Computerization of paper-and-pencil tests: When are they equivalent?

The cross-mode equivalence of paper-and-pencil (P&P) and computer-based clerical tests was examined. 411 undergraduate students at two large Midwestern universities were administered 10 timed clerical tests. Although Mead & Drasgow's (1993) meta-analysis found that speededness moderated cross-mode equivalence, the current study found no differences across modes between P&P tests and computer-based tests (CBTs). When speeded CBTs follow the same administration and response procedures as the P&P format, differences across modes can be minimized. Equivalence is discussed at three levels: parallel, tau-equivalent, and congeneric. The statistical and practical implications of test equivalence are presented. Although structural equation modeling determined the tests to be congeneric, results showed only small distributional differences cross-modally. No differential validity across formats was found.