Item analysis includes a number of procedures, which can be narrowed to the most important two: qualitative and quantitative analysis. Qualitative item analysis includes going over and analyzing of the test prior to its administering in order to locate any typos or similar errors, any grammatical hints, involuntarily hidden in the text of the test and evaluation of text for its reading level and the appropriateness of its use. Small group discussions may be also used for the qualitative assessment of the test item, as well as a special survey of the students, who take the test and express their thoughts during the test.
Quantitative item analysis is generally based on the factors, obtained statistically. Item difficulty index is calculated for the multiple-choice, matching item tests, etc. The number of students who successfully passed the test has to be divided by the overall number of students who took it in order to obtain the index. The higher it is, the more students passed the test, respectively. Item discrimination index is derived by analyzing how the above-average and below-average students deal with tests of different difficulty levels. Failing to use qualitative and quantitative item analysis may lead to the invalid assessment results, influencing students’ academic success.
Interpretive exercise is a rather imperfect test item, as it is very hard to design and students with advanced reading skills get an advantage over the rest of those taking the test. Supplied response is another test item that lacks objective scoring and may cause difficulty for computer scoring.
Teachers should combine qualitative and quantitative item analysis, as it allows teaching students more efficiently, knowing the aims students are to meet. Assessment of the students’ success becomes simpler and more objective, since the test items are analyzed and improved prior to being administered to the students. This ensures all the students have equal chances for obtaining the highest score on the test according to their knowledge and skills and unbiased by any subjective factors.