By the numbers: The rationale for rasch analysis in placement testing

Abstract

Placement tests are usually designed to assess relative language ability within the range of a particular program. Test scores are generally interpreted as measures of language ability, and students are compared and placed in accordance to them. This paper argues that an application of the Rasch model to placement situations is not only warranted by the assumptions of the placement process, but also that great benefits can be achieved by examining items and persons that do not fit the Rasch model. To illustrate these points, the University of Hawai‘i English Language Institute Academic Listening Test is analyzed and discussed.