Simultaneous assembly of multiple test forms

An algorithm for the assembly of multiple test forms is proposed in which the multiple-form problem is reduced to a series of computationally less intensive two-form problems. At each step one form is assembled to its true specifications; the other form is a dummy assembled only to maintain a balance between the quality of the current form and the remaining forms. It is shown how the method can be implemented using the technique of 0-1 linear programming. Two empirical examples using a former item pool from the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) are given - one in which a set of parallel forms is assembled and another in which the targets for the information functions of the forms are shifted systematically