Random tests

Random... sounds as if it means that some control over the test is lost, especially since it is unknown until the moment the test is taken which questions will be included in the test. Because with a randomly generated test, it is unknown until the moment the test is taken which questions will be included in the test - a random test does not have a fixed set of questions, but draws questions from the question bank at the moment the test is taken, based on a number of requirements for the questions. When the question bank is well managed, the test matrix or matrix is well put together (with the right requirements for questions), random tests become ironclad.

Random testing provides a number of advantages. First, it saves a lot of work in constructing tests and retakes, and second, it ensures that cheating or leaking questions makes little to no sense. Finally, an entire test will not be put on "repair" when one or a few questions from an exam need to be replaced because - when the question bank is well stocked - another question can be selected that meets the requirements of the test. This means that

1. as stated above, the question bank must be well-stocked - there must be multiple questions that meet the appropriate requirements (properties) and
2. the questions must be properly metadated. That means these question properties must be named with the questions to which it relates. If there are few questions or the questions have not been given the correct properties, RemindoToets will not see them and only one question may remain based on the chosen properties. Then there is nothing random to choose, and the same question is selected;
3. questions that should not be together in the test should be excluded.

When multiple questions are developed that meet the set requirements, developing questions may take more time, but at the same time more deliberate development is done to meet all criteria for questions. This increases the quality of the questions. Additionally, the time put into development will be recouped when multiple tests can eventually be administered with one blueprint.

So how exactly are random tests created using the different test templates available in RemindoTest? This is explained in the next two paragraphs.

Random test with a rule-based blueprint

For a rule-based test matrix, when adding a selection to a rule, choose the category and then what conditions (properties) it must meet, for example difficulty and/or question type (or any self-created question property). Next, set a question limit. For example, you can specify that a rule selects two randomly chosen questions with the memorization property from Bloom's taxonomy. In this way, the entire test matrix can be built based on a selection of question properties rather than a fixed selection of questions. For an explanation of how to create a test matrix based on rules, see the article blueprint based on rules.

Random test with a blueprint based on a matrix

Actually, a matrix-based test matrix assumes random testing. With matrix-based test mappings a fixed set of questions is never selected, but by default a combination of learning objectives, categories and question properties is used where RemindoToets selects questions from the question bank that meet this combination. For an explanation of how to create a test matrix based on a matrix, see Matrix-based blueprint.

Is a question never offered twice?

In principle, a candidate is never offered the same question. In principle - because there must be questions to choose from, if only one question is available, a candidate does get offered the same question again. The alternative would be that no test could be offered at all. So once again: a well-stocked and metadata question bank is a prerequisite for random testing!

Disclaimer: This text was automatically translated from the Dutch version.