Comparism of Item Difficulty and Discrimination of Pre And Post University Entrance Examinations in Nigeria
The study compared the difficulty and discrimination indices of the Pre-University Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (Pre-UTME) and Post-University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) in the related
subject areas of Arts, Commercial and Science in Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U.), Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The study
adopted the exploratory survey research design. The population for the study comprised all part one
undergraduate students of the O.A.U., Ile-Ife in 2013/2014 session. While simple random sampling technique was
used to select 40 departments, convenience sampling technique was used in drawing 20 part one undergraduate
students from each of the 40 departments. A 20-item achievement test titled: 2013/2014 Pre-UTME and its
corresponding 2013/2014 O.A.U. Post-UTME were instruments used for collecting data for this study. Data
collected were subjected to item analysis. Results revealed that the items of the O.A.U.’s 2013/2014 in the subject
areas of Arts, Commercial and Science (with average difficulty indices, p, of 0.53, 0.46 and 0.55 respectively) were
more difficult than items of the 2013/2014 Pre-UTME in the same subject areas (having average p of 0.62, 0.54 and
0.60 respectively). Finally, the results revealed that the items of the 2013/2014 Pre-UTME and O.A.U.’s Post-UTME
in the subject areas of Arts, Commercial and Science discriminated appropriately between students in the high
scoring group and those in the low scoring group with average discrimination indices of 0.45, 0.43, 0.46 and 0.46,
0.43, 0.42 respectively.
Comparism of Item Difficulty and Discrimination of Pre And Post University Entrance Examinations in Nigeria
The study compared the difficulty and discrimination indices of the Pre-University Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (Pre-UTME) and Post-University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) in the related
subject areas of Arts, Commercial and Science in Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U.), Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The study
adopted the exploratory survey research design. The population for the study comprised all part one
undergraduate students of the O.A.U., Ile-Ife in 2013/2014 session. While simple random sampling technique was
used to select 40 departments, convenience sampling technique was used in drawing 20 part one undergraduate
students from each of the 40 departments. A 20-item achievement test titled: 2013/2014 Pre-UTME and its
corresponding 2013/2014 O.A.U. Post-UTME were instruments used for collecting data for this study. Data
collected were subjected to item analysis. Results revealed that the items of the O.A.U.’s 2013/2014 in the subject
areas of Arts, Commercial and Science (with average difficulty indices, p, of 0.53, 0.46 and 0.55 respectively) were
more difficult than items of the 2013/2014 Pre-UTME in the same subject areas (having average p of 0.62, 0.54 and
0.60 respectively). Finally, the results revealed that the items of the 2013/2014 Pre-UTME and O.A.U.’s Post-UTME
in the subject areas of Arts, Commercial and Science discriminated appropriately between students in the high
scoring group and those in the low scoring group with average discrimination indices of 0.45, 0.43, 0.46 and 0.46,
0.43, 0.42 respectively.
___
- Ado, A. B., Hadiza, H. & Samira, A. B. (2016). Evaluation of Northwest University, Kano Post UTME test
items using item response theory. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE). 5, 261-
270.
- Aduloju, M. O. & Kpum M. M. (2019). Item analysis and reliability of multiple-choice items of physics
teacher-made test in Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State. Nigerian Journal of Educational
Research and Evaluation. 18(2), 139-151.
- Afolabi, E. R. I., & Dibu-Ojerinde, O. O. (2012). Educational tests & measurement. IleIfe, Nigeria: Obafemi
Awolowo University Press.
- Amatereotubo, M. (2006). ”Post-UTME screening matters arising. Retrieved from
http://www.onlinenigeria.com/articles/
- Boopathiraj, C. & Chellamani, K. (2013). Analysis of test items on difficulty level and discrimination index
in the test for research in education. International Journal of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Research. 2(2),
189-193.
- Chika, J. A., & John, C. I. (2010). An assessment of post university tertiary matriculation examination: A case
study of university of Benin. Journal of Social Sciences. 22(2), 101-106.
- Ebel, R. L. & Frisbie, D. A. (1991). Essentials of educational measurement. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Ethe, N. & Odjegba, O. G. (2019). Comparism of WAEC and NECO SSCE mathematics multiple-choice test
items parameters across school location: Application of item response theory. ASSEREN Journal of Evaluation.
4(1), 194-205.
- Faleye, B. A. & Eze, C. D. (2015). Estimation of parallelism of UTME and Post-UTME among undergraduate
students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Ife Journal of Behavioural Research. 7(1 & 2), 1-9.
- Hotiu, A. (2006). The relationship between item difficulty and discrimination indices in multiple-choice tests
in a physical science course. (Unpublished master’s degree project) Florida Atlantic university, Florida.
Retrieved from: http://www.physics.fau.edu/research/education/A.Hotiu_thesis.pdf
- Iweka, F. (2014). Comprehensive guide to test construction and administration. Omoku: Chifas Nig.
- Nnaka, C. V. & Anaekwe, M. C. (2011). Admission policy in science at tertiary education: Extent of goal
attainment and ımperatives for reforms in stem education. 52nd Annual STAN Conference Proceedings (p. 86-
91).
- Nunnaly, J. C. (1967). Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Osunde, A. U. (2009). Essay and multiple-choice tests: Bridging the gap. Workshop papers on Multiple-choice
Test item writing procedures for academic staff. University of Ilorin.
- Popham, W. J. (1981). Modern educational measurement. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Quqigrain, K. & Arhin, A. K. (2017). Using reliability and item analysis to evaluate a teacher developed test
in educational measurement and evaluation. Cogent Education, 4(2), 1-11.
- Suruchi, S., &Rana, S. R. (2014). Test item analysis and relationship between difficulty level and
discrimination of test items in an achievement test in Biology. Paripex-Indian Journal of Research. 3(6), 56-58.
- Thorndike, R. L. & Hagen, E. P. (1977). Measurement and evaluation in psychology and education. New York:
John Wiley & Sons Press.
- Wiersma, W. & Jurs, S. G. (1990). Educational measurement and testing (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon Press.