EDUC 4: ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
ITEM ANALYSIS
EDUC 4
ROSANNE U. DIADULA
Instructor
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
ITEM ANALYSIS
• Item analysis is a technique which evaluates the effectiveness
of items in tests. It helps to improve the test by revising or
discarding ineffective items.
• Item analysis refers to the process of examining the student’s
response to each item in the test.
• There are two characteristics of an item: desirable and
undesirable characteristics.
• Desirable items – retained for subsequent use
• Undesirable items – revised or rejected
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
ITEM ANALYSIS
THREE CRITERIA IN DETERMINING THE DESIRABILITY AND UNDESIRABILITY OF AN ITEM
1. Difficulty of an item
2. Discriminating power of an item
3. Measures of attractiveness
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
ITEM DIFFICULTY
The number of people who answer a particular test item correctly.
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑋 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦
𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑋
Difficulty Index Range Difficulty Level
0.0 – 0.20 Very difficult
0.21 – 0.40 Difficult
0.41 – 0.60 Moderately difficult
0.61 – 0.80 Easy
0.81 – 1.00 Very easy
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
ITEM DIFFICULTY
Example 1: There are 50 students who answered item X, 30 of whom
answered the item correctly. What is the difficulty index?
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑋 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦
𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑋
30
𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 = Index Range Difficulty Level
50
0.0 – 0.20 Very difficult
𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 = 0.60 (𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡)
0.21 – 0.40 Difficult
0.41 – 0.60 Moderately difficult
0.61 – 0.80 Easy
0.81 – 1.00 Very easy
ITEM DIFFICULTY
Example 2: Get the difficulty index of each item.
Question A B C D
1 0 3 24* 3
2 12* 13 3 2
* denotes correct answer
𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝟏 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝟐 Index Range Difficulty Level
0.0 – 0.20 Very difficult
24 12
𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 = 𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 = 0.21 – 0.40 Difficult
30 30 0.41 – 0.60 Moderately difficult
0.61 – 0.80 Easy
𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 = 0.80 (𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑦) 𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 = 0.40 (𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡)
0.81 – 1.00 Very easy
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
ITEM DISCRIMINATION
• It is the difference between the proportion of high performing students who got item right and the
proportion of low performing students who got an item right.
• It is the degree to which the item discriminates between high performing and low performing group (upper
and lower 27%).
𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑿 = 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 𝑃𝑈 − 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 𝑃𝑙
Discrimination Index Range Item Evaluation
0.40 and up Very good item
0.30 – 0.39 Reasonably good item but possibly subject to
improvement
0.20 – 0.29 Marginal item, usually needing and being subject
to improvement
Below 0.19 Poor item, to be rejected or improved by revision
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
ITEM DISCRIMINATION
Positive Discrimination
If the proportion of students who got an item right in the upper group is GREATER THAN the
lower group.
Positive Discrimination
If the proportion of students who got an item right in the lower group is GREATER THAN the
upper group.
Zero Discrimination
If the proportion of students who got an item right in the upper performing group and low
performing group are equal.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
Which is said to be non-discriminating?
I. Item is so easy that anyone could get it right.
II. Item is so difficult that no one could get it right?
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
ITEMS ARE RETAINED IF: ITEMS NEED TO BE REVISED IF:
Difficulty Index: within .26 - .75 Difficulty Index: within .26 - .75
Discrimination Index: .20 and above Discrimination Index: .19 and below
or
ITEMS NEED TO BE REJECTED IF: Difficulty Index: within .26 - .75
Discrimination Index: .20 and above
Difficulty Index: not within .26 - .75
Discrimination Index: .19 and below
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
DIFFICULTY INDEX DISCRIMINATION INDEX
DECISION
0.26 – 0.75 0.20 and above
Retain
Revise
Revise
Reject
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
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