PT/EQA standards and guidelines: some remarks on quality and reliability of test items

Current standards and international guides on PTs/EQAs consider the achievement of the quality and reliability of PT test items as important steps. Similarity to the materials routinely analysed and sufficient homogeneity and stability of the properties of interest are the main quality characteristics required. PT test items are carriers of the property values used as reference to evaluate laboratory performances. Requirements for PT test items are practically the same as those given for reference materials. ISO-REMCO defines reference material as “Material, sufficiently homogeneous and stable with respect to one or more specified properties, which has been established to be, fit for its intended use in a measurement processes”. In the case of PT test items, they should have a degree of homogeneity and stability to be fit for the purpose of identifying deviations among laboratories. This paper reports some remarks on the main characteristics of PT test items, using ISPRA experience as RM producer.