Regional examining body, CXC launched e-testing this month. Here we discuss some of the issues, opportunities and challenges that would need to be addressed, if the organisation decides to implement it more widely

 

Last week, regional examining body, the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) launched electronic (e-) testing of its multiple choice paper for the January Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination sitting. The trial comprised 500 candidate in seven countries – Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat and Saint Lucia – and was available for 12 subjects.

Most Caribbean residents would be aware that CXC administers its CSEC examination twice per year:  in January and May/June. The January sitting is considerably smaller than the June one, both in the number of subjects tested and the number of candidates. For example, the January 2017 examination sitting had 34,570 subject entries (Source: CXC), whilst the May/June 2016 sitting had 585,223 subject entries, from 132,824 candidates (Source: CXC). It thus provides a less risky set of circumstances in which to introduce and test a new system or feature, such as e-testing, and to iron any significant kinks before wider roll out to the May/June sitting, for example, could be considered.

Having said this, the fact that CXC is finally beginning to introduce e-testing opens up a broad range of issues, opportunities and challenges. We outline a few below.

Bandwidth at examination centres

First, in order to ensure proper examining conditions are maintained, should e-testing be expanded to a larger number of candidates, or even the fully May/June sitting, sufficient bandwidth must be available at the examination centres. Although an approach that could be considered is to have candidates’ answers stored on the device for the duration of a particular examination, eventually those responses would need to be centralised regionally with CXC, for example at the end of that examination.

Hence, consistent and equitable transmission – to minimise delays and failed connections, whilst seeking to ensure that candidates in one location are not disadvantaged when compared with others – is essential. Further, some minimum standard and quality may need not only to be established, but also guaranteed.

Availability of testing devices at examination centres

In order facilitate e-testing, a computing device must be used. Although many candidates across the region may have their own personal computing device, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or even a laptop, to minimise cheating, and again to foster fair and consistent examining conditions, it would be advisable for the computing device to be provided to the candidate. CXC or the individual countries, through their Ministry of Education, would procure the devices, which would be assigned to each candidate at a particular examination, and returned at the end of the session.

Although a broad range of computing devices are available, at a variety of price points, the number a country would need for all of its candidates is likely to make such an acquisition prohibitive. Although it might be possible to use the devices that have already been supplied, for example as part of laptop and tablet in school programmes, they may need to be checked and tested before examining period commences to ensure they are in proper working order, and can maintain the needed integrity for use in an examination.

Potential for remote testing

In launching e-testing, essentially, CXC can more efficiently administer examinations remotely. Although it might still be too early to know the extent to which that potential will be embraced, as it is vital to proceed with caution, it may eventually be possible that candidates will not have to travel to an examination centre to sit an series of examinations, but rather do so at properly equipped centre in their community, or even at home.

Currently, such a vision is several years away. A number of issues would need to be addressed in order to maintain fairness and equity during the examination process, and to have trustworthy and accepted results.  

Potential for remote marking

Wider implementation of e-testing, could lead not only to digital marking of the candidates’ papers, such in the case of multiple choice examination papers, but also remote marking of other papers. Currently, the candidates’ papers and the examination markers are flown key centres across the region, such as Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and in marathon sessions lasting between one and four weeks, all of the papers – from the 35 subjects tested at the CSEC level, from 16 Caribbean countries –  are marked and graded.  

In addition to being stressful on the markers, who comprise active and retired teachers, the marking exercise is expensive to manage and execute. Being able to evaluate the candidate’s papers remotely, could may be more cost-effective to CXC, which would be passed on the the candidates, in terms of the examination fees that must be paid. However, it could also open up new and different approaches that could lessen the stress of this high volume exercise.

Summary

A indicated earlier, the launch of e-testing is still very early. The challenges that so far have emerged in this January CSEC sitting have not been shared, and could ultimately thwart broader implementation. However, should CXC wish to adopt e-testing more fully across its examinations, there will be several logistic and administrative challenges that would need to be addressed. Hence we are unlikely to see it as a permanently offered in the short term.

 

Image credit:  Alberto G. (flickr)

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