Validity and reliability in nursing multiple -choice tests and the relationship to NCLEX -RN success: An Internet survey

The purposes of this study were to identify (a) the use of multiple-choice tests in nursing courses, (b) the extent to which nursing faculty engage in validity and reliability activities for multiple-choice tests used in nursing courses, (c) the differences between associate and baccalaureate program nursing faculty in validity and reliability activities for multiple-choice tests in nursing courses, and (d) the relationship between National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) success and nursing faculty validity and reliability activities for multiple-choice tests in nursing courses. The respondents included 1,086 undergraduate nursing faculty from 329 nursing programs across the United States who taught the theory component of a clinical nursing course. A 62-item author-developed survey was administered nationally via the Internet to address the research questions. Tyler's (1949) concept of program evaluation as well as components of Bloom's (1956) taxonomy of educational objectives, measurement theory, and classical test theory provided supporting framework for the study.;Multiple-choice tests commonly are used by nursing faculty as a means of evaluating student learning in nursing courses. Nursing faculty engage in test evaluation activities to a great extent. While associate degree in nursing (ADN) faculty have a significantly higher validity score, indicating that they engage in validity activities to a greater extent than Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) faculty, BSN faculty have a significantly higher reliability score, indicating that they engage in reliability activities to a greater extent than ADN faculty. However, there was no significant difference between ADN and BSN faculty in test evaluation activities when the validity and reliability scores were combined. No relationships or differences were found between high and low NCLEX-RN success groups and validity, reliability, and test evaluation scores. However, small, but significant, relationships were found between NCLEX-RN success and some of the individual test evaluation activities. The availability and use of campus computer resources may have contributed to these findings.;The Internet was found to be a viable, efficient methodology for survey research. Recommendations for future studies are presented.