CON Professional Graduate Test Construction and Delivery

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
COLLEGE OF NURSING

Professional Graduate Test Construction and Delivery

Policy: 1310

Faculty Policies

Originating Date: April 2026

Responsible Reviewing Agency:

Professional Graduate Affairs Committee

Responsible Approving Agency:

General Faculty Organization

Purpose

Establishes criteria for testing construction and delivery.

This policy applies to professional graduate faculty.

Testing processes have been established to ensure consistency in testing practices for didactic course content.

All professional graduate courses that include tests/exams as part of summative evaluation must administer exams with no fewer than 50 multiple-choice questions per test.
Course coordinators may determine the weight of test/exam scores within the final course grade; however, exams must comprise no less than 20% and no more than 50% of the total course grade.
Faculty must develop and share with students an exam blueprint outlining tested concepts and approximate question distribution at least one week prior to the exam.
Faculty must provide a rationale for each exam question within the approved testing platform.
Exam questions shall be retired after five years of use or earlier if psychometric analysis does not support continued use. See test question review table below.
Questions must align with board-style formatting, including:
- No true/false questions
- Avoid negatively worded stems
- Avoid absolute terms (e.g., “always,” “never”)
Questions must be free of bias, stereotyping, slang or prejudicial language.
Faculty must design and deliver exams in a manner that minimizes opportunities for unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as the use of application-based questions, appropriate time limits, randomized item delivery, and approved remote proctoring settings.

Exams must be administered using the approved remote proctoring platform.
Faculty must set up exams to match the program’s designated three-hour testing window, ensuring that students receive the entire allotted time to complete the exam.
Faculty are responsible for ensuring exam settings are accurate, including:
- Availability window
- Time limits
- Attempt rules
- Proctoring requirements
Faculty must clearly communicate to students in advance:
- Exam timing and availability window
- Testing expectations and procedures
- Permitted and prohibited materials
Faculty shall coordinate accommodation needs in alignment with approved student accommodations.

Exams must be prepared, reviewed, and published in the testing platform in advance to ensure system readiness.
Faculty must inform students of exam expectations and ensure clarity regarding:
- Testing procedures
- Allowed materials
- Proctoring requirements
Faculty must inform students of any approved testing materials (e.g., calculators, scratch paper) in advance, if permitted.

Course coordinator must review exam performance using psychometric analysis, including:
- Item difficulty
- Point biserial correlation
- Discrimination index
Faculty must determine whether scoring adjustments are warranted based on analysis. Adjustments are not automatic and must be justified.
Faculty must make any necessary updates to exam items within the testing platform following analysis.
Faculty must transfer exam scores to the learning management system in a timely manner.
Faculty must provide structured feedback and/or remediation guidance for students who do not meet exam performance expectations.
Faculty may delay exam review access if students are testing at different times or if a make-up exam is pending.

Students are required to adhere to the Accommodation Policy (ADA Policy) that is listed in the UNMC Student Policies and Procedures (see policy in related documents).
Students with accommodations must present their letter of accommodations from the UNMC Accessibility Services Office to the course coordinator at least one week prior to any exam for which accommodations are requested. Once the letter has been provided to the coordinator, the accommodations will remain in effect for the length of time specified in the letter or until the student in writing indicates the accommodations are no longer needed.
Accommodated students are expected to comply with timely arrival at the location for testing identified by the course coordinator.
Faculty will prepare accommodation materials and resources as specified in student letter.
Faculty will work with On-line Testing Coordinator and any other personnel needed to facilitate testing accommodations for students (e.g., low distraction room, additional testing time).
On campuses that use affiliated university testing services, complete the accommodated testing form.
Students testing via a paper copy will use a specified excel form to record exam answers. Once the exam is completed, the student will transfer the exam answers to the exam software, or the excel form data will be uploaded into the exam software by College of Nursing personnel. Transferring of the exam answers is not included in the allotted exam time.

Course Coordinator/ Faculty will review the exam statistics, determine any scoring adjustments needed, and make any adjustments to the exam in the exam/evaluation software.