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The two-stage study assessed feasibility and semi-automated construction capability, using principal examiners to build new calibrated tests and blind comparisons by subject administrators and senior examiners, concluding impacts were slight.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/item-banking-with-a-test-construction-interface-an-evaluation-of-a-prototype/620991/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/item-banking-with-a-test-construction-interface-an-evaluation-of-a-prototype/620991.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Quinn Holloway","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-04","2026-10-20",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":33},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What was the purpose of developing the prototype item bank/test construction interface?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"To evaluate how alterations to the question paper setting process, brought by item banking, could impact test quality, using a prototype approach to avoid operational costs and downtime.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How was the two-stage evaluation conducted?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Stage 1 used principal examiners to construct tests for selected components with the prototype, then the resulting tests were used in Stage 2. 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Wheadon  \n## SUMMARY\n\nA prototype item bank/test construction interface was developed and evaluated within theResearch and Policy Analysis(RPA)department to assess how alterations to the currentquestion paper setting process brought about by item banking may impact on the quality oftests.The use of a prototype avoided the costs and downtime usually associated with a stagedimplementation of major changes to operational processes.The evaluation of the prototype,particularly ts capability for the semi-automated construction of tests from a calibrated itembank,took place in two stages.In Stage 1 three Principal Examiners(PExs)used the prototypeto construct tests for their components:unit 1 of GCE Economics(ECN1/1),module 3Foundation tier of GCSE Mathematics(43003F)and Entry Level Certificate(ELC)AdultNumeracy Entry Level 3(EL3).The newly constructed tests(NCTs)were later part of a blindcomparison with past question papers in Stage 2.The pairs of tests were evaluated and ratedby subject administrators and senior examiners from cognate subjects.  \nThe evaluation demonstrated that it is feasible for PExs to construct tests using the statisticalinformation and information about the qualitative characteristics(metadata)of items that arestored with the items themselves in an item bank with a test construction interface.Whilstsubject administrators and senior examiners from cognate subjects were able to differentiatethe NCTs from the past question papers,the negative impact of the semi-automated testconstruction method was judged to be slight.This negative impact was apparent in the lookand feel of the NCTs as represented by gradients of difficulty,the use of contexts in items andthe number of items containing graphs or tables.  \nThree issues which need to be addressed for the successful implementation of test constructionfrom item banks were identified.Firstly,the training of staff in the concepts underpinning itembanking and test construction needs to be developed and implemented.Secondly,themetadata associated with items needs careful definition and expansion from the current pool ofcharacteristics.Finally,there is enormous scope for simplifying assessment objectives anddescriptions of content areas which would greatly assist the semi-automated construction oftests.Currently these features are multifaceted and difficult to separate out into individual skillsfor assessment.  \n## BACKGROUND\n\nAn operational item bank stores items that have been tagged with pieces of information abouttheir qualitative characteristics,e.g.assessment objectives and content areas (known asmetadata)and contains information about the statistical performance of the items gainedthrough some form of pre-testing.  Information about item-test performance guides theconstruction of future tests.The resulting tests possess known characteristics and known gradeboundary marks.These are the tests required of an assessment environment in which on-screen,on-demand is the order of the day.  \nwww.cerp.org.uk  \nAn item bank containing appropriately tagged items offers flexibility of test construction.Provided sufficient items have been banked a test constructor can produce multiple versions ofa test for test windows of varying duration and frequency.The Research and Policy Analysis(RPA)department has developed a prototype item bank/test construction interface forevaluation purposes.The evaluation described in this report sought to identify the operationalparameters or business rules that may ensure flexibility of test construction.  \nA prototype serves as a model;the parameters of which can be adjusted without incurring thescale of costs and potential downtime that such adjustments would cause in an operationalenvironment.Experimental work carried out on a prototype can identify key parameters andprovide insight into deal operating conditions.Technology sp","cbCaiv4KV3D8on6T","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiv4KV3D8on6T","pdf",557163,35,"English","# SUMMARY\n## BACKGROUND\n## DESIGN\n## Stage 1: Semi-automated test construction","[{\"question\":\"What was the purpose of developing the prototype item bank/test construction interface?\",\"answer\":\"To evaluate how alterations to the question paper setting process, brought by item banking, could impact test quality, using a prototype approach to avoid operational costs and downtime.\"},{\"question\":\"How was the two-stage evaluation conducted?\",\"answer\":\"Stage 1 used principal examiners to construct tests for selected components with the prototype, then the resulting tests were used in Stage 2. Stage 2 involved blind comparison of the newly constructed tests against past question papers, rated by subject administrators and senior examiners.\"},{\"question\":\"What factors needed attention for successful implementation of test construction from item banks?\",\"answer\":\"Staff training in the underpinning concepts, careful definition and expansion of item metadata, and simplification of assessment objectives and content-area descriptions to better support semi-automated test construction.\"}]","ITEM BANKING WITH A TEST CONSTRUCTION INTERFACE: AN EVALUATION OF A PROTOTYPE | PDF",88]