1. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Question Banks
in Test
Generator: Best
Practices
Slide 1
2. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Overview
1.
2.
3.
4.
Short glossary
Assumptions
Define your question bank hierarchy
Question Bank structure
Source: Test Generator – Question Banks in Test Generator: Best Practices
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3. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Let’s start with a short glossary
Item: A question to include the answer text
Test: A collection of items
Content: A test, item or a collection of same
Legacy Content: tests or items that have been saved in a digital file, this could
include files exported from a previous software program or files used to create
paper-and-pencil tests.
File: Content that has been saved/stored in a digital format: MS Word, Excel, .csv,
.txt. .rtf, .pdf
Question Bank: A container for items organized around a specific topic or
category
Root Bank: A major, level 1 subject, e.g., Math
Sub-banks: Containers/directories organized under a root bank; e.g., Math (root
bank), Basic Math (sub bank), Addition (sub-bank under Basic Math).
Software: Test creation software
Source: Test Generator – Question Banks in Test Generator: Best Practices
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4. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Assumptions
• You have, or will be purchasing software.
• The software supports question banking and the importing of
content.
• You have content in some file format.
• You want to get the content into one or more question banks.
• You don't want to enter the items manually, you'd like to automate
the process if possible.
• You haven't really thought through how the content is going to be
organized.
Source: Test Generator – Question Banks in Test Generator: Best Practices
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5. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
The following steps are recommendation as to how
to proceed.
If you want to take a different approach or modify
the order--do whatever works for you.
Source: Test Generator – Question Banks in Test Generator: Best Practices
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6. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Define your question bank hierarchy
If you have one big bucket of content that has not been organized by
subject/topic, we recommend:
that you do so before importing your content into question banks.
Whether you jot down a rough outline on a piece of paper or create a
detailed outline in Word, we highly recommend:
that you outline your content structure in advance of creating
and/or importing your content.
Source: Test Generator – Question Banks in Test Generator: Best Practices
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7. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Define your question bank hierarchy
If you are one of several test authors who will be importing content,
we recommend:
that everyone agree on a question bank hierarchy.
Why?
because allowing each test author to work independently, with no
clear agreement on a structure, is inviting trouble.
Source: Test Generator – Question Banks in Test Generator: Best Practices
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8. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Define your question bank hierarchy
Someone, or some core group, within the organization needs to:
serve as the manager
or go-to person regarding the organization and operation of the question banks.
Having a clear set of guidelines that everyone (authors, admins) can
follow is ideal.
It’s essential to have a structure and process defined so that you/your
team can more easily manage it.
Source: Test Generator – Question Banks in Test Generator: Best Practices
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9. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Question Bank structure
Will your content be organized in major (root) categories?
If you need, or think you might want, to organize your content in a set
of nested, hierarchical banks, will the software permit you to do so?
Here is an example of the question banking flexibility in TG. You can create root and
nested sub-banks—there is no limit to the number of nesting levels.
Source: Test Generator – Question Banks in Test Generator: Best Practices
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10. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Questions?
928.266.0553
sales@testshop.com
Visit our Website: Test Generator
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