Expanding Possibilities for Test Development with an Item Bank

Abstract

One recent trend in testing is the development of adaptive testing, in which questions are displayed on a computer screen, and the examinee's responses are instantaneously used to select succeeding questions. In order to make such tests practical an "item bank" is necessary: a database in which groups of statistically categorized questions are prepared beforehand. An item bank incorporates such functions as: 1) storage of newly composed items in the database; 2) retrieval of items according to the goals and domain of the testing; 3) recombination of question sentences and answer options to adjust item difficulty and discrimination; and 4) composition, editing, elaboration and deletion of test items in accordance with the abilities to be measured. This paper explains the testing theory concepts involved in the production of item banks, gives an overview of the development of an actual item bank, and examines how this will affect the production of tests in the future.