A placement test should separate the levels a school actually runs, quickly and reliably, and send unclear cases
to a short interview. scripts/item_analysis.py shows which items work; scripts/placement_cutoffs.py places
learners and flags borderline scores.
Trigger Conditions
Activate this skill when the user:
- Needs a placement test for a language school, university or company programme
- Has trial data and wants to know which items to keep
- Sets or reviews cut scores between levels
- Has too many learners changing class after the first week
Speaking interview rubric: speaking-rubric-builder. Classroom quizzes: language-quiz-generator. Level descriptions: cefr-aligned-syllabus-builder.
Workflow
1. BLUEPRINT -> levels, sections, items per level, interview (references/placement-test-design.md)
2. WRITE -> 8-12 items per level, easy to hard; parallel forms; answer key; level tags
3. PILOT -> 30+ learners across levels
4. ANALYSE -> python scripts/item_analysis.py responses.csv (KEY and LEVEL rows)
5. REVISE -> fix negative / weak discrimination, dead distractors, mis-levelled items
6. CUTS -> contrasting groups or borderline group; SEM band
7. PLACE -> python scripts/placement_cutoffs.py scores.csv --cuts A1:0 A2:15 B1:28 B2:40 --sem 2.5
8. VALIDATE -> class changes in week 2, teacher feedback, end-of-course resultsReview Codes (item_analysis.py)
| Code | Severity | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| IA001 | high | Negative discrimination (miskeyed or ambiguous) |
| IA002 | medium | Discrimination below 0.20 |
| IA003 | medium | Facility above 0.90 or below 0.20 |
| IA004 | low | Distractor not working or attracting the top group |
| IA005 | low | Item easier than the average item one level below |
How to read the statistics and fix items: item-analysis-guide.md.
Output Format
The blueprint table, the items by level with key and level tags, the interview guide with level probes and a rating rubric, and the cut-score method. For analyses, the item table, reliability and a list of items to keep, revise or drop with reasons.
Scripts
python scripts/item_analysis.py responses.csvFirst column student id; one column per item; a KEY row (required) and a LEVEL row (optional). Exit codes: 0 no high findings, 1 high findings, 2 read error or no KEY row.
python scripts/placement_cutoffs.py scores.csv --cuts A1:0 A2:15 B1:28 B2:40 C1:50 [--sem 2]Columns: student, score. Exit codes: 0 placed, 2 read error or bad cut scores.
Additional Resources
| File | Content |
|---|---|
| placement-test-design.md | Blueprint, content by level, item types, speaking interview, cut-score methods, SEM, validation |
| item-analysis-guide.md | Statistics and good ranges, diagnosing problem items, improving reliability, analysis workflow |
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