Psychometric Evaluation of a Standardized Nursing Preadmission Assessment: Evidence From Bifactor Modeling and...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Assessment
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Standardized admission assessments are prevalent in nursing education.
• Limited research exists on the internal structure and fairness of these assessments across diverse nursing program types.
• The Assessment Technologies Institute's Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is widely utilized in the U.S. for nursing preadmission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the structural validity of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS).
• To examine the fairness and measurement invariance of the TEAS across different nursing program types (ADN, BSN, PN).

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on two independent samples (n=5,000 each).
• Multigroup CFA was employed to test for measurement invariance across associate degree, bachelor of science, and practical nursing programs.
• The bifactor model was investigated as the primary structural model.

Main Results:

• The bifactor model demonstrated the best fit, indicating a general academic preparedness factor alongside four specific content factors (reading, math, science, English/language usage).
• Measurement invariance was confirmed across the different academic tracks (ADN, BSN, PN).
• The TEAS assessment exhibits a robust internal structure.

Conclusions:

• The bifactor structure supports the validity of interpreting both total and subscale TEAS scores for admissions and diagnostic purposes.
• The findings reinforce the use of standardized assessments like the TEAS in admission decisions for various nursing education contexts.
• The TEAS is a valid and fair assessment tool for diverse nursing program admissions.