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Practical validation: organisational approaches to large-scale evaluation and continuous improvement

Validity is fundamental to the development and administration of tests and a vital concern for test providers, yet validating a test&#8217,s uses to the highest technical standards is an enormous and never-ending undertaking (Cronbach, 1971). The scale of the challenge is multiplied when a test provider offers hundreds of separate tests. This paper explores how providers of general qualifications can rise to this challenge, drawing on examples from international qualifications for 14-18-year-old learners.Resources for validation will always be limited so prioritisation is a necessity. Validators must choose between depth and breadth of validation: to comprehensively validate the uses of a few tests, or cover the uses of more tests in less depth. Alternatively, one aspect of validity - such as marking reliability - can be evaluated across many tests. Using validation as a driver of qualification improvement is explored, with an emphasis on maximising impact. Strategies proposed include aligning validation with qualification development and emphasising flexibility and attention to stakeholders&#8217, needs. Finally, the outcomes for an ongoing validation programme are discussed. While validation will never be finished, since resources are finite and test uses require continual revalidation, a programme can address stakeholders&#8217, concerns and drive continuous improvement of qualifications.Key words: validation, validity, evaluation

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