Difficulties Regarding Subject Difficulties: developing reasonable explanations for observable data

In response to an article in this journal by Goldstein and Cresswell [(1996) The comparability of different subjects in public examinations: a theoretical and practical critique, Oxford Review of Education, 22, pp. 435‐442] questioning a report we prepared for the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority [Fitz‐Gibbon & Vincent (1994) Candidate's Performance in Science and Mathematics at A‐level (CEM Centre report for School Curriculum and Assessment Authority)] we argue that the shorthand term ‘subject difficulties’ is a reasonable term and the concept of subject difficulties is important in the interpretation of examination data. We question the arguments put forward and reject Goldstein and Cresswell's implied position that only qualitative judgements of difficulty are appropriate or theoretically grounded.