EXAMINATION OF FATIGUE EFFECTS FROM EXTENDED‐TIME ACCOMMODATIONS ON THE SAT REASONING TEST™

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study examined operational data from the SAT Reasoning Test™ to determine if students who tested under extended‐time conditions were suffering from excessive fatigue relative to students who tested under standard‐time conditions. Excessive fatigue was defined by significant (a) increases in differential item functioning (DIF) and (b) decreases in item completion rates, for items at the end of testing compared to the beginning of testing. Both of these factors were examined by comparing the performance of students who tested under standard time to students who tested with extended time on items administered early (section position 2 or 3) and different items administered late (section position 8, 9, or 10) during the 10‐section test administration. The sample included students with learning disabilities and/or Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who tested with extended time (time and a half or double time) and students without disabilities who tested under standard‐time conditions. Analyses were conducted on the critical reading and writing sections of the SAT® and examined item difficulty as well as item completion rates. Results indicated few changes in levels of DIF (early in the test compared to late in the test). In addition, item completion rates for students who received extra time were comparable to (or in some cases higher than) test‐takers without disabilities who tested under standard time on both early and late sections.