Abstract
This paper will consider the issue of test practicality by explaining an item banking system being developed for an in-house proficiency test at University of Tsukuba. We administer English language placement and year-end achievement tests to all first-year university students every year. In lieu of the demand for many test forms and the need for precise assessment of the students each year, all the test forms consist of items calibrated using Item Response Theory (IRT) and some items are repeatedly used on different test forms. Under these circumstances, efficient item management in the form of an item bank has been increasingly in demand. Since there was little information about practical item banking systems, we decided to use Microsoft(R). Access software to develop a user-friendly item bank as part of the in-house test reform project.
