Centralized system and method for administering computer based tests

• US 5,513,994 A
• Filed: 04/03/1995
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Educational Testing Service
• Original Assignee: Educational Testing Service
• Inventors: Kershaw, Roger C., Romano, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US08/415,757
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/307 R, 434/308, 434/322, 434/323, 434/327, 434/347, 434/350, 434/353, 434/362, 364/419.08, 364/419.19, 364/419.2, 395/100, 395/118, 395/144, 395/152, 395/154, 395/927, 273/429-432
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/07 providing for individual presentation of questions to a plurality of student stations

Abstract

The invention provides a centralized administrative system and method of administering standardized tests to a plurality of examinees. The administrative system according to the present invention is implemented on a central administration workstation and at least one testing workstation located in different rooms at a test center. The administrative system software which provides substantially administrative functions is executed from the central administration workstation. The administrative system software which provides functions carried out in connection with a testing session are executed from the testing workstations.

Claims

1. A centralized administrative system having a central administration workstation for administering computer based tests to a plurality of examinees on at least one testing workstation, each examinee having an appointment to take a selected computer based test, said appointment being scheduled by a scheduling and registration module, the system comprising:

a plurality of profiles having information identifying and relating to the administrative functions available to said centralized administrative system, wherein said functions are enabled, disabled, and modified based on the information provided by said profiles;

a start-of-day (SOD) subsystem for executing said administrative functions identified by at least some of said plurality of profiles and for receiving an input from said scheduling and registration module, said input being related to an identification and a respective appointment of each examinee, said input defining appointment data;

a check-in subsystem coupled to said SOD subsystem for receiving an input of said appointment data and for confirming said appointment data with each said examinee upon each said examinee'"'"'s arrival to take said selected computer based test;

a start service module coupled to said SOD and said check-in subsystems for creating a job info file having testing data needed to invoke the selected computer based test after each said examinee'"'"'s arrival and;

a test station kernel coupled to said start service module for detecting the job info file after said start service module creates said job info file and thereafter initiating the execution of administrative functions identified by at least some of said plurality of profiles and the delivery of said selected computer based test using an appropriate test delivery application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said central administration workstation having a display and being remote from each of said testing workstations is provided, the system further comprising:

a start-up procedure for initializing said central administration workstation and for displaying a menu from which said SOD subsystem and said check-in subsystem are executable by an authorized administrator, said start-up procedure, said SOD subsystem, said start service module, and said check-in subsystem being initiated from said central administration workstation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a central administration workstation having a display and being remote from each of said testing workstations is provided, said testing workstations and said central administration workstation being coupled to a file server providing program and data storage for both said testing workstations and said central administration workstation.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said file server provides substantially all of the storage for said centralized administrative system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said appropriate test delivery application generates at least one log record, the system further comprising:

a close-of-day subsystem for transmitting said log records so generated to an appropriate post processing system.

6. A method of administering a standardized test using a computer based testing system, said standardized test being given to a plurality of examinees at least one location defining a test center, each said test center providing at least one testing workstation on which said standardized test is deliverable to each of said plurality of examinees in the form of a testing session and a central administration workstation from which said standardized test is administered, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of profiles having information identifying and relating to the administrative functions available for execution from said testing and said central administration workstations, wherein said functions are enabled, disabled, and modified based on the information provided by said profiles;

invoking an automated administrative system of said computer based testing system to render said administrative system operative by logging onto said central administration workstation using a unique login identification (ID);

executing a system start-up procedure comprising the steps of;

executing said administrative functions identified by at least some of said plurality of profiles, and

receiving an input of appointment data identifying each examinee scheduled to take said standardized test at said one of said test centers over a specified period of time;

verifying said appointment data associated with each examinee upon each examinee'"'"'s arrival at said one of said test center to take said standardized test;

providing an indication to said administrative system, upon said verification of said appointment data, that said examinee is ready for testing;

initiating the delivery of said standardized test to said examinee on said one of said testing workstations such that questions are presented to said examinee and said examinee provides responses to said questions, said responses being recorded in an examinee performance file; and

transmitting said examinee performance file to an appropriate post processing system so that said responses can be scored.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

assigning each one of said testing workstations for each appointment; and

logging onto each testing workstation having at least one assigned appointment using a predetermined login ID different from said unique login ID.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the following steps:

generating a job info file having data identifying said standardized test said examinee is scheduled to take;

detecting the existence of said job info file so generated; and

said step of initiating the delivery of said standardized test being automatically carried out upon said detection of said job info file.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a status input after the delivery of said standardized test is terminated, said status input indicating whether said testing session was terminated prematurely;

providing an indication within said job info file that said standardized test is restartable, if said status input indicates that said standardized test being delivered to said examinee was terminated prematurely; and

restarting said standardized test for said examinee if said job info file indicates that said standardized test is restartable.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

generating an irregularity report having information related to conditions at said one of said test centers and related to conditions of said testing workstation during each testing session; and

transmitting said irregularity report to said post processing system.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

generating security log records at substantially any time while said automated administrative system is operative, said security log records having information related to the security of said standardized tests, said computer based system, and said testing sessions; and

transmitting said security log records to an operations center having a capability for monitoring activities at said one test center.

12. An automated administrative system for carrying out administrative events in accordance with an administrative process associated with the delivery of computer based tests to a plurality of examinees at at least one test center, comprising:

a central administration workstation having an administration display and being capable of executing an administrative kernel for invoking said administrative system from an operating system of said central administration workstation and for displaying a menu of administrative options selectable by a test administrator wherein said administrative kernel including a plurality of profiles having information identifying and relating to the administrative functions available to said central administrative workstation, wherein said functions are enabled, disabled, and modified based on the information provided by said profiles;

at least one testing workstation coupled to said central administration workstation and having a test display and being capable of executing a test station kernel for invoking the delivery of said computer based tests, and a test administration subsystem for updating the status of said administrative events when said administrative events are carried out in accordance with the administrative process and informing the administrative kernel of said status; and

a file server coupled to said central administration workstation and said at least one testing workstation for storing said administrative kernel, said test station kernel, said test administration subsystem and said computer based tests.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of examinees have registered to take at least one computer based test, each said examinee scheduling an appointment to take said computer based test, said appointment being selectable by said test administrator when said examinee arrives at the test center for said scheduled computer based test, said central administration workstation being configured to run a start service module for verifying the status of the scheduled computer based test and the status of the examinee and for initiating a delivery of said at least one computer based test based upon said appointments.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said central administration workstation is configured to run a general administration station module for creating a job info file having information identifying one appointment and a status of said one appointment.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said testing kernel detects said job info file so generated and invokes a test station administration program for initiating the delivery of said scheduled computer based test.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said start service module generates, for each selected appointment, a job data file having data related to said scheduled computer based test.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the selectable administrative options include at least one of:

a restart test service for restarting at least one computer based test which had been prematurely terminated from a point in the administrative process at which the computer based test was terminated; and

an irregularity report generator for generating a report having information related to conditions at said test center.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said computer based tests are given to examinees utilizing a computer based testing system, said computer based testing system generating at least one of 1) examinee performance records having information related to responses provided by one of said examinees, 2) security log records having information related to the security of the computer based test and the computer based testing system, and 3) an irregularity record having information related to conditions of said testing workstations and said test center, the system further comprising:

a communications manager for transmitting said examinee performance records, said security log records and said irregularity records to an independent data center utilized for administering said computer based tests at said at least one test center.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said central administration workstation is configured to receive on-line messages from at least an independent data center.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein said system further includes a system maintenance program which can be executed from said central administration workstation.