Abstract

Computerized item banking has emerged as an essential activity in the development of commercial and other large-scale tests. Thus, the item banker has become an indispensable tool of the test developer. Although a significant proportion of the test items in use today reside in electronic item banks, such item banks do not generally follow a standard of structure or representation. Standards are emerging, however. This chapter explores the conceptual underpinnings of item banks and item bankers. These include the concept of objects, formulations of items as objects, a social order of items, and standards of representation. Additionally, models of bank organization, methods of securing an item bank, and structural concepts applicable to tests are considered. The chapter discusses these in light of the leading item-banking standard and provides some examples of elements often found in item banks and desired in item bankers.