This report presents data derived from a comparative analysis that indicates gaps and security risks between multi-day test administrations with smaller numbers of test takers and single-format testing of large numbers of test takers. Additionally, the report highlights the use of standard best practices adopted around the world by leading test sponsor organisations.
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Third Quarter 2016 | Industry White Paper
2. Staff Recruitment/Management Call for Careful Governance.
When organised cheating occurs, it is dependent upon complicit people being in place who are able to act with little
oversight. For some organisations, there is a tendency to send in one or two staff members to work with a testing
site’s established teams. If cheating is well organised and well financed, though, there is a need for additional
layers of protection to be put in place. By having numerous staff recruited from two different entities – and by using
corporate staff – organisations can minimize the possibility of testing staff engaged in bad and unlawful practices.
Staff and Security Multi-Day
Testing
Single Day
Testing
Value
Avoid having a heavy reliance
upon third-party, “rental” test
sites and provided staff.
No Yes The heavy reliance of staff connected to the rental site can provide a
dangerous exposure to malfeasance. A best-practices approach typically
includes using a consultancy company to help recruit third-party staff.
This practice places additional staff on site to reduce the opportunity for
site staff to be compromised.
Employ dedicated, auditing staff
and a robust process.
Yes No In addition to corporate staff and third-party staff, it is a good business
practice to employ yet another redundant layer of auditors who are
recruited through an unbiased agency as a deterrent to proxy schemes. In
order to run a proxy scheme at a testing center, culprits must be able to
negotiate with staff. Having staff recruited by three different entities
greatly reduces the chance that tests can be “bought” from unscrupulous
site staff.
Ensure there is a high proctor-
to-candidate ratio.
Yes No Best-in-class test delivery providers offer a 1:10 ratio of proctors to test
takers versus a 1:30 ratio offered by second-tier providers. The greater
the ratio, the greater the chance of candidate misbehavior that cannot be
observed nor reported.
Have unbiased test experts
process test results in secure
servers outside of India.
Yes No The use of outside resources in the processing of the score results
provides yet another layer of protection. There is a much less likelihood
for in-market bad actors to influence professional test experts located in
other countries.
3. Best-in-Class Processes Need to Be Measured for Performance Improvement.
High-stakes tests around the world call for clear and robust processes that can be audited and managed for
performance improvement to reduce the probability of organised or even opportunistic foul play.
Process and Security Multi-Day
Testing
Single Day
Testing
Value
Set up a secure zone at the
testing location.
Yes No A secure zone is a dedicated area that is demarcated and enforced. The
secure zone creates a buffer between the facility and the testing
workstations. A secure zone also helps to prevent access by
unauthorised personnel.
Require test takers to check in
and check out – leveraging the
secure zone.
Yes No Test takers should be checked in and out of the testing labs to ensure
that the right person is taking the right test at the right time. This helps
eliminate the risk of proxy testers completing a portion of the exam and
also acts as a deterrent by being a visible reminder of enforced security
measures.
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Third Quarter 2016 | Industry White Paper
Inspect test takers carefully. Yes No Test takers are inspected through frisking, wanding and other checks to
ensure that no foreign materials such as electronic devices, chunky
jewelry and slips of paper are brought into the testing area.
Set video monitoring at a low
ratio of test takers to cameras.
Yes No Fixed cameras that feed to DVR storage should be used to eliminate the
possibility of malfeasance. Using a handycam for “passes through” will
not provide adequate protection. Additionally, fixed cameras and DVR
storage should be combined with a high-proctor ratio and walkthroughs in
the testing area to provide robust security at the time of testing as well as
post-test forensic evidence for all matters that need further investigation.
Perform biometric capture with
real-time feedback.
Yes No With advanced ID management, all test taker biometric data are captured
and securely managed to identify suspected proxy testers and prevent
“blacklisted” test takers from entering the testing labs.
4. Operational Convenience Should Benefit Test Takers When Delivering
High-Stakes Exams.
The technology capabilities of computer-based testing and longer testing administration windows offer test takers
greater conveniences.
Test Taker Convenience Multi-Day
Testing
Single Day
Testing
Value
Offer test takers a range of dates
from which to select.
Yes No Frequently, test takers may have challenges in their personal life that
could interfere with a single date. This can impact them in many ways –
even though they may be able to physically attend, they may be faced
with emotional hardships that can affect their performance.
Take into account accidents and
unforeseen instances that may
impact test takers.
Yes No In every test administration window, there are test takers who have
accidents or encounter weather/public action inconveniences that can
make them miss the testing day. Multiple sessions help to mitigate these
risks so that they can realise a successful testing event.
Afford test takers flexibility so
that they have the best chance to
recover from a disaster.
Yes No There is always the chance that significant events can disrupt a testing
schedule, including everything from typhoons, strikes and social unrest.
Wider testing administration windows offer greater flexibility for test
takers so that they can test successfully despite such instances.
5. Valid, Reliable and Fair Tests Start with a Knowledge of Test Content Development.
High-stakes tests must be of the highest quality, accurately measure the necessary knowledge and skills and be
fair to all test takers. Developing psychometrically sound, legally defensible tests requires significant investment in
time, knowledge and resource.
Valid, Reliable and Fair Tests Multi-Day
Testing
Single Day
Testing
Value
Develop test content in
accordance with industry-
recognised standards.
Yes No The need for stricter content, statistical guidelines and validity
evidence increases as the stakes regarding test use increase. Test
development practices should meet the high standards of the ETS