Computer Adaptive Tesing

Computer Adaptive Testing 

Computer-adaptive tests or CAT are designed to adjust the level of difficulty of testers—based on the responses they provided—to match the knowledge and ability of a tester. If a tester gives a wrong answer, the computer follows up with an easier question; if the tester answers correctly, the next question will be more difficult¹. This capability is featured in many in-class and online computer instructional programs. When I was an elementary school teacher, CAT was featured in at least 3 of our computer programs from Pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. Below is a simple diagram of the logic used in CAT.

Computer Adaptive Testing - https://bit.ly/3yxcqEV

Developed over 4 decades ago², CAT provided a means to allow a tester’s test-taking experience to be more relevant and possibly shorter by focusing questions that were more challenging to the tester. But even with these improvements in the testing environment, CAT does have some limitations:

• Having the adequate network infrastructure and needed equipment to support CAT
• Students can not skip question nor do post test reviews
• CAT question bank limitations, in other words, could the database hold enough question to adequately adapt to the student’s needs²

That said, CAT does provide some distinct advantages as well:

• Shorter testing time – as testers now wade through fewer test questions
• More equitable measuring of testers or more equal precision in testing environment
• Improved tester testing experience
• More frequent retesting – especially after new concepts are learned³

In general, with the continued increase in popularity, primarily due to increasing sophistication of technology, Computer Adaptive Technology will continue to be present in many of the educational software programs used.

Computer Adaptive Testing Background

https://bit.ly/3bOa2jH

1. Great Schools Partnership – The Glossary of Education Reform, 2013 https://www.greatschoolspartnership.org/
2. The Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation - Implementation of Computerized Adaptive Assessments (PDF), 2019, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED603014.pdf
3. Thompson, N. 2011, Assessment Systems Advantages of Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) https://assess.com/docs/Advantages-of-CAT-Testing.pdf