Assembling Tests for the Measurement of Multiple Abilities.

It is proposed that the assembly of tests for the measurement of multiple abilities be based on targets for the (asymptotic) variance functions of the estimators in each of the abilities. A linear programming model is presented that can be used to computerize the assembly process. Several cases of test assembly dealing with multidimensional abilities are distinguished, and versions of the model applicable to each of these cases are discussed. An empirical example of a test assembly program from a two-dimensional mathematics item pool concludes the paper. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures, and 27 references.) (Author/SLD)