Objectives: To assess the quality of test questions and create a data bank of test questions for the ophthalmology department. The resulting data can also be used for instructors to improve the effectiveness of test items and as guidance for their examinations.

Methods: Three sets of 40 five-option multiple questions (MCQ) for 106 4th year medical students in 2006 were analyzed. The statistical parameters were mean and standard deviation, correlation, standard error

of deviation, reliability, item difficulty and item discrimination.

Results: There were 12 (30%) good items in set 1, (25%) of each in set 2 and set 3. The test reliability of the three sets were 0.42, 0.54 and 0.33 respectively which is considerably low. There was no correlation between the acceptable index (AI) and the difficulty index.

Conclusion: There were 32 good items overall to put in the item bank as follows: 12 (30 %) items in set 1, 10 (25 %) items in set 2 and 10 (25 %) items in set 3. The instructors should identify specific areas of course contents which need greater emphasis and increase their skills in test construction