The Test Factory

Features

Our web-based application enables non-technical users to create and manage bespoke online tests simply and securely.  Whether used to filter job candidates, test employee product knowledge or to aid education/e-learning for example, The Test Factory enables users to:

• Create their own questions and tests
• Invite candidates to securely take tests online
• Mark them automatically or by your chosen reviewer
• Analyse individuals or all candidates performance
• Build sophisticated reports and download data
• Store questions, tests and results for future use and reference
• Control user privileges within the application

Authoring Questions

The Test Factory makes creating your own questions and tests easy.  Questions  are simply created using a familiar ‘Windows’ style editor and can be made up of text, images and answer type (free text, radio buttons for single answer questions, checkbox for multi answer etc).  There is an option to randomise the answer options for each candidate.

A score is applied to each question.  A question can be given a zero score; for example if an opinion is sought e.g. ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?’.  Single and multi answer questions will be marked automatically – single answers as right or wrong and points dictated awarded and multi answers calculated on percentage (e.g. 2 out of 3 = 2/3 x total score available)

A ‘description of question’ is added for easy reference within reporting and for using the question in future tests.  Search tags (‘keywords’) can be added to questions, tests or images to categorise and assist in searching your library.  Any question can be copied to ease creation of similar questions.

Marking guidelines can be added to questions – in a similar way as PowerPoint speaker notes appear on slides.  These can be used to provide instructions to the marker of a test alongside the candidate’s answer.

Authoring Tests

Tests are created by adding questions from your library.  This may include those recently created, previously used or purchased within a question pack from The Test Factory. There are search facilities to easily find questions by ‘search tag’ (keywords), ‘date created’, ‘user’ or ‘last modified’.

Each test consist of a single or multiple sections.  Within each section, questions may be mandatory or random (e.g. 5 out of these 25).

Secure time limits can then be added to the whole test, individual sections or questions, with optional ‘information pages’ added that are untimed.

Tests can be edited to easily adapt a previously saved test.  All versions of tests are maintained so users can review the exact test candidates took historically (including their unique version of questions randomly chosen).

 

Search Library of Questions and Tests

Every question, section and test is saved in your library for future use by yourselves and authorised colleagues.  Searches can be performed using the search tags, identifying the closest match to your search and ranking by relevance, as well as searching name, description, author or date created. 

Once located, there is an option to edit the saved version or clone and create a new version from this template.

Assign Test

Once a candidate has been registered, they can be assigned a test, immediately or later. Saved or previous tests can simply be found by searching ‘search tags’ (keywords), description, last modified (date and user) and ‘currently published’ (i.e. available to other candidates.)

Tests can be assigned to be available to the candidate immediately, or at a specific time.  An end date and time can also be entered, to enable timed tests in a fixed window, or deadline for all test applications.

This then creates an ‘instance’ of the test (randomises answers/questions as per your build instruction) and creates a unique URL.  This is emailed to the candidate within a personalised template or can be provided offline.

Automated follow up emails are sent to candidates based on assigned rules. For example a candidate is alerted if the due date to complete a test is approaching, if a candidate fails to take a test, confirmation of successful test completion etc.

Taking Tests

Upon accessing their unique URL, candidates can take their assigned test online and securely, regardless of systems, browsers, operating systems or connectivity speeds.

The test is taken by the candidate with the time specified (start/end/duration).  This timing is secure from candidate manipulation.

Candidates can answer questions in the required format and navigate through the test and back to review or answer missed questions. On section timed tests candidates can only move back to questions within the same section. In tests or sections with per-question timing, navigation is obviously forward only. Once completed, an automated email can be set to alert the ‘reviewer’ for that test.

Marking a Test

All questions with correct answers are automatically marked and any questions requiring manual marking will alert the reviewer that a test has been completed and is available to score.  This can also trigger ‘workflow’ emails to managers and administrators, who may have assigned the test.
Reviewers are provided with the question, answer, maximum score and any marking notes provided by the author.

Build and Download Reports

The Test Factory provides a sophisticated and comprehensive report builder to analyse test results to review or download as a PDF report or Excel file.
Reports are available to view and download:

• By test
• By candidate
• By reviewer

By Test

Reports can be created based on:

• Time submitted  (from recent)
• By top/bottom xx candidates   (xx user defined)
• By top/bottom xx %  (xx user defined)
• By score, over/under xx  (xx user defined)
• By question:  %’s (% getting right and wrong for fixed answer; lowest, highest and average for ‘free text’ questions)

Reports are interactive allowing click through to drill further into the results such as displaying the candidates test by question.

By Candidate

Individual candidate performance can be reviewed and downloaded as a PDF document or Excel file, including:

• Showing scores and comments for questions, sections and test total
• Where in top/bottom% by question/section or test (highlighted in green or red)
• Showing the time spent on each question
• Click through to ‘all candidate’ test scores per question/section or test (% getting right and wrong for fixed answer; average, lowest and highest for ‘free text’ questions)
• Compare head to head against other candidate/s