Abstract:
The empirically developed English comprehension test (ECT) was created for organisational
and educational purposes to assess verbal reasoning. The initial version of the ECT had an
associated time limit of 45 min, which required individuals to complete it within the specified
time, while the later version of the ECT had no time limit. The ECT’s two test versions – a
timed and an untimed version – were piloted as part of the development and validation of the
ECT. The purpose of this article was to explore the internal consistency of the two test versions
and compare the reliability of the timed and untimed versions of the ECT. This study was
conducted to establish whether reliability was affected by the different time limit-related
requirements. The sample size for ECT version 1.2 was 597 and ECT version 1.3 comprised 882
individuals. The methods used for comparison in this article involved a graphical display of
performance relating to both test versions and an exploration of the times recorded for the
untimed test version. A reliability analysis was performed to evaluate the internal consistency
of the two test versions. The performance of individuals in the untimed and timed versions of
the ECT was similar based on the average minimum and maximum scores. The Cronbach’s
alpha indicated that verbal reasoning was measured consistently for the two test versions. This
result suggested that time did not negatively affect the reliability of the test.
Description:
The author acknowledges that this article is related to some
of the findings from her thesis published in 2018, which is
entitled: ‘Exploring the construct validity and reliability of
the English comprehension test’ (University of Pretoria). (http://hdl.handle.net/2263/68021)
