The tendency of individuals to respond to high-stakes tests in idiosyncratic ways

It has been frequently suggested that personal characteristics (e.g., language deficiencies, atypical schooling) may be responsible for the tendency of individuals to answer with aberrant response patterns to high stakes tests. This has not, however, been adequately validated using empirical data. This research uses datasets from seven mathematics, English and science papers to investigate the consistency with which individuals respond aberrantly across papers. Pupils who responded aberrantly on one paper were more likely to do so on other papers on the same subject. Also, pupils who responded aberrantly on one paper of one subject were more likely to do so on papers of another subject. Logistic multilevel models using the generation of aberrant response patterns as a dependent variable have suggested non-negligible intra-pupil and intra-school correlations.