ANALYSING THE TEST

After administering and scoring the test, the teacher

should also analyze the quality of each item in the test. Through
this you can identify the item that is good, item that needs
improvement or items to be removed from the test. But when do
we consider that the test is good? How do we evaluate the
quality of each item in the test? Why is it necessary to evaluate
each item in the test?
In this section, we shall introduce the technique to help teachers
determine the quality of a test item known as item analysis. One
of the purposes of item analysis is to improve the quality of the
assessment tools. Through this process, we can identify the item
that is to be retained, revised or rejected and also the content of
the lesson that is mastered or not.
There are two kinds of item analysis, quantitative item
analysis and qualitative item analysis
Item Analysis
Item analysis is a process of examining the student’
response to individual item in the test. It consists of
different procedures for assessing the quality of the test
items given to the students. Through the use of item
analysis we can identify which of the given are good and
defective test items. Good items are to be retained and
defective items are to be improved, to be revised or to be
rejected.
Uses of Item Analysis
1. Item analysis data provide a basis for efficient class
discussion of the test results.
2. Item analysis data provide a basis for remedial work.
3. Item analysis data provide a basis for general improvement
of classroom instruction.
4. Item analysis data provide a basis for increased skills in
test construction.
5. Item analysis procedures provides a basis for constructing
test bank.
Types of Quantitative Item Analysis
There are three common types of quantitative item
analysis which provide teachers with three different types
of information about individual test items. These are
difficulty index, discrimination index, and response options
analysis.
1. Difficulty Index
It refers to the proportion of the number of students in the upper and
lower groups who answered an item correctly. The larger the
proportion, the more students, who have learned the subject is
measured by the item. To compute the difficulty index of an item, use
the formula:
𝑛
DF = , where
N
DF = difficulty index
n = number of the students selecting item correctly in the upper
group and in the lower group.
N = total number of students who answered the test
Level of Difficulty
To determine the level of difficulty of an item, find first the difficulty
index using the formula and identify the level of difficulty using, the range given
below.
Index Range Difficulty Level
0.00 – 0.20 Very Difficult
0.21 – 0.40 Difficult
0.41 – 0.60 Average/ Moderately Difficult
0.61 – 0.80 Easy
0.81 – 1.00 Very Easy

The higher the value of the index of difficulty, the easier the item is. Hence,
more students got the correct answer and more students mastered the content
measured by that item.
1. Discrimination Index
The power of the item to discriminate the students between those who scored high
and those who scored low in the overall test. In other words, it is the power of the item to
discriminate the students who know the lesson and those who do not know the lesson.
It also refers to the number of students in the upper group who got an item correctly
minus the number of students in the power group who got an item correctly. Divide the
difference the difference by either the number of the students in the upper group or
number of students in the lower group or get the higher number if they are not equal.
Discrimination index is the basis of measuring the validity of an item. This index can
be interpreted as an indication of the extent to which overall knowledge of the content
area or mastery of the skills is related to the response on an item.
Types of Discrimination Test
There are three kinds of discrimination index: positive
discrimination, negative discrimination and zero discrimination.
1. Positive discrimination happens when more students in the upper
group got the item correctly than those students in the lower group.
2. Negative discrimination occurs when more students in the lower
group got the item correctly than the students in the upper group.
3. Zero discrimination happens when a number of students in the
upper group and lower who answer the test correctly are equal,
hence, the test item cannot distinguish the students who performed in
the overall test and the students whose performance are very poor.
Level of Discrimination
Index Range Discrimination Level

0.19 and below Poor item, should be eliminated or need to

be revised
0.20 – 0.29 Marginal item, needs some revision
0.30 – 0.39 Reasonably good item but possibly for
improvement
0.40 and above Very good item
Discrimination Index Formula
CUG – CLG
DI = ------------- , where
D
DI = discrimination index value
CUG = number of the students selecting the correct answer in the upper group
CLG = number of the students selecting the correct answer in the lower group
D = number of students in either the lower group or upper group.
Note: Consider the higher number in case the sizes in upper and lower group are
not equal.
Steps in Solving Difficulty Index and Discrimination Index
1. Arrange the scores from higher to lowest.
2. Separate the scores into upper group and lower group. There are different
methods to do this: (a) if a class consists of 30 students who takes an exam,
arrange their scores from highest to lowest, then divide them into two
groups. The highest score belongs to the upper group. The lowest score
belongs to the lower group. (b) Other literatures suggested to use 27%,
30%, or 33% of the students for the upper group and lower group. However,
in the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) the test developers always
used 27% of the students who participated in the examination for the upper
and lower groups.
3. Count the number of those who chose the alternatives in the upper
and lower group for each item and record the information using the
template:
Options A B C D E
Upper Group
Lower Group

Note: Put asterisk for the correct answer.

4. Compute the value of the difficulty index and the discrimination index and also
the analysis of each response in the distracters.
5. Make an analysis for each item.
Checklist for Discrimination Index
It is very important to determine whether the test item will be retained revised or
rejected. Using the Discrimination Index we can identify the nonperforming question items;
just always remember that they seldom indicate what is the problem. Use the given checklist
below:
Yes No
1. Does the key discriminate positively?
2. Does the incorrect options discriminate negatively?

If the answer to questions 1 and 2 are both YES, retain the item.
If the answers to questions 1 and 2 are either YES or NO, revise the item.
If the answer to questions 1 and 2 are both NO, eliminate or reject the item.
3. Analysis or Response Options
Aside from identifying the difficulty index and discrimination index,
another way to evaluate the performance of the entire test item is
through the analysis of the response options. It is very important
to examine the performance of each option in a multiple-choice item.
Through this, you can determine whether the distracters or incorrect
answer. The attractiveness of the incorrect options is determined
when more students in the lower group than in the upper group
choose it. Analyzing the incorrect options allows the teachers to
improve the test items so that it can be used again in the future.
Distracter Analysis
1. Distracter
Distracter is the term used for the incorrect options in the multiple-
choice type of test while the correct answer represents the key. It is
very important for the test writer to know if the distracters are
effective or good distracters. Using quantitative item analysis we
can determine if the options are good or if the distracters are
effective.
 Item analysis can identify non-performing test items, but this item seldom indicates
the error or the problem in the given item. There are factors to be considered why
students failed to get the correct answer in the given question.
a. It is not discussed in the class properly.
b. It is ambiguous.
c. The correct answer is not in the given options.
d. It has more than one correct answer.
e. It contains grammatical clues to mislead the students.
f. The student is not aware of the content.
g. The student were confused by the logic of the question because it has double
negatives.
h. The student failed to study the lesson.
 2. Miskeyed item
The test item is a potential miskey if there are more students from the upper group
who choose the incorrect options than the key.

3. Guessing item
Students from the upper group have equal spread of choices among the given
alternatives. Students from the upper group guess their answers because of the
following reasons:
a. The content of the test is not discussed in the class or in the text.
b. The test item is very difficult.
c. The question is trivial.
4. Ambiguous item
This happens when more students from the upper group choose equally an
incorrect option and the keyed answer.
IMPROVING TEST ITEMS
As presented in the introduction of this shapter, item analysis
enables the teachers to improve and enhance their skills in writing test
items. To improve multiple-choice test item we shall consider the stem
of the item, the distracters and the key answer.
How to Improve the Test Item
Consider the following examples in analyzing the test item and
some notes on how to improve the item based from the results of items
analysis.
Example 1. A class is composed of 40 students. Divide the group into
two. Option B is the correct answer. Based from the given data on the
table, as a teacher, what would you do with the test item.
Option A B* C D E

Upper Group 3 10 4 0 3

Lower Group 4 4 8 0 4

1. Compute the difficulty index.

n = 10 + 4 = 14
N = 40
𝒏
DF =
𝐍
𝟏𝟒
DF = 𝟒𝟎
DF = 0.35 or 35%
2. Compute the discrimination index.
CUG = 10
CLG = 4
D = 20
CUG – CLG
DI = ----------------
D
10−4
= 20
6
= 20
= 0.30 or 30%
3. Make an analysis about the level of difficulty, discrimination and distracters.
a. Only 35% of the examines got the answer correctly, hence, the item is
difficult.
b. More students from the upper group got the answer correctly, hence, it has a
positive discrimination.
c. Retain options A, C, and E because most of the students who did not perform
well in the overall examination selected it. Those options attract most
students from the lower group.
4. Conclusion: Retain the test item but change option D, make it more realistic
to make it effective for the upper and lower groups. At least 5% of the
examinees choose the incorrect option.
 Example 2. A class is composed of 50 students. Use 27% to get the upper
and the lower groups. Analysis the item given the following results. Option D
is the correct answer. What will you do with the test item?
Option A B C D* E
Upper Group (27%) 3 1 2 6 2

Lower Group (27%) 5 0 4 4 1

1. Compute the difficulty index

n = 6 +4 = 10
N = 28
𝑛
DF –
N
10
DF = 28
DF = 0.36 of 36%
2. Compute the discrimination index.
CUG = 6
CLG = 4
D=4
CUG – CLG
DI = ----------------
D
6−4
DI =
14
2
DI =
14
DI = 0.14 or 14%
3. Make an analysis
a. Only 36% of the examinees got the answer correctly, hence, the item is difficult.
b. More students from the upper group got the answer correctly, hence, it has a
positive discrimination.
c. Modify options and B and E because more students from the upper group
chose them compare with the lower group, hence, they are not effective
distracters because most of the students who performed well in the overall
examination selected them as their answer.
d. Retain options A and C because most of the students who did not perform well
in the overall examination selected them as the correct answer. Hence, options
A and C are effective distracters.
4. Conclusion: Revised the item by modifying options B and E.
Example 3. A class is composed of 50 students. Use 27% to get the upper and the
lower groups. Analyze the item given the following results. Option E is the correct
answer. What will you do with the test item?
Option A B C D E*
Upper Group (27%) 2 3 2 2 5
Lower Group (27%) 2 2 1 1 8

1. Compute the difficulty index:

n = 5 + 8 = 13
N = 28
𝑛
DF = N
13
DF = 28
DF = 0.46 or 46%
2. Compute the discrimination index.
CUG = 5
CLG = 8
D=4
CUG – CLG
DI = ----------------
D
5−8
DI =
14
−3
DI = 14
DI = 0.21 or -21%
3. Make an analysis.
a. 46% of the students got the answer to test item correctly, hence, the test item
is moderately difficult.
b. More students from the lower group got the item correctly; therefore, it is a
negative discrimination. The discrimination index is -21%.
c. No need to analyze the distracters because the item discriminates negatively.
d. Modify all the distracters because they are not effective. Most of the students in
the upper group chose the incorrect options. The options are effective if most
of the students in the lower group chose the incorrect options.
4. Conclusion: Reject the item because it has a negative discrimination index.
Example 4.Ambiguous Item. Below is the result of item analysis of a test with an
ambiguous test item. What can you say about the item? Are you going to retain,
revise or reject it?
Option A B C D E*
Upper Group 7 1 1 2 8
Lower Group 6 2 3 3 6

1. Compute the difficulty index:

n = 8 + 6 = 14
N = 39
𝑛
DF = N
14
DF = 39
DF = 0.36 or 36%
2. Compute the discrimination index.
CUG = 8
CLG = 6
D = 20
CUG – CLG
DI = ----------------
D
𝟖−𝟔
DI = 𝟐𝟎
𝟐
DI = 𝟐𝟎
DI = 0.10 or 10%
3. Make an analysis.
a. Only 36% of the students got the answer to the test item correctly, hence, the
test item is difficult.
b. More students from the upper group got the item correctly, hence, it
discriminates positively. The discrimination index is 10%.
c. About equal numbers of top students went for option A and option E, this
implies that they could not tell which is the correct answer. The students do
not know the content of the test, thus, a reteach is needed.
4. Conclusion: Revise the test item because it is ambiguous.