ITEM ANALYSIS

What is item analysis?

 Item analysis is a process which examines student responses to

individual test items (questions) in order to assess the quality of
those items and of the test as a whole.
Steps for Item Analysis

Item analysis typically focuses on four major pieces of information:

a. test score reliability
b. item difficulty
c. item discrimination, and
d. distractor information
No single piece should be examined independent of the others.
 Precautions to be taken prior to item
analysis

Before starting the process of item analysis on any test, certain precautions should be exercised;
 Item analysis is a process of rejection or exclusion of test items. New items are not included in place of rejected items.
 The items included in the first format of the test should be in accordance to the norms previously determined in terms of
difficulty level and discriminating power. If the suitable types of items have not been included in the test before starting
the item analysis process, then it would be foolish to think about the presence or inclusion of those items in the test.
 The number of items in the first format should be about one and a half times othe number specified for the final format.
 While making of multiple type , an extra alternative should be included in the alternatives; that is, if four alternatives have
been specified, then the first format should be comprised of five alternatives. With the help of item analysis , the most
unsuitable alternative in the item can be rejected.
 Adequate time should be given when the first format of a test is administered, so that students are able to solve all items,
otherwise exhaustive data will not be available for the process of item analysis.