From Paper and Pencil to Online Testing

These days you can do everything online, from banking to grocery shopping. So it only makes sense that an increasing trend in employment selection is for organizations to go "virtual" with their current paper and pencil selection exams. Our client organizations are more frequently looking at computer testing as a real option that can ultimately help them save time and resources.

Why the Effort?
While the process of transferring from paper and pencil to computerized testing can seem difficult, there are many benefits that can be realized. Organizations are seeing that online testing has many monetary and practical benefits over typical paper and pencil testing. An easy way to grasp these benefits is to simply look at the process for each type of testing.

	Paper and Pencil Exams	Online Exams
Materials	Copies must be made of the exams and answer sheets, costing organizational time and resources.	No paper or other materials are necessary for an online exam. All questions and instructions can be input into the online application.
Administration	The exam must be administered during working hours with one or more employees proctoring the exam.	Proctored tests can be administered in labs to groups or individually to walk-in candidates at any time. Non-proctored web-based tests are available to candidates who have assigned passwords, on their own PCs, 24/7.
Scoring	An employee must send the answer sheet through a scanner and score it with specialized software or the employee must hand score the exam.	The online application automatically scores the exam. Organizations simply log onto the database to view candidate results.
Storage	All of the exams and answer sheets must be stored in a secure location for an extended period of time following testing.	All of the exam information, including scores and test taker information are stored online in a secure database. There is no paper used.

How are They Doing This?
The logistics of putting paper and pencil exams online can seem overwhelming. There are many steps required to ensure that the exams work and the information is secure. However, with the right knowledge and programs the process can be fairly simple for any organization. Ergometrics has completed many computerized testing projects and has created a test administration platform to support the transition from paper and pencil to online. We have identified many of the challenges that are faced when implementing such a system and the functions that are needed in online testing.

With ExamHQ, the steps to complete this transition are fairly basic and require little organizational time.

Ergometrics and the organization layout exam and application specifications.
Ergometrics customizes ExamHQ to meet the organization's specific needs.
Exam content is given to Ergometrics by the organization.
Ergometrics uploads content to ExamHQ.
The application is beta tested by Ergometrics and the organization to ensure proper functioning.

As a leading provider in public sector testing products, Ergometrics has integrated many different exams into computer and web-based applications over the last 20 years. Not only do we have a high level of understanding of the programming and technical aspect of these projects, but we also have practical experience with test delivery methodology, statistical analysis and the primary issues faced when transitioning from paper and pencil administration to online testing. Please contact us with any questions you may have regarding online testing.

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From Paper and Pencil to Online Testing