Item Development

Prometric has a refined, proven test item development process that delivers innovative question types, dynamic, targeted content and unambiguous responses in a timely and efficient manner.

The item development process starts with the recruitment of subject matter experts (SME's), who will write, review and edit test items. Prometric can either work with SMEs at your organization or ones provided by your organization, or we can recruit them on your behalf.

The SMEs we recruit are professionals with highly specialized sets of skills and a certain level of knowledge. Before they begin the item development process, we put them through a demanding and time-tested training process that consistently yields capable test item writers and reviewers. Then, either by collaborating in item writing workshops or using Prometric’s proprietary item banking system, the SMEs author questions under the qualified direction of a psychometrician.

After they are written, each item is put through a thorough and rigorous review process that checks for technical accuracy, bias, correctness and sound language structure. Any item that does not fit every criteria of a sound, valid, fair and legally defensible item is either edited or eliminated. Only items that are psychometrically sound and legally defensible are used. Final individually developed and psychometrically sound items are then compiled, creating the foundation for the overall test.