IRT-based test construction

Abstract

Four discussions of test construction based on item response theory (IRT) are presented. The first discussion, "Test Design as Model Building in Mathematical Programming" (T.J.J.M. Theunissen), presents test design as a decision process under certainty. A natural way of modeling this process leads to mathematical programming. General models of test construction are discussed, with information about algorithms and heuristics; ideas about the analysis and refinement of test constraints are also considered. The second paper, "Methods for Simultaneous Test Construction" (Ellen Boekkooi-Timminga), gives an overview of simultaneous test construction using zero-one programming. The item selection process is based on IRT. Some objective functions and practical constraints are presented, the construction of parallel tests is considered, and two tables are provided. The third paper, "Automated Test Construction Using Minimax Programming" (Wim J. van der Linden), proposes the use of the minimax principle in IRT test construction and indicates how this results in test information functions deviating less systematically from the target function than for the usual criterion of minimal test length. An alternative approach and some practical constraints are considered. The final paper, "A Procedure To Assess Target Information Functions" (Henk Kelderman), discusses the concept of an information function and its properties. An interpretable function of information is chosen: the probability of a wrong order of the ability estimates of two subjects