Computer based testing internationally recognized

A new standard has been released by ISO which outlines the code of practice for IT based computer testing. ISO/IEC 23988:2007, derived from British Standard BS 7988 was released in January 2007 provides a means to (quote from ISO):

• show that the delivery and scoring of the assessment are fair and do not disadvantage some groups of candidates, for example those who are not IT literate;
• show that a summative assessment has been conducted under secure conditions and is the authentic work of the candidate;
• show that the validity of the assessment is not compromised by IT delivery;
• provide evidence of the security of the assessment, which can be presented to regulatory and funding organizations (including regulatory bodies in education and training, in industry or in financial services);
• establish a consistent approach to the regulations for delivery, which should be of benefit to assessment centres who deal with more than one assessment distributer;
• give an assurance of quality to purchasers of "off-the-shelf" assessment software.

Mickie S Rops in her Association Knowledge and Credentialing Blog encourages

"All associations considering or offering computer- or internet-based testing (and all associated service providers/vendors) would benefit from a review of this informative standard which, by the way, applies to both low and high-stakes assessments."

Interestingly one of the key assessment methods - assessment through simulations is excluded in the standard. Go here for more information from ISO

Increase in certifications, decrease in testing professionals

A great article from the NY times (albeit published in 2006) on the increasing demand that industry is placing on certification and the relative decrease in experts that are able to deliver certification programs (in this article specifically psychometric professionals).


Will this drive the certification industry to hire more professionals or to look for alternative methods for effective competency based assessment and certification?

As Test-Taking Grows, Test-Makers Grow Rarer

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN (New York Times, (http://www.nytimes.com/)

Sz-Shyan Wu is not a Cuban baseball star or a dissident musician. But in urging the United States government to
grant him a work visa, the New York State Education Department is arguing that Mr. Wu, too, has talents so rare
that bureaucracy must be cut and a red carpet rolled out.
Mr. Wu is a psychometrician or, in plain English, an expert on testing. And testing experts are in high demand... more