How to Choose the Right Online Exam Software
Remember
the long hours you would spend selecting/writing questions for term
exams or recruitment tests, have it proofread and checked for repetition
and then start the long process of hiring a proctor/invigilator,
deciding a test venue, and finally collecting the test copies and
correcting it manually? Phewww!! that sounds like a lot of work.
If you are a teacher,
trainer, coach or recruiter, you will get the sentiments right. A lot
of physical logistics, time and money is invested, rather wasted, in
this long and tiresome process. Come technology, and your problem is
solved, just like that! This blog post is for you! Yes, you, who is
looking to change this situation and simplify the exam process.
Online examinations are slowly replacing the traditional examination approach. Online Examinations or e-examinations are web-based examinations that are conducted through the internet or intranet (in offices). There are several online exam system/software that are particularly useful for organizations or institutions engaged in Education (Primary and Secondary Schools, Universities and Colleges, Vocational Institutes and Training Academies), Recruitment (Corporates, small and medium businesses), Employee Training, Employee Engagement etc. But the question is which online exam platform one should choose? And what features should one be looking for? It is hard to pick the best as it depends mostly on the budget of the organization, business requirement, background and approach to learning and training needs. However, for the benefit of users lets take a look at a set of features that can be decisive in choosing the right online exam software:
1) Is Familiar and Easily Accessible
- I am sure accessibility is a major concern for training institutes and recruitment agencies who conduct mock tests/employment tests respectively in their various test centres spread across different locations. For them, online exam software should be easily accessible for both the assessor and the assessee. A user should be able to register and login from any place using only a computer and an internet connection.
- For those of us who still like to retain the traditional look and feel of an exam, it is essential that an online examination software replicate and create real-life exam experience.
- Everything should be web-based and on the cloud with no requirement of downloading/installing software.
2) Lets you Create and Take Tests With Ease
- Teachers or Professors who are relatively new to the concept of online exam software need clear instructions to create and take tests. To this effect, demos/FAQs defining each element of the test creation process should be present on the software’s website. The test created using the software should have test variables like the number of questions, sections, total marks, passing marks, time limit etc. listed on it.
- Keeping in view different exam patterns and user requirements, the system should have MCQs, objective questions, essay type questions, skills-based questions, simulation questions as well as personality tests etc. that can be easily integrated into a single assessment.
- For recruiters looking to save time and logistics, question banks should be made available in the online exam system. In case assessors want to use their own questions, excel file upload and other such features must be provided.
- Participants should also be able to take the test with ease, using a link/login and as soon as the test is complete, it must automatically expire. The software should save and manage the credentials of each participant which can be edited or updated when required.
3) Is Scalable and Guarantees Uptime
- For recruiters engaged in campus hiring and coaching institutes engaged in student test preparation activities, scalability is a major requirement. Online exam software should be able to support multiple users across various locations simultaneously. A good online exam software should not use much of your bandwidth and would require only a computer with active broadband connection and in some cases a webcam to take tests.
- The system must have a robust server structure that can support scalability and high response time. It should be able to scale up as and when needed and should have a redundant server infrastructure in place to counter holdups like power failure or any other mishap. Other than that auto-save feature should be there so that as soon a participant answers a question it is saved.
4) Removes the Need for a Test Invigilator: Does Away With Cheating
- Everyone wants a perfect score. Sometimes test takers try to cheat their way to success. Tech-savvy participants have also devised several tactics to cheat during an online exam, like using Google docs to simultaneously have others type in the answer, opening Google in new browser or tab etc. Test with high consequences like University common entrance exams, employment tests, certification tests etc. cannot allow even minutest of cheating attempts.
- A good online exam system will have anti-cheating features in place to counter cheating effectively. For example, when a test link (which is often IP locked) is emailed to a candidate, it will have a PIN which comprises of random letters and alphabets which the candidate has to input to activate the test. This validates the test and ensures that only an authorized participant is accessing it.
- A more robust approach is auto-proctoring measure. Where an exam can be proctored using a webcam, with options like navigating away from test window or blocking “copy-paste,†“print-screen†controls etc. This approach does away with the requirement of a manual proctor and requirement of hiring and paying a test invigilator.
5) Should Provide Online Reporting and Analysis
- For trainers and teachers who have to correct copies manually, provision of variety of reporting and analysis options should be provided. The scores should be calculated automatically as soon as the test is over; participants, as well as the assessors, can see the scores simultaneously.
- The report which is generated should mark the key performance area through detailed question-level feedback and recommended approaches towards incorrect answers. Trainers and teachers can both design their learning/training module based on the data derived from the report.