Item Hygiene

This paper defines "item hygiene" as surface-level construction, wording, and formatting issues that, while not part of an item’s targeted cognition, can undermine its validity by confusing test takers or creating unintended cognitive paths. Drawing on research-based item-writing principles, the authors identify six key clusters of concern—obvious errors, problematic words and phrases, excessive reading load, weak relationship to stimuli, unclear stems, and flawed answer options. They explain how addressing these issues supports the Rigorous Test Development (RTD) goal of eliciting valid evidence of intended knowledge and skills, while also providing a structured, accessible entry point for item review and refinement.