Print Format Effects on ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) Test Score Performance: Literature Review

Research indicates that differences in the format of answer sheets and test booklets may result in differences in scores on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery ASVAB. Because these differences in print format represent a loss in the standardization of test administration, they may be treated as a form of score bias. To address this concern, a literature review was undertaken to identify and integrate research findings and thus determine the utility of future ASVAB research in this areas. Few studies directly concerned with test formatting were so identified however, there is a considerable body of human factors literature which provides a basis for defining variables for future ASVAB format research. In particular, a number of studies supported recent findings of this Laboratory that test scores may be biased by differences in the physical layout of answer sheets and test booklets.