaptive testing (CAT), tests are automatically tailored to the proficiency level of the individual examinees. Currently, nearly all large-scale testing programs in the western world are already adaptive or in the process of becoming so. Written by active CAT researchers from Europe and North America, the chapters offer a comprehensive introduction to the latest developments in the theory and practice of CAT. The book can be used both as a basic reference on the state of the art in CAT and a valuable resource in graduate courses on test theory. The theoretical chapters in this book cover such topics as item selection and ability estimation, item pool development and maintenance, item calibration and model fit, and testlet-based adaptive testing. The practical chapters describe the operational aspects of existing large-scale CAT programs.

Item response theory has become an essential component in the toolkit of every researcher in the behavioral sciences. It provides a powerful means to study individual responses to a variety of stimuli, and the methodology has been extended and developed to cover many different models of interaction. This volume presents a wide-ranging handbook to item response theory - and its applications to educational and psychological testing. It will serve as both an introduction to the subject and also as a comprehensive reference volume for practitioners and researchers. It is organized into six major sections: the nominal categories model, models for response time or multiple attempts on items, models for multiple abilities or cognitive components, nonparametric models, models for nonmonotone items, and models with special assumptions. Each chapter in the book has been written by an expert of that particular topic, and the chapters have been carefully edited to ensure that a uniform style of notation and presentation is used throughout. As a result, all researchers whose work uses item response theory will find this an indispensable companion to their work and it will be the subject's reference volume for many years to come.

Drawing on the work of internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Volume One: Models presents all major item response models. This first volume in a three-volume set covers many model developments that have occurred in item response theory (IRT) during the last 20 years. It describes models for different response formats or response processes, the need of deeper parameterization due to a multilevel or hierarchical structure of the response data, and other extensions and insights. In Volume One, all chapters have a common format with each chapter focusing on one family of models or modeling approach. An introductory section in every chapter includes some history of the model and a motivation of its relevance. Subsequent sections present the model more formally, treat the estimation of its parameters, show how to evaluate its fit to empirical data, illustrate the use of the model through an empirical example, and discuss further applications and remaining research issues.