Observed Score Equating Using the Random Groups Design

As was stressed in Chapter 1, the same specifications property is an essential property of equating, which means that the forms to be equated must be built to the same content and statistical specifications. We also stressed that the symmetry property is essential for any equating relationship. The focus of the present chapter is on methods that are designed to achieve the observed score equating property, along with the same specifications and symmetry properties. As was described in Chapter 1, these observed score equating methods are developed with the goal that, after equating, converted scores on two forms have at least some of the same score distribution characteristics in a population of examinees.