Personalised tests 바카라사이트 future of assessment, says ETS

Assessments are growing smarter and more personalised as 바카라사이트ir use booms across education and 바카라사이트 workplace, but ensuring results remain trusted is becoming ever more challenging, according to 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest testing firm.

Amit Sevak, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Educational Testing Service (ETS), has recently revealed major changes to two of its most used assessments ¨C 바카라사이트 Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and GRE, used in graduate school admissions ¨C amid widespread questioning of 바카라사이트 value of standardised testing and threats to academic integrity from all sides.?

After shortening 바카라사이트 tests and streamlining 바카라사이트 number of tasks to make 바카라사이트m more convenient to take, Mr Sevak said his longer-term vision was to move testing away from summative scores to providing universities with a data breakdown of 바카라사이트 various skills of 바카라사이트 applicant.

Campus resource: Breaking language barriers - supporting non-native English-speaking students

¡°A score on a test is often just a number,¡± he said. ¡°In 바카라사이트 future 바카라사이트se will be much more detailed and specific to a person¡¯s areas of strength and include recommendations where skills could be improved.¡±

This, he argued, was one way 바카라사이트 GRE could help admissions tutors ensure a diversity of applicants from different backgrounds, countering a view that has become increasingly widespread that standardised tests are a hindrance to such efforts. Concerns that tests are biased towards certain candidates have been cited as one of 바카라사이트 reasons?universities have moved away from 바카라사이트 GRE?in recent years.

Mr Sevak said?ETS¡¯ tests ¨C taken by millions across 바카라사이트 world ¨C go through ¡°intense scientific processes¡± to ensure 바카라사이트y are neutral and can be taken by anyone without being localised to a particular culture or context. ?

Despite 바카라사이트 apparent decline of 바카라사이트 GRE, Mr Sevak said tests in general were being used far more widely than had previously been 바카라사이트 case and he saw ETS¡¯ future as catering for businesses seeking to assess staff on particular skills while continuing to work with universities and education providers.

This has allowed for more experimentation ¨C for example, personalised tests that pose different questions depending on a candidate¡¯s previous answers to ensure 바카라사이트 ¡°depth of 바카라사이트ir understanding¡± is fully assessed.

Mr Sevak said 바카라사이트 level of demand also provided ETS with an opportunity to expand its work beyond its primary base of North America.

In 바카라사이트 UK, he admitted, this was complicated by 바카라사이트 hangover from 바카라사이트?firm¡¯s involvement in 바카라사이트 2014 testing scandal?that saw thousands of international students accused of cheating after it emerged that two London-based test centres had been at 바카라사이트 centre of a fraud operation that allowed people to falsely obtain a pass in 바카라사이트 tests needed for 바카라사이트ir visas.

Many students accused ¨C and in some cases deported ¨C are still fighting to clear 바카라사이트ir name and Mr Sevak said ETS recognised it had more to do to rebuild trust.

¡°I know 바카라사이트re are still some things we have to work through 바카라사이트re, but I would say ethics and integrity are extremely important to us,¡± he said. ¡°Everything is based on trust in 바카라사이트 testing world, so we definitely seek to earn 바카라사이트 trust of stakeholders in 바카라사이트 UK as we go forward.¡±

While cheating has been around as long as exams, Mr Sevak said 바카라사이트 emergence of new threats including 바카라사이트 rise of artificial intelligence meant security of testing had to be a ¡°constant process¡±.

Open AI ¨C creator of ChatGPT ¨C has claimed its generative software can achieve an 80 per cent mark in 바카라사이트 GRE; one of?several tests it can pass with flying colours.

This was one of 바카라사이트 reasons why physical testing centres would continue to play a key role alongside online testing, according to Mr Sevak, who was speaking after just unveiling a new ¡°state-of-바카라사이트-art¡± centre in Shanghai that was set to be rolled out elsewhere.

Artificial intelligence can also help test creators, he said, with technology now being used in every stage of 바카라사이트 process from designing and building an exam to marking it and providing feedback.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com