I__. - International Military Testing Association

The Examirler is a sopilisticated computer-based system used irl the tlevelopn~et~t 0I’ t)(llll jJ:klJcr ilild IJellril
and coniputer-delivered examinations. Over 200 imtallatiorls world-wide make LX ol tile system ill
applicatiom rmgiiig from traditional classroom tests to the evaluation of sailors iii subni;lrilles al scii.
Tliis paper will give a brief /ljs[ory of The Exmlincr, describe ttle SlrlKlU’e of IlIe sysIt’r~, a~~rl giw so111e
sugestetl irllplenleri(atit,ra.
‘The Evolulio~~ of The Examiner
A number Of expensive ami complex mairirrame testing syslerns existed ii1 1984 ~Vllell III. SI:Uilt‘y Trolli[) ;Illrl
I tlecidecl to put our development and programming experience to work to create a rl:icrocolllputcr IGLWYI
testing syslern. \Ve developed a small prototype system i111d sl~~wetl it to a 11unlber ul’ piospc’c:i*+e cu~tou~r~~
in hope of receiving funding to develop it inlo a full-fleclgcd program.
TIumq$ some hlsilless quaintances in Ellglalid, we leat~lletl tllat tile LOII~IOII Shtk Excll~~ge wit.5
or’el hulirlg their centuries-old brokerage system arid were rnot.irlg towards ;I cerril’itxl repl.eseltl;l~i~~ \\ \ICIII
similar IO ullat we Ilave here in the United States. As part ol’ tllis ~II~~~SS 111e Excl~;ulge dccirl?d III~I IIIC~
rvantecl a comprehlsi~,e computer-based teslhg syslem tlereloped lo 111ee1 h+ crrtilic;llioIl rret!dr. i’llr
design criteria tlq specified were:
The system iiad to be secure. Itell \);ulk ellcryptioll a11d tlatal~;r!:tS ~;LGW~I CI ;IC‘CCS\ II;III IO C’IISUI e
lliat the test items did liot “escape”.
The system had to be reliable. Accuracy in testing was important for its ow11 sake. I-her ~egul;itions
in the UK made it essential that there be IIO errors in recording amwers 01 I~~OI 1i11g gr&s 01
examinees.
T!ie system had lo be easy to use. From a clevelop~llelll staiidpt~iiil, IlIt! s~slrlll ~11011l!./ IW LXYil!
operated by clerical staff. From tlie examillee sta~icipc~iilt. COIIlpU[t’~~ ilcopll~le?; rrlml 1101 Iiriil 111~
sol‘twnre impairing their test-lakiiig ability in ally \v;ly.
Dr. Trollip ar~tl I conviricetl the ExchaJlge ~llat we could develop ;I sul’t~u e p~~ll~cl 1’01 lllt2lil 111~11 LCltlltl IllttCl
their ~lcetls, a11d that we could develop it for them on budget rultl in time for rileit “Big I3Ulg” c!et C~Uliili0il ill
tile Fall of 1985. We succeeded, and the software product The Exanlihr ws l’irst ;v;s used iii Octoi,er 01’
1985. Since ~hcn, every stockbroker in tile United Kingdom and Ireland has kc11 CC‘I lil’icd using (1i11 S~SIVIII.
Over Ic)OO tests a year ha\.e been given.
Produce h0lh ctlnlpUlel-deli~e~.~~j alltl lraditional paper ;irld pelril 1esl.r II 0111 ;i hillgle Cl:Ilal~;i\~
Provide a Il~aIllc~o~k tllkiI rilI1 p~ocluce simple spoI quizzes 01 corltplex ~Iu:diliv.ilioll Ic\ls.
Provide item al’ld test l’eetlback allowing the htegratioll ol’ trainin,0 iill illc ~:i~;lill:lIl~l! 111 o~~kb;.
Track item statistics for lhe improvement of item tmlk quality.
Track examince statistics for irlriividual and clans reporting purposes.
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