Reliability of performance examinations: revisited.

This article discusses the reliability for performance examinations with respect to the reproducibility of candidate pass-fail decisions. The multi-facet Rasch model accounts for the difficulty of test forms (examiners + tasks + items) taken by each candidate, so that all candidates are measured against the same criterion. The examiners provide analytic ratings of candidate performance using a defined rating scale. The examination is standardized so that sufficient information is collected about the candidates, and facets of the examination are linked. When the examination data are properly collected, there are high levels of confidence in the reproducibility of candidate outcomes for a high percentage of candidates.