The Item-Writer Guidelines Project

This project, which was originally funded under the LINGUA programme (93-09/1326/UK-III) set out to produce a guide in at least 10 of the ALTE partner languages for materials writers employed in the production of test materials. These guidelines have since been translated into many of the ALTE partner languages and can be used as the basis of a taught course, or can be adapted as self-access materials. The areas covered include: Models of Language Ability; The Test Production Process; Item Types; and Issues in Marking and Scoring.

The Item Writer Guidelines have been produced in other languages by ALTE partners. For instance, under the TiPS Development Programme for Testing in Polish and Slovene – a Socrates Lingua 2 project – a Polish and Slovene version was produced. TIPS document. Similarly, under the Socrates funded Devprothell project, a group of ALTE partners produced Guidelines for Test Item Writers in Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian and Lithuanian.

Download the Item Writer Guidelines