---
title: "Item difficulty scale"
slug: "item-difficulty-scale"
tags: ["admin"]
updated: 2026-05-28T11:22:12Z
published: 2026-05-28T11:22:12Z
canonical: "help.cirrusassessment.com/item-difficulty-scale"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cirrusassessment.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Item Difficulty scale

### Item difficulty scale threshold

The item difficulty level is based on the P-value, one of the core concepts in psychometrics. Difficulty is important for evaluating whether an item should remain part of the assessment: items that are too easy or too hard are often removed. The P-value also helps you understand how individual items and the test as a whole function as a measurement instrument.

![Screenshot 2023-04-07 at 09.57.17.png](https://cdn.document360.io/cdfc20c8-6721-4154-b0a1-9f49f139d107/Images/Documentation/Screenshot%202023-04-07%20at%2009.57.17.png)

Use the item difficulty scale to set difficulty thresholds, which are then displayed automatically under **Library > Collections > Statistics**. This enables you to track the difficulty level of your items over time.

| Range | Interpretation | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0.0 - 0.3 | Hard | Candidates are at or below the chance level; the item may be too difficult or have other issues. |
| 0.3 - 0.5 | Medium (challenging) | Items in this range challenge even top candidates. |
| 0.5 - 0.7 | Medium | These items are moderately difficult. |
| 0.7 - 1.0 | Easy | These items are considered easy; the higher the P-value, the easier the item. |

These difficulty levels are reflected at the item statistics level: **Library > Collection > Statistics**.

              Roadmap

              

The hard/medium/easy thresholds are currently displayed in item statistics only. Support for assessment performance and statistics will be added in a later release.

### Use Angoff

To activate the Angoff method, see [Angoff method](/v1/docs/angoff-method) for more information.