Lecture on Item Analysis

Leandro T. Olubia, Ed. D.

Professor, PRED0713
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
1. Score and rank the papers from highest to lowest
according to the total score.
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)

2. Separate the top 27% and bottom 27% of the papers.

No. of Students X 0.27 40 X 0.27= 10.8 or 11
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
3. Tally responses made to each item by each individual in the
upper 27% and lower 27% group.
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
4. Compute the proportion of students selecting the item
correctly in the upper (call it U) and the lower (call it L)
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
4. Compute the proportion of students selecting the item
correctly in the upper (call it U) and the lower (call it L)
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
4. Compute the proportion of students selecting the item
correctly in the upper (call it U) and the lower (call it L)
For Proportion: n/N n- no. of students selecting the correct
answer
N- total number of students in a group
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
4. Compute the proportion of students selecting the item
correctly in the upper (call it U) and the lower (call it L)

Try it out!
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
5. Average the U and L proportion and call the result is the
Difficulty Index (Df)
Difficulty Index (Df) = U + L
2

Difficulty Index (Df) = 0.5 for item

1

Difficulty Index (Df) = 1

2

Difficulty Index (Df) = 0.82 + 0.18

2

Difficulty Index (Df) = U + L

2
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
5. Average the U and L proportion and call the result is the
Difficulty Index (Df)
Difficulty Index (Df) = U + L Let’s Try It Out!
2
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
5. Average the U and L proportion and call the result is the
Difficulty Index (Df)

Level of Difficulty of an Item

The higher the value of the index,
the easier the item is.
What if item 12 and 13
Include these data?
 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
6. Subtract L proportion from U proportion and the result is
the Discrimination Index

Discrimination Index (Di) = U - L

Discrimination Index (Di) = 0.82 - 0.18

Discrimination Index (Di) = 0.64

 Steps in item Analysis (Difficult and Discrimination
Indices)
6. Subtract L proportion from U proportion and the result is
the Discrimination Index
Let’s Try It Out!
Three Types of Discrimination Index

POSITIVE
MORE students in the U got
the item correctly than those
in the L

ZERO
No. of students who got the
item correctly in the U and L
are EQUAL

NEGATIVE
MORE students in the L got
the item correctly than those
in the U
 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 3

Number of students tested: 30

 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 0.63 3
 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 0.63 3 0.38
 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 0.63 3 0.38 0.51
 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 0.63 3 0.38 0.51 0.25
 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 0.63 3 0.38 0.51 0.25 good
 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 0.63 3 0.38 0.51 0.25 good retain
 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 0.63 3 0.38 0.51 0.25 good retain
2 4 5
3 8 7
4 3 2
5 8 3
6 6 5
7 1 4
8 8 8
9 7 3
10 0 4
 Table X
Results in the Table Analysis

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 5 0.63 3 0.38 0.51 0.25 Fair revise
2 4 0.5 5 0.63 0.57 -0.13 fair revise
3 8 1 7 0.88 0.94 0.12 poor reject
4 3 0.38 2 0.25 0.32 0.13 poor reject
5 8 1 3 0.38 0.69 0.62 fair revise
6 6 0.75 5 0.63 0.69 0.12 poor reject
7 1 0.13 4 0.5 0.32 -0.37 poor reject
8 8 1 8 1 1 0 poor reject
9 8 1 1 0.13 0.56 0.87 good retain
10 0 0 4 0.5 0.25 -0.50 poor reject

Number of students tested: 30

 TEST YOURSELF

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 12 3
2 14 7
3 7 10
4 12 6
5 10 4
6 14 14
7 11 1
8 13 12
9 9 7
10 4 14
No. of Students Tested: 50 Questions:
1. How many items are considered:
a. good, b. fair and
c. poor
 TEST YOURSELF

Item Re- Deci-

No. Upper 27% Lower 27% DFI DI marks sion
1 12 0.86 3 0.21 0.54 0.65 good retain
2 14 1.0 7 0.50 0.75 0.75 fair revise
3 7 0.50 10 0.71 0.64 -0.21 poor Reject
4 12 0.86 6 0.43 0.65 0.43 fair Revise
5 10 0.71 4 0.29 0.5 0.42 good Retain
6 14 1.0 14 1.0 1.0 0 poor Reject
7 11 0.79 1 0.07 0.43 0.72 good Retain
8 13 0.93 12 0.86 0.89 0.07 poor Revise
9 9 0.64 7 0.50 0.57 0.14 fair Revise
10 4 0.29 14 1.0 0.65 -0.71 poor reject
No. of Students Tested: 50 Questions:
1. How many items are considered:
a. good, b. fair and
c. poor