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Part 1: About the characteristics of CBT and the creation of high-quality Test questions (3 parts in total)

April 1, 2023
  • Test Development Service
  • CBT

Computer Based Testing

Prometric distributes exams in which test Candidate use computers to answer questions. This is called Computer-Based Testing (CBT). In CBT, test questions are registered on the server before the test is conducted, and a set (test version) is created by going through a prescribed procedure. At Test Center, each Candidate is assigned one PC and monitor, and test questions are presented to Candidate either in a fixed order or randomly from the test version. Candidate read the test questions displayed on the monitor or listen to the audio, and respond to the test questions by clicking on an option or entering an answer using the keyboard. CBT is said to have the following advantages compared to traditional paper-based testing (PBT).

  1. You can take Test anywhere in the world or in Japan.
  2. Costs related to Test distribution and aggregation can be kept low.
  3. Test Result will be available immediately after completing the test.
  4. The risk of leakage of Test questions can be kept low.

At Prometric, we can hold exams at any of our over 160 Test Center nationwide. At Test Center, a fair test is conducted in accordance with a strictly defined test operation process to ensure that there is no fraud. In recent years, tests that can be taken at home have been attracting attention, but at Prometric Test Center there are strict checks on identity verification at check-in and the ability to bring electronic devices into the answer area.

Unlike PBT, CBT does not require paper test questions to be printed and distributed to each Test Center, so even small-scale tests can be held at relatively low costs.
In PBT, answer data must be scanned with a special device and scored, but in CBT, answer data is stored in a database and scored automatically.

Test answers will be graded immediately after completion.

Leakage of Test questions is a major problem in large-scale Test and certification Test for public qualifications.

However, in order to take full advantage of the benefits of CBT, it is not enough to have standardized test operation procedures and a well-equipped Test Center. In other words, the quality of the test questions and test version itself must be good. At Prometric, we have experts in statistics and psychology called psychometricians who support the creation of higher quality test questions and fair and stable test operations. This time, we will introduce representative examples of test question analysis methods provided by Prometric and their characteristics.

Test quality evaluation

At Prometric, we believe that a test is a measuring stick for measuring Candidate 's ability and knowledge.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of Test quality evaluation: analysis of each Test question and analysis of the overall Test score (raw score).

Check not only individual Test problems, but also the quality of the entire Test.

in conclusion

This time, we explained the characteristics of CBT tests in general and the test quality evaluation that is essential for creating good CBT tests. By performing quality evaluation after testing, the basic performance of the test can be quantitatively confirmed. Good test questions are used continuously, and bad test questions are recommended to be replaced or revised. Test reliability is a useful indicator of how accurately a test can capture Candidate 's ability, and serves as a benchmark for overall test performance. Next time, I will explain Item Response Theory (IRT) and equating, which are often used in CBT tests, and introduce ways to achieve fair tests using CBT.

Questions about introducing CBT, consultation on operation, fees, etc.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

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