💡 You chose "✨ Write an AI-Assisted Item" from the AI-Assisted Item Generator prompt. You'll land in the guided AI editor, and a walkthrough tooltip will greet you on arrival: "To start generating your item, verify the topic. Should it be a different one, go to Previous Page to return to the topic list." Click Next to step through the tips, and refer to the Guide button in the header anytime after that.
7.1.1 Verify the topic panel at the top of the editor. The topic name and description are displayed so you can confirm you're writing for the right one. If it's the wrong topic, use Previous Page to return to the topic list.
💡 The topic and description panels are collapsible: click the ^ chevron on either panel to tuck them away and free up screen space while you write.
7.1.2 In the Question Description field, describe what you'd like the question to be about for this topic (Required).
❓ What makes a good question description?
Be specific about the scenario and the knowledge point you want tested. "Relaying a multi-step direction to the correct staff member during class transitions" gives the AI real material to work with; "communication" gives it almost nothing. The topic description on screen is your anchor: pick one slice of it per item, and the AI's draft will come back far closer to usable.
7.1.3 Click "✨ Generate Items". The AI produces draft items based on your description and the topic's content.
❓ Why do I still need to review AI-generated items?
AI generates plausible-sounding content, but it doesn't know your exam's standards, edge cases, or what "minimally qualified" actually looks like for your credential. A content expert needs to verify the stem, distractors, and correct answer before any item gets accepted into the pool. The AI gets you 80% there, and the last 20% is the part that makes the exam defensible.
Navigating the Guided Flow
The footer gives you three controls:
- Items counter (lower-right, e.g., Items: 0 of 10): your progress against this writing session's item count.
- Previous Item / Next Item: move between the items in your session.
- Go to Standard Mode (lower-left): switch out of the guided flow and into the full item editor, where you can work in Form or Wizard mode instead.
❓ Guided flow or Standard Mode: which should I use?
The guided flow keeps you on rails: one item at a time, with the AI generation step built in. Standard Mode is the full editor with Form and Wizard views, Exhibits, and Preview Mode. New authors and SMEs writing their first items are usually best served by the guided flow; experienced authors who want every control on screen tend to prefer Standard Mode. The output is the same item either way.
7.1.4 The AI presents your generated items as side-by-side cards, each showing a complete draft: the question stem and its answer options, with the correct answer pre-selected. A walkthrough tooltip explains the controls on first visit:
- Hover on the card of your choice to reveal its actions.
- Click the Rationale link under any answer option to see the reasoning for that response choice. You may also see a list of References below the item.
- Click "Accept" (bottom of the card) to work with that option. You will then be redirected to the Item Editor.
- Click "Reject" to get another option in its place.
⚠️ "The content generated should be revised. Keep in mind the content should still be revised and edited. Select the correct answer before accepting an item." This reminder appears at the bottom of the generation view. AI output is a first draft, not a finished item.
💡 The AI may generate items in either of your exam's languages (e.g., English and Spanish stems for a bilingual role). Review the language of each card before accepting: pick the one matching the language your item should be delivered in.
7.1.5 Review each card's stem, options, and rationales, then click "Accept" on the item that best fits what you described.
❓ What if none of the generated items are good?
Reject individual cards to pull replacements, or click "Try Again" to rewrite your description and generate a fresh batch. Note the ceiling: a limit of 10 items total can be generated per writing session, and the Items counter in the footer (e.g., Items: 3 of 10) tracks how many you've used. If you're approaching the limit without a usable draft, that's usually a signal the question description needs to be more specific, not that you need more batches.
7.1.6 After accepting, you're redirected to the Item Editor in Wizard mode, with every section pre-filled by the AI. Step through the numbered stages: 1 Question → 2 Correct Answer → 3 Incorrect Answers → 4 Rationales → 5 Overall, reviewing and editing each before clicking Next.
💡 The right-hand Preview panel shows the item as a candidate would see it, updating as you edit. You can also switch to Form mode to review everything on one page, or add an Exhibit: the full editor's tools all apply here. See Step 7.2 for the complete editor reference.
7.1.7 In the final stage, cite the reference material supporting your question and correct answer, and set the difficulty slider ("What percentage of qualified candidates will answer this question correctly?", between 25 and 100 inclusive).
❓ Why do I need to set a difficulty percentage?
This is your Angoff estimate: a judgment call about how a qualified candidate would perform on this item. It feeds directly into standard setting and helps determine where the passing score lands. Even a rough but honest estimate from a subject matter expert is more defensible than no estimate at all.
7.1.8 Click "Submit for review". The item enters the review workflow, and you're returned to the Item Writing page, where the topic's counts reflect your submission.
Next step → Step 7.3: The Item Review Process
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