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  • Item writer

Item writer

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As an item writer you would write assessment material, normally in the form of individual questions (as opposed to a whole paper).

The item writer is required to:

  • prepare the questions or items with answer keys as specified by Cambridge, according to the syllabus specification and item writer guidelines, ensuring the level of difficulty is appropriate for the qualification and fits the specification
  • provide full details of source material used where copyright permission will be required by Cambridge
  • submit the material to Cambridge within the agreed time-scale and in the format required
  • send a revised version of the material to Cambridge following feedback from a senior consultant
  • attend, where necessary, an editing meeting at which the revised draft of the assessment material is evaluated and edited as necessary so it is fit for purpose
  • carry out all these services in line with our instructions and schedules.

Individual roles and responsibilities may vary according to the requirements of the qualification. This role description simply gives a general overview of the work normally undertaken by an item writer.

Item writers may have to attend meetings. Therefore most of our item writers are based in the UK, although occasionally we require writers who are based in a particular country.

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