Scoring and Analysis Options

Scoring and analysis reports can be provided for exam subtests and for exams where alternate forms are used. OIRA also offers Item Analysis, Final Grade Calculation, and Electronic Data Transfer.

Subtest Analysis

A Subtest Analysis shows students’ performance on a subset of exam items. The report provides the number of correct responses for the group of questions specified. A subtest analysis can be requested for more than one subset of items.

To request a subtest analysis, provide the information described under Subtest Control Sheet in the Instructions for Submitting Exams for Scoring (PDF).

Alternate Forms Analysis

Alternate Forms Analysis is used when multiple forms of the same exam are administered (e.g., on a 100 question exam, all students are asked the same 100 questions, but in a different order).

To prepare exams with multiple forms for scoring:

• Designate one form of the exam as Form 1. Based on that form, complete the Answer Key Control Sheet as described in the Instructions for Submitting Exams for Scoring (PDF). Complete an Answer Key Control Sheet for Form 1 ONLY.
• Designate the other forms of the exam as Form 2, Form 3, etc. Complete one Alternate Exam Form Control Sheet for each form as described in the Instructions for Submitting Exams for Scoring (PDF).
• Complete an Alternate Form Table as described below.

Alternate Form Table Instructions

To create an Alternate Form Table list the items in Form 1 (Form 1 is the form that matches the Answer Key Control Sheet) in the left column. In the subsequent column(s) indicate where each Form 1 item is located on the alternate form(s). The following is an example of a table for a 5-item exam with two alternate forms.

Alternate Form Table Example

When submitting your exam for scoring, bring the Alternate Form Table, a copy of each form of the exam, along with the necessary control sheets as described in the Instructions for Submitting Exams for Scoring (PDF).

Item Analysis Report

Item analysis can be used by instructors to identify areas for instructional improvement as well as for improving the quality of the exam. Most times, an exam is developed to discriminate between those students who have learned the material and those that are having difficulty. However, an instructor may identify topics within a test that are important for most students to master before moving on to new materials. Patterns within the analysis can highlight different instructional or test construction issues within the context for which the test was designed. For example,

• If questions are answered correctly by most students, this could be a topic that was thoroughly reviewed by the instructor, a topic that required mastery before proceeding in the course, or the question was too easy and did not contain enough distractors.
• If an item or items were answered incorrectly by a majority of students, this could signal a topic that requires additional instruction for mastery. Of course, this pattern also could be caused by an incorrect answer key or by poorly worded or confusing items.
• If the students who answered the item incorrectly chose relatively equally among the incorrect responses, then the distractors worked properly.
• If most students did not answer the last group of questions, the exam may have been too long for the time allotted.
  

To request an item analysis report, provide the information described under Instructor Control Sheet in the Instructions for Submitting Exams for Scoring (PDF).

If you have any questions regarding the interpretation of statistics, please contact OIRA by email or call 443-8700.

Final Grade Calculation Report

At the end of the semester, OIRA can provide a Final Grade Calculation Report. The report can reflect scanned exam scores as well as students’ grades for other class assignments (e.g., projects, papers). Each item may carry different weights in the final grade calculation. Contact OIRA for information about the best method to submit grades for items other than scanned exams for inclusion in the report.

To request a Final Grade Calculation Report:

• Inform OIRA within the first three weeks of the semester for which a report is requested.
• Instruct students to accurately code their SUID number on their Student Answer Sheet for exams that are to be included in the report.
• Notify OIRA at least three working days in advance of the date the report is needed.
• Provide a course memo along with your last exam for the semester. The following information should be included:
• Your name, course and section, and the semester and year
• The date on which each exam was scored at OIRA
• The weight of each exam and any other assignments to be included (the percent each will contribute to the final grade for the course)
• The maximum score possible for each item listed

Memo Example

For a course with 4 grades (2 exams and 2 assignments):

Name:
Course/Section:
Semester/Year:

Electronic Data Transfer

Your exam scores or Final Grade Calculation Report can be saved in excel format to a CD or floppy disk for your future use and reference. Request this service when submitting an exam for scoring.