What is meant by testing bias?

Testing bias refers to the presence of systematic differences in test results that can be attributed to group membership, such as race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status. When a test exhibits such bias, it means that individuals from certain groups may perform differently on the test not due to their actual abilities or knowledge but rather because the test is constructed in a way that disadvantages them. This could be due to cultural references that are more familiar to some groups than others, leading to discrepancies in scores that do not accurately reflect the true skills or understanding of the test takers.

The other choices do not accurately capture the definition of testing bias. For instance, a test that has no validity (one of the alternatives) does not equate to testing bias; it simply means the test fails to measure what it is supposed to measure. Similarly, subjective observations regarding group performance and measures of cultural literacy do not encapsulate the concept of systematic differences stemming from group membership, which is at the core of testing bias.