to assess knowledge of key concepts in natural selection does not meet a number of standards of quality control. One problem with the exam is that the two members of each of several pairs of parallel items, with each pair designed to measure exactly one key concept in natural selection, sometimes have very different levels of difficulty. Another problem is that the multiple-choice exam overestimates knowledge of natural selection as reflected in student performance on a diagnostic essay exam and a diagnostic oral exam, two instruments with reasonably good construct validity. Although scoring concept inventories in the form of essay or oral exams is labor-intensive, costly, and difficult to implement with large numbers of students, such exams can offer a more realistic appraisal of the actual levels of students' conceptual mastery as well as their misconceptions. Recently, however, computer technology has been developed that can score essay responses on concept inventories in biology and other domains, promising to facilitate the scoring of concept inventories organized as (transcribed) oral exams as well as essays. See also References External links Astronomy Biology Concept Inventory Bio-Diagnostic Question Clusters Classroom Concepts and Diagnostic Tests Chemistry Diagnostic Question Clusters in Biology Engineering Evolution Assessment Force Concept Inventory Genetics Geosciences Molecular Life Sciences Concept Inventory Physics Statistics Thinking Like a Biologist Tests Science education Physics education