How Have Examinations Been Changed by COVID-19?

QuizGenerator is one of the great tools to create your original online quizzes.
Lockdown made teachers have difficulties in giving assignments and exams to their students since nobody could come to school. To solve the problems,CBThas been gathering attention as a method of taking an exam even in this difficult situation.
In this article, we take a look at a new test method as an alternative to the traditional written test.

Contents

• 1. What is CBT?
• 2. Advantages of CBT for corporate education and testing
• 3. Future trend of CBT
• 4. Summary

What is CBT?

CBT stands forComputer Based Testing.
In the wake of the spread of the new coronavirus, it was recently announced that high-profile exams will also be administered using CBT.
The following years are expected to be a turning point for the introduction of "CBT and IBT" in many qualifications and examinations, and there is a growing trend to shift from traditional written examinations to digital ones.
 

Features of CBT and IBT

CBT has the advantage of significantly reducing the time and cost required for scoring, notification of grades and acceptance by taking the test by computer instead of using question papers, mark sheets, and other papers used in conventional written tests.

IBT is an abbreviation of "Internet Based Testing" and refers to a testing method that is administered via the Internet.
As long as you are connected to the Internet, you can take the test anytime, anywhere from your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

CBT prevalent in the COVID-19 disaster

CBT is used for a wide range of examinations, including national and private qualifications and examinations. It is also implemented by job hunting, changing jobs and in-house examinations by companies.

In order to implement CBT, you will be required to present your ID at the test site.
In addition, the examiner conducts the certification process before the test begins, which prevents cheating during the examination.

Features of IBT

As we introduced above, IBT stands for "Internet Based Testing."
This is not a paper-based exam nor CBT where you take the exam at a test site.
The IBT has the advantage that there are no restrictions on where or when you can take the test, so you can choose when to start the test.
However, it has the disadvantage of being less rigorous than CBT, as it is difficult to verify the identity of the applicant and to check for cheatings during the test.
 

CBT for corporate education and testing

Due to the impact of the spread of the coronavirus, telework has accelerated rapidly.
Even manufacturers who had not yet digitized their education were forced to change, with most meetings switching to using online tools such as Zoom and Googlemeet.

In response to the trend toward digitalization that is underway at the Corona disaster, introducing such technology in companies has been gathering demand especially for employment and promotion examinations.
If you are in charge of the human resources department, digital technology like CBT plays an essential role in overcoming this situation.
Catch up the trend for a better environment.
 

Why is CBT getting so much attention?

The development and progress of IT technology is the first factor behind the spread of CBT examinations.
However, another reason is related to the fact that it has become difficult to gather a large number of people in one place at a specific date and time due to the recent effects of the viruses and natural disasters.

CBT is highly convenient for both test administrators and participants because the entire test process is conducted on a computer.
In particular, an increasing number of businesses and companies are introducing new CBT-based online examinations as a way to avoid denseness.
In addition, the movement of SDGs has also triggered a shift from traditional paper-based written examinations to CBT to protect the natural resources.

▼CBT enables you to...

1. Eliminate the time and cost of printing and managing answer sheets
2. Create various types of questions such as audio, images, multiple choice, etc.
3. Utilize quick and accurate scoring

1. Eliminate the time and cost of printing and managing answer sheets

Conventional written tests require a great deal of time and effort to administer, including the procurement of paper, printing, distribution, collection, management, and disposal.
CBT, on the other hand, needs very little paper.

This is very significant in today's world where the promotion of paperless is encouraged.
This system leads to other benefits such as less manpower required to manage paper, and reduced costs.

The advantage for the administrator is that they will be able to provide equal opportunities for applicants to take the exam.
Other major advantages include the ability to automate the test while reducing the cost of holding it, as it eliminates the work required for the written test, such as arranging the test site and preparing the materials.

2. Create various types of questions such as audio, images, multiple choice, etc.

Examinations by CBT can be conducted using video and audio in addition to typed responses on a computer or tablet.
In addition, CBT can be customized for each examinee by the examiner, such as changing the order in which questions are asked and changing the text.

The CBT allows for questions that use text and charts, as well as questions that use video and automated voice, which greatly increases the range of expression in the exam.

3. Utilize quick and accurate scoring

In the case of CBT, the computer performs automatic scoring and tabulation work quickly and accurately, which greatly reduces the time and cost required to disclose the results.

By replacing the traditional written exam with CBT, the grading process is more efficient, and examinees will have the advantage of knowing their results in a relatively short period of time. For some exams, you can find out your score and pass/fail immediately after taking the exam. You don't have to worry about waiting for the results, and can move right on to reviewing and studying for the next one.
 

Future trends in CBT

In recent years, many exams were postponed or canceled due to the impact of the coronavirus ravaging our daily lives.
In particular, due to the nature of the written test, which involves gathering a large number of examinees at a venue and administering the test simultaneously, there have been many cases where the test has had to be cancelled, which has had a significant impact on both examinees and administrators.

Although there have been cases in CBT where some exams and test centers in some regions have been suspended for a certain period of time, the percentage of exams themselves that have been canceled has been overwhelmingly small compared to written exams, and this COVID-19 disaster has also made CBT noticeable in case of emergency.

Now that we have to take into account the risk of holding the event due to infectious diseases in addition to natural disasters, more organizers will be considering the introduction of CBT, and it is expected that more exams will be IT-based.
 

QuizGenerator/learningBOX for CBT

We have a partnership with a company that provides CBT venues.
You can take quizzes, exams, certification tests and in-house tests created with QuizGenerator and learningBOX at a dedicated venue.

QuizGenerator

QuizGenerator is a quiz creation tool that can flexibly handle any question.
The number of users has been increasing year by year, which represents their high satisfaction.
It plays an active role in preparation tools for qualification exams and CBT.
Read more about QuizGenerator.

 
▼Why is QuizGenerator chosen?

1.Easy and simple quiz creator in Excel or text. For beginners, "Quiz Creation Form" is recommended.
2. 13 types of questions are available.
3. You can insert images and videos.
4. Enable to embed URL links in the commentary.
5. Options make the tests closer to the actual situation.

Read more about the features of QuizGenerator in the article below.
⇒Create a wide variety of quizzes without programming knowledge!

learningBOX for examinations/tests

learningBOX is an LMS (Learning Management System) that was developed after QuizGenerator, a quiz creation service.
As examples of the usage, the following are recommended: corporate training for new employees, in-house training/education for human resource development. The functions required for online certification tests and online examinations are also highly extensive.

▼Features of learningBOX

1. Questions with audio player, images, videos, YouTube videos, etc. are all available.
2. Automatic shuffle questions can be set.
3. Easy settings such as time limits, allocate marks, and hide the correct answers.
4. Available to limit the number of times to take the content.

Read the following article for more information about learningBOX.
⇒Create computer-based training, exams and educational materials with learningBOX!

Summary

In this article, we introduced CBT, which is now attracting attention as a new testing method to replace the conventional written exam.
Using our e-learning management systems, QuizGenerator and learningBOX, anyone can easily implement computer-based examinations and online tests. The contents you created will change the situation even in the COVID-19 disaster.

learningBOX has been used in a wide range of industries and fields, and has all the features required for online testing. If you have content or learning materials that you would like to transfer to CBT testing, feel free to contact us.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us