Items are the questions that make up the tests and tasks within Computer Based Testing and Assessment.

Clustering and Streaming Items

• Grouping of items around a piece of material such as piece of prose, news items, music, or scene.

• Used to link of a range of items under a part of the specification or syllabus

• Basis of adaptive testing, so that by linking items candidates at a given level can answer questions at that level before automatically moving to a higher or lower level depending on the success of their responses.

• Able to build structure or hierarchy to the items

• Use for alternatives, so that corresponding items can be substituted for each other to provide a more varied test.

• Allows for proliferation of items

• However, it does mean that it needs to be managed in terms of

• – item banks and
• – defining characteristics of the items.