A Multivariate Generalizability Analysis of the Multistate Bar Examination

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to examine the content structure of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) using the “table of specifications” model from the perspective of multivariate generalizability theory. Specifically, using MBE data collected over different years (six administrations: three from the February test and three from July test), multivariate generalizability analyses were conducted for (a) each of the six data sets, (b) average scores for the February administrations only, (c) average scores for the July administrations only, and (d) average scores for both the February and July administrations for all six data sets. Various statistics (variance and covariance components, standard errors of estimated variance and covariance components, disattenuated correlation coefficients, standard errors of measurement, and generalizability and dependability coefficients) are examined for both raw and scale scores.