The assessment journey involves two major phases: test development and test delivery. For some organizations, managing these two distinct but equally vital processes can be a significant challenge. A breakdown in either phase can undermine the integrity of the entire program. That’s why it is crucial to choose a provider who can handle exams from conception through results.
Let’s take a deeper look at each of these challenges, along with how the right provider can help.
The Test Development Challenge
Creating a valid and reliable test is more than just writing questions. A good exam incorporates the scientific process known as psychometrics. Organizations must make sure that their tests are fair, accurate, and consistent. The common challenges that may occur include:
- Manual, Time-Consuming Processes: Item writing, review, and banking often rely on inefficient, manual workflows that slow down development and make it difficult to maintain a fresh supply of questions.
- Lack of Psychometric Expertise: Many organizations don’t have in-house psychometricians to protect the statistical validity of their exams. This can lead to questions that are unintentionally biased or don’t accurately measure a test-taker’s ability.
- Security Risks: The integrity of a test starts with protecting its content. Without a secure platform, test items can be exposed, compromising the value of the certification.
Kryterion addresses these challenges with our Webassessor platform. We provide organizations with a self-service tool to create, modify, and publish their exams without additional fees. Our platform includes a suite of features that simplify the development process, such as AI-assisted item writing that helps content developers quickly generate high-quality questions. Additionally, Kryterion’s expert psychometric services are also available to assist organizations in analyzing exam data, so that tests remain fair and valid over time.
The Test Delivery Challenge
Once a test is developed, the next hurdle is getting it to test-takers in a secure and seamless way. The complexities of test delivery can be daunting, especially for global programs. Organizations must contend with:
- Lack of Flexibility: A one-size-fits-all approach to testing doesn’t work. Candidates need options, whether that’s in-person testing at a secure facility or the convenience of remote proctoring.
- Cheating and Fraud: Maintaining the integrity of the exam is crucial. Without robust security measures, cheating can devalue a certification, harming the organization’s reputation and the credentials of those who passed honestly.
- Poor Candidate Experience: A clunky or unreliable testing platform can frustrate candidates, leading to a poor brand image. Technical issues during an exam can be particularly stressful and damaging.
Kryterion’s solutions are built to solve these problems. We offer a multi-modal test delivery system that includes:
- Online Proctoring: Secure, AI-enhanced remote proctoring with live human oversight allows candidates to take exams from anywhere. This service uses advanced security features like dual camera proctoring, which uses a candidate’s mobile device as a second camera for a comprehensive view of the testing environment, and a secure browser that locks down the test-taker’s computer to prevent cheating.
- Global Test Network: Kryterion’s network of over 1,000 professional test centers provides geographic accessibility for candidates who prefer or require an in-person, proctored environment.
- Dedicated Candidate Support: Kryterion prioritizes the candidate experience with a user-friendly platform and dedicated support teams, minimizing technical hiccups and creating a smoother, less stressful testing journey.
Why Kryterion is a Game-Changer
By providing a single, integrated platform that spans the entire credentialing lifecycle, Kryterion empowers organizations to take full control of their testing programs. It removes the need to juggle multiple vendors for development, psychometrics, and delivery, which saves time, reduces costs, and improves efficiency. From leveraging AI to streamline item writing to providing state-of-the-art security for online proctoring, Kryterion’s innovations are designed to make sure that every test is developed with integrity and delivered with confidence. This allows organizations to focus on their core mission, whether that’s certifying professionals or assessing employee skills, knowing that the foundation of their program is secure and reliable.