The author describes the steps taken by a research team, of which she was part, to develop a specific methodology for assessing student attainment in primary school, working with the Programme for the Analysis of Education Systems (PASEC) of the Conference of Ministers of Education of French-speaking Countries (CONFEMEN). This methodology provides the basis for an "item bank" that can be used for many assessment tests. It can also be applied outside the specific context of French-speaking Africa.