Blog / News | 25-07-24
Digital tests and the test authoring tool
In addition to adaptive learning functionalities, the Drillster platform offers a wide range of digital test and exam functionalities.
It’s possible to put together standard exams, like certification tests or diagnostic tests. As a result, the participant gets a score and either passes or fails the test or exam. The Drillster platform also allows you to define and distribute practice tests. This way, participants are better prepared for the actual exam, which can also be taken with the Drillster app.
Adaptive test
In addition to the traditional test opportunities, it’s possible to make adaptive tests. Adaptive tests are designed to determine the level at which someone has mastered knowledge or skills. When you compile a test from exercises at different levels of difficulty, Drillster can determine at which level the participant is currently at. The app accomplishes this by adaptively switching to a higher or lower difficulty level during the test. The data resulting from the adaptive test allows organizations to start a learning path at the right level of difficulty for every participant, so this can be a starting point for further learning activities. An example of an adaptive test is a language test that can determine at which level of the Common European Framework of Reference a language is mastered (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2).
Test authoring tool
An integrated test authoring tool enables schools and organisations to define the appropriate conditions and prerequisites for each test definition. The system generates the tests with questions from one or more underlying exercises (drills). You select existing drills when you start defining a test. Thereafter, you use the test matrix to define:
- the total number of questions per test;
- the number of questions per subtopic in a test;
- the number of questions per underlying drill and the weight of these questions;
- whether question selection and filtering are based on question tags;
- the order of questions and answer options (fixed or random);
- the result display (overall score, score per subtopic, overview of correct/incorrect answers, feedback to answers, etc.);
- the way the result is calculated (test score transformations);
- the options for question navigation;
- whether a test can be submitted with or without unanswered questions;
- the time constraints for questions;
- the time constraints for the test.
- The actual test is generated at the moment the participant starts the test.
- Test distribution.
Test distribution
Once a test is defined, it can be distributed to the target audience. For distribution, you can define the number of test attempts, deadlines and time periods in which the test can be taken. Notifications and reminders can be sent to invite the participants to make the test on time. If questions in a test are also used in drills (adaptive learning modules) in the participants’ library, the results of the test will affect the drill score (proficiency). This ensures that the Drillster algorithm determines the optimal learning path for each individual user.
You can choose to have the target group make the test via the Drillster website or mobile app, or integrated in the LMS you use. If the participants need to come to a specific physical location, it is also possible to take the test without a Drillster user account. You can give each participant a unique code to log in. In that case, the results will not affect any drill proficiency.
Reporting and dashboard
When defining a test, many different test score transformations can be chosen. This gives the author great flexibility to determine how the test results are calculated, displayed (percentage, grade from 1 to 10, grade rounded to 0.1 or 0.5, etc.) and reported. The test score transformations also allow you to set the score at which the participant passes or fails the test.
Depending on the settings chosen by the authors, the users can have insight into the results of their own tests. This can range between ‘passed’, ‘failed’, a percentage, a grade, with/without feedback, and more. Managers or administrators have insight into the test results of a predefined population: overall result, result by subtopic, time spent on the test, number of questions answered correctly/incorrectly, answers submitted, etc. Administrators can also see the percentage of the population that has submitted the test.
Change management
As administrator, you can make changes or updates to questions or answer options at any time. You can determine when the processed changes can be made available in the tests. You do not need to redefine your tests or exams; simply update the underlying questions and release the updates. The updated questions are immediately available to the next participant who takes a test.