1. Question Banks in Test
Generator: Best Practices
Question Banks
in Test
Generator: Best
Practices
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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
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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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