Setters, a selected group of experienced subject specialists with proven integrity, are invited to a central place identified and approved by the Board for an item writing workshop. For each level of examinations, a minimum of three setters are invited for each subject and each one produces items enough for one complete draft examination paper.

Before they embark on the item production exercise, the setters take an oath of secrecy administered by a magistrate. Besides, it is strongly commanded of the setters not to divulge any information concerning their items. To prepare them for the exercise, they are trained on how to produce valid and reliable examination items.