When does the determination of test difficulty primarily occur?

The determination of test difficulty primarily takes place during the actual construction of the test. This is the phase where educators and test developers establish the specific content, format, and types of questions that will be included, which directly influence how challenging the test is for the students. Factors such as the complexity of the questions, the level of knowledge required, and the clarity of the language used all contribute to the overall difficulty level.

While it may seem that the test difficulty could be analyzed after the test has been taken and scored, this phase is more focused on assessing how well the test functioned and whether it accurately measured students' knowledge and skills. Grading tests and evaluating their effectiveness are important but take place after the initial determination of difficulty.