ITEM

ITEM ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS

BY:
BY:

FLORENTINA
FLORENTINA G.
G.
REYES
REYES
 ITEM ANALYSIS
ITEM ANALYSIS is a procedure used to identify
good items by determining the index of difficulty and
the index of discrimination.

INDEX OF DIFFICULTY is the proportion of

students / test takers who answered the item correctly.

INDEX OF DISCRIMINATION is the extent to

which a test item can differentiate between good
performers and poor performers.

•
•
METHODS USED:
A. Upper-Lower Index Method( U-L Index
Method)
The most common U-L index Method is the
Upper and Lower 27 %
Steps:
Score the test papers and arrange the
total scores from highest to lowest.
Segregate the top and bottom 27% of
the papers
Tally the correct answers to each item
by each student/ test takers in the
upper 27 % group.
 Repeat step 3 but this time consider
the lower 27 %.
Get the percentage of the upper group
that obtained the correct answer and
call this U.
Repeat step 5 but this time consider
the lower group and call this L .
Get the average percentage of U and L.
Get the difference between U and L
percentages .
 Index of discrimination
Index Range Interpretation Action

-1.0 - -0.50 Can Discard

discriminate
but item is
questionable
-0.51 - 0.45 Non- Revise
discriminating
0.46 - 1.0 Discriminating Include
Item
RANGE OF DIFFICULTY DESCRITPTION
INDEX
0.00 – 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

TYPE OF ITEM FEATURES PRESENT

Good ( Retained) Both acceptable difficulty and
discrimination indices
Fair( Revised) Either unacceptable difficulty or
discrimination index
Poor( Rejected) Both unacceptable difficulty and
discrimination indices
A Good or Retained item must have both
acceptable index of difficulty and discrimination index.
The acceptable index of difficulty ranges from 0.41 to
0.60 while the acceptable index of discrimination ranges
from +0.46 to + 1.00.

A fair or revised item contains either

unacceptable difficulty or discrimination index.
A poor or rejected item must possess both
unacceptable difficulty and discrimination indices . It has
to be discarded right away.
 Result of Item Analysis
Item Upper Lower Difficulty Discriminating Remarks Decision
No. 27% 27% index index

No % No %
14 14

1 12 .86 3 .21 .54 .65 Good Retain

2 14 1.0 7 .54 .77 .46 Good Retain

3 7 .57 10 .71 .64 -.14 Fair Reject

4 12 .86 6 .43 .65 .43 Fair Revise

5 10 .71 4 .29 .50 .42 Fair Revise

6 14 1.0 14 1.0 1.00 .00 Poor Reject

7 11 .79 1 .07 .43 .72 Good Retain

8 13 .93 12 .86 .90 .07 Fair Revise

9 9 .64 7 .5 .57 .14 Fair Revise

10 4 .29 14 1.0 .65 -.71 Fair Reject

Solution
Upper 27 % = 50 x .27 = 13.5 or 14
Lower 27 % = 50 x .27 = 13.5 or 14
Item # 1. For upper 27 % : No. of students who got the item correct
total no. of students belonging to the upper 27%
12 / 14 =.86
For lower 27% :No. of students who got the item correct
Total No. of students belonging to the lower 27% 3 / 14 = .21
Difficulty Index = % of upper group + % of lower group
who got the item right who got the item right
2
Difficulty index = 0.86 +0.21 = 0 .54
2
Discrimination index = % U - % L = 0.86 – 0.21 = 0.65
The table below shows some fair items that need to be revised.

Item Difficulty Discrimination remarks Decision

no. index index

3 .54 -.14 fair Revise

9 .57 .14 Fair Revise
10 .60 -.71 Fair Revise
11 .11 .80 Fair Revise
12 .50 .00 Fair Revise
B. Modified Item Analysis for Criterion – Referenced Test
This is done by comparing the percentage answering
each item correctly on both pretest and posttest.
Steps:
Get the percentage of the students passing on the
pretest and the percentage of students passing each
item on a posttest
Subtract the percentage obtained on a pretest from that
on a posttest . The more positive the difference is
obtained , the more effective instruction is on that
particular objective being measured .
 Table of Nonplausibility of distracters
Item Level A B C D
No % No % No % No %

1 Upper 27% 15 .56 6 .22 3 .11 3 .11

Lower 27% 1 .04 6 .22 7 .26 13 .48
2 Upper 27% 5 .18 4 .15 17 .63 1 .04
Lower 27% 5 .18 3 .11 3 .11 16 .60
3 Upper 27% 4 .15 15 .56 4 .15 4 .15
Lower 27% 1 .04 2 .07 13 .48 11 .41
4 Upper 27% 1 .04 21 .78 5 .18 0 .00
Lower 27% 3 .11 6 .22 16 .60 2 .01
5 Upper 27% 12 .45 1 .04 2 .07 12 .44
Lower 27% 11 .41 3 .11 1 .04 12 .44
6 Upper 27% 18 .67 1 .04 1 .04 12 .44
Lower 27% 10 .37 4 .15 1 .04 11 .41
7 Upper 27% 8 .30 3 .11 4 .05 12 .44
Lower 27% 3 .11 3 .11 6 .22 15 .56
8 Upper 27% 0 .00 6 .22 10 .37 11 .41
Lower 27% 2 .07 17 .63 2 .08 6 .22
Modified item analysis for
criterion-referenced test
Item Pretest % Posttest % Difference
passing passing
1 27 80 +53

2 77 77 0

3 13 60 +47

4 7 90 +83

5 87 93 +6
Second approach is to determine the percentage
of items answered in both pretest and posttest
Steps:
Determine the no. of items each student answered
incorrectly on the pretest but answered correctly
on the posttest.
Get the sum then divide by the number of
examinees.
Divide the result by the number of items on the
test
Multiply the quotient by 100
Example
Step 1: Number of items answered correctly in
the posttest but incorrectly in the pretest
Examinee: Betty 15
Winnie 20
Clarito 15
Jonas 12
Analiza 10
Step 2: (15+20+15+12+10) /5 = 14.4
Step 3: 14.4/30 = 0.48
Step 4: 0.48 X 100 = 48
 POINTS TO REMEMBER
Item analysis is one way to improve test items.
Item analysis is the process of determining good test
items.
The U-L method employing 27% is the common way to
analyze items quantitatively.
Moderately difficult items are those with acceptable
index of difficulty and discrimination index
Moderately difficult items tend to increase the test
validity and reliability.
A modified item analysis determines the percentage of
items answered by examinees in both pretest and
posttest.
Test yourself
Direction: Complete the table below N= 50
Item Upper Lower Diff. Disc. Remarks decision
no. 27% 27% index index
No % No %

1 10 6
2 8 2
3 5 4
4 4 10
5 12 12
6 13 14
7 11 5
8 9 3
9 8 8
10 6 12
THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR
LISTENING!!!