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Ascertaining the Credibility of Assessment Instruments through the Application of Item

Item Response Theory (IRT) is a paradigm for the design, analysis, scoring of test items, and similar instruments for measuring abilities, attitudes, or other variables. It is based on a set of fairly strong assumptions which if not met, could compromise the validity and reliability of the test. The purpose of this study is to show how the application of IRT in test development processes has assisted the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in generating and quality items for assessment, selection and placement suitably qualified candidates for admissions into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The application of the theory has greatly helped in maintaining the validity and credibility of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The study employed an expo facto and descriptive research design method using random sample of candidates’, responses from the 2015 UTME Physics test. Analysis was carried out using 1-parameter IRT model of ACER conquest 3.0. Findings revealed that the statistics and graphs generated assisted the Board in making the right choice in selecting good items for test administration. The paper thus recommends the application of IRT in test item calibrations and other test development processes especially in high stakes assessments organizations.Keywords: Parameter, Validity, IRT, UTME

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