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UK Collaboration for a Digital Repository for High Stakes Assessments

ERC Block Wythenshawe

Needs Calculator


This tool has been designed to allow individuals, schools and institutions to examine their own high stakes item banking tool needs and to find a best match from amongst the array of item banking solutions appraised during the UKCDR project.

Please look through the following functional requirement listings which are grouped into five core processes; item development, quality assurance, item storage and selection, exam delivery and results analysis. Tick all those which you require in an ideal item banking tool (if you wish to select all click ‘Tick all’ situated above the column of tick boxes).

Once you have completed your selections click ‘submit’ at the foot of the page. The results will be returned on the next page.


Select required item banking functionality :


1.0 Item DevelopmentTick all
IDFunctional Requirement DescriptionI want this
ID 1.001Can add an MCQ question
ID 1.002Can add an EMQ question with unlimited stems
ID 1.003Can add an Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) question
ID 1.004Can add short answer question
ID 1.005Can add essay questions
ID 1.006Can add multi choice multi answer questions
ID 1.007Can add drag and drop questions
ID 1.008Can add hot spot questions
ID 1.009Can add an Objective Structured Video Exam (OSVE) question
ID 1.01Can add a missing word question
ID 1.011Can retrieve an MCQ question
ID 1.012Can retrieve an EMQ question
ID 1.013Can retrieve an OSCE question
ID 1.014Can retrieve a short answer question
ID 1.015Can retrieve an essay question
ID 1.016Can retrieve multi choice, multi answer question
ID 1.017Can retrieve drag and drop question
ID 1.018Can retrieve hot spot question
ID 1.019Can retrieve an OSVE question
ID 1.02Can retrieve a missing word question
ID 1.021Can modify an MCQ question e.g. can change descriptive metadata of question
ID 1.022Can modify an EMQ question e.g. can remove a stem of question
ID 1.023Can modify an OSCE question
ID 1.024Can modify a short answer question
ID 1.025Can modify an essay question
ID 1.026Can modify a multi choice, multi answer question
ID 1.027Can modify a drag and drop question
ID 1.028Can modify a hot spot question
ID 1.029Can modify an OSVE question
ID 1.03Can modify a missing word question
ID 1.031Can delete an MCQ question
ID 1.032Can delete an EMQ question
ID 1.033Can delete an OSCE question
ID 1.034Can delete a short answer question
ID 1.035Can delete an essay question
ID 1.036Can delete a multi choice, multi answer question
ID 1.037Can delete a drag and drop question
ID 1.038Can delete a hot spot question
ID 1.039Can delete an OSVE question
ID 1.04Can delete a missing word question
ID 1.041Can import an IMS QTI MCQ question
ID 1.042Can import an IMS QTI EMQ question
ID 1.043Can automatically alphabetise answer options
ID 1.044Can assign multiple curricular classifications to a question
ID 1.045Can add/remove searchable tags/descriptors/keywords to any assessment item
ID 1.046Can add one question author
ID 1.047Can retrieve one question author
ID 1.048Can modify one question author
ID 1.049Can retrieve all authors
ID 1.05Can mail merge authors to email and letter
ID 1.051Can add one question writing workshop
ID 1.052Can retrieve one question writing workshop
ID 1.053Can modify one question writing workshop
ID 1.054Can delete one question writing workshop
ID 1.055Can produce automated time dependant workshop alerts
ID 1.056Can produce thank you letters/certificates
ID 1.057Can link questions to flexible blueprint
ID 1.058Can link questions to author, source of question, date etc
ID 1.059Can view questions already in bank by blueprint
ID 1.06Can have theme and focus
ID 1.061Can store who inputs questions and when
ID 1.062Can force certain fields to be completed when entering questions
ID 1.063Can have pictures and symbols
ID 1.064Can use formatting e.g superscript, subscript
ID 1.065Can develop and store items in a secure, encrypted environment
ID 1.066Can have multiple users accessing system at once
ID 1.067Can have item development via web and offline
ID 1.068Can detect duplication if items added
ID 1.069Can store images with questions
ID 1.07Can store sounds with questions
ID 1.071Can store videos with questions
ID 1.072Can import questions from MS Access
ID 1.073Can import questions from MS Excel
ID 1.074Can import questions from Speedwell
ID 1.075Can import questions from SQL Server
ID 1.076Can interface with electronic dictionaries
ID 1.077Can enforce date/time stamps on all items input to system
ID 1.078Can over-write date/time stamp for items imported to system
ID 1.079Can specify a date for item review e.g. 2/5 years from date of creation
ID 1.08Can specify clustering/bad pair rules upon item creation
ID 1.081Can support standard setting and can add/remove standard setting method e.g. Angoff
2.0 Quality Assurance
IDFunctional Requirement DescriptionI want this
QA 2.001Can automatically generate a report that displays the current level of questions prepared for review
QA 2.002Can perform task as in QA.001 but excluding questions created at one institution
QA 2.003Can allow different stages of quality assurance
QA 2.004Can provide a full audit trail
QA 2.005Can provide full version control
QA 2.006Can interrogate audit trail (e.g. produce report to compare items pre-review/post-pre-view) to highlight pre/post QA.
QA 2.007Can create a new ID for a new version of item if item has been locked-down and user wants to change it
QA 2.008Can track where an item is in exam preparation at any time
QA 2.009Can allow individual questions to be marked `ready for next stage of QA`
QA 2.01Can allow QA to follow a set path i.e. Gold Standard Test
QA 2.011Can add reviewer directions to questions
QA 2.012Can force reviewers and other users to complete one or more minimum actions on questions
QA 2.013Can prevent different users from different actions on questions
QA 2.014Can add comments visible to different users with different access rights
QA 2.015Can allow reviewer users to pass a decision on questions, adding queries
QA 2.016Can display total no. of questions, questions in development/ready
QA 2.017Can choose multiple search parameters to find and isolate questions for review
QA 2.018Can move questions to module (internal or external e.g MS Access) to review and can import these questions back recording each as having completed appropriate stage of QA
QA 2.019Can have multiple (endless) stages of review and can track where questions are at any time
QA 2.02Can have more than one way of progressing through QA i.e not a straight line, questions can be brought back a step and can leave normal course of events and then come back. All this can be recorded.
QA 2.021Can have choice of online or offline QA, with different users preferences on each occasion
QA 2.022Can have multiple QA end points and reasons recorded (flexible drop down lists)
QA 2.023Can search for any word in any area of question or metadata
QA 2.024Can prompt for next stage of QA dependant on previous events and schedules
QA 2.025Can name stages of QA
QA 2.026Can choose and record who is responsible for items being reviewed/put in QA
QA 2.027Can lock-down items to prevent changes to item e.g. they`re due to appear/have appeared in an exam
QA 2.028Can record whether author has been trained to write items
3.0 Item Storage and Selection
IDFunctional Requirement DescriptionI want this
IS 3.001Can add one exam
IS 3.002Can retrieve one exam
IS 3.003Can modify one exam
IS 3.004Can delete one exam
IS 3.005Can automatically exclude questions for use at specific institutions based on past usage
IS 3.006Can manually select questions individually
IS 3.007Can automatically select questions against a flexible blueprint
IS 3.008Can automatically select questions against performance data
IS 3.009Can store `curriculum blueprints` for future use
IS 3.01Can flexibly define and choose parameters for question selection
IS 3.011Can save different methods of question selection (i.e different schools have different parameters that they use and re-use, making changes from time to time)
IS 3.012Can output selected items in variety of ways including to MS Word format
IS 3.013Can output selected items in variety of ways including to MS Access format
IS 3.014Can output selected items in variety of ways including to MS Excel format
IS 3.015Can output selected items in variety of ways including to XML format
IS 3.016Can see history of question selection episodes and track these forward, by user
IS 3.017Can link question selection instance to a future exam episode and a user (Medical School)
IS 3.018Can have several stages of item selection
IS 3.019Can have secure online selection of items by parameters
IS 3.02Can allow or disable online/offline ability to view entire question or other parts of a question/metadata
IS 3.021Can view summary via blueprint of items as they are being selected and at any time after selection complete
IS 3.022Can enforce selection time limits if necessary e.g. time that selection can take and time period when selection is possible
IS 3.023Can flag up items as clustered/bad pairs
IS 3.024Can enforce capture of info about an exam e.g. exam date/name, year group, institution/school, no of items, type of items
IS 3.025Can store EMQ stems/options as separate fields in order to facilitate searches
IS 3.026Can randomise ordering of questions of final exam layout
IS 3.027Can enforce use of anchor questions from one exam instance to the next
IS 3.028To test robustness
IS 3.029Solution capacity - Can store infinite questions and exams data
IS 3.03Solution security - Can have different levels of security access
IS 3.031Solution scalability
4.0 Exam Delivery
IDFunctional Requirement DescriptionI want this
ED 4.001Can distribute the selected questions electronically for printing
ED 4.002Can distribute the selected questions electronically for delivery online
ED 4.003Can distribute the selected questions by paper for delivery
ED 4.004Can allow exam administrators to mark the questions as used within the system
ED 4.005Can distribute the selected questions for final checks by External Examiners
ED 4.006Can have separate internal module (or work with external module e.g. Access) which will retain details of use and link IDs to exam paper question numbers
ED 4.007Can integrate with existing systems - WebCT/Blackboard VLE
ED 4.008Can integrate with existing systems - Fronter VLE
ED 4.009Can integrate with existing systems - Teknical VLE
ED 4.01Can export to other item banking solutions - Questionmark
ED 4.011Can export to other item banking solutions - Speedwell
ED 4.012Can export to other item banking solutions - TRIADS
ED 4.013Can export to other item banking solutions - TOIA
ED 4.014Can output into IMS QTI v2.1 compliant format
ED 4.015Can output into IEEE LOM compliant format
ED 4.016Can output into SCORM compliant format
5.0 Results Analysis
IDFunctional Requirement DescriptionI want this
RA 5.001Can import data from an excel spreadsheet of binary data
RA 5.002Can analyse question performance
RA 5.003Can analyse exam performance
RA 5.004Can analyse student performance
RA 5.005Can perform plagiarism detection
RA 5.006Can assign parameters to facilitate suspension of items
RA 5.007Can allow second QA pathway to address performance
RA 5.008Can store response data
RA 5.009Can perform item analysis and display basic stats
RA 5.01Can define formulas for item analysis/calculations: discrimination, facility, per response, per answer - can do all this for multiple year groups and multiple occasions, showing averages where appropriate
RA 5.011Can check `show all results for this questions facility` or `show average of all facility`
RA 5.012Can store and analyse by student registration number and look at how students progress over time, forecasting fails
RA 5.013Can select/change QA status of any item individually or as part of a group (multiple items)
RA 5.014Can show results per blueprint/curricular domain e.g. average ENT score 75%
RA 5.015Can display results by keyword/place of authorship e.g. flexible way of interrogating results
RA 5.016Can hold information about setting a standard score e.g. standard errors
RA 5.017Can interface with a statistics package e.g. SPSS
RA 5.018Can have flexible feedback routes for different purposes e.g. students/course planners/standards setters