Computer based test item generation

US8202097B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Educational Testing Service · US

Inventors

• Peter Brittingham · Titusville, US
• Mary E. Morley · Princeton Junction, US
• James H. Fife · Collegeville, US
• Robert L. Rarich · Titusville, US
• Irvin R. Katz · Hopewell, US
• Randy E. Bennett · Carbondale, US
• Mark G. Zelman · Princeton, US
• Mark K. Singley · Skillman, US
• Krishna Nanda Jha · Media, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 1, 2000
• Grant date: Jun 19, 2012
• Expiry date: Aug 15, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G09B7/00
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A computerized method and system for creating test items by generating variants from a test item model, comprising the steps of creating a new test item model by identifying elements of an initial test item or test item model to be variabilized, variabilizing the elements thereby creating test item variables, indicating values the variables can assume, defining the variables, and generating test item variants utilizing a simultaneous constraint solver. The initial test item can be a pre-existing test item or test item model, a newly created test item or even a conceptual template in the mind of the test item creator. The generated test item variants are displayed to the test item creator. The test item creator can store and forward acceptable test item variants for later use as test items. Test item models can be stored for later use in generating new test item variants.