An Item Analysis of the Mock CSAT English Test

This study analyzed students’ test performance on the mock College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) English test to examine the reliability and validity of the test items within a framework of Classical Test Theory (CTT). The test used for the present study was the mock CSAT English test administered in June 2021 and item difficulty data was collected from 100 3rd grade high school students who took the test. For the item analysis, Test Analysis Program (TAP), a computational tool was used to investigate the extent to which the mock CSAT is a valid test based on item difficulty, item discrimination and distractors’ attractiveness. According to the item analysis, it was found that the reliability of the test was as high as .876, which is reliable and the level of difficulty was .713, indicating that it wasin the desirable range between .25 and .75. The mean discrimination power was .337, which is within the desirable range of over .3. However, an imbalance of item difficulty between the listening and reading section were detected with unreasonably weighted items and implausible distractors. Therefore, this study provides implications for improvement for the mock CSAT, which can also apply to future CSATs.