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Pre-Employment Testing

Pre-Employment Testing Today and Tomorrow

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Pre-employment testing is an essential part of making sure that you have a capable, resourceful workforce that can pull off any tasks that are required of them during their time in the company. If you just accept an employee before first assessing their abilities, there’s a good chance that you are going to end up with an incompetent worker – a sure-fire way for the company to lose money. When it comes to employees, you definitely want to make sure that you are getting the best that you can.

Obviously, this can only be efficiently done by constructing a test that is capable of gauging an employee’s abilities properly, so that you and everybody else at the company know what they can expect from the employee, and (possibly even more important) what they cannot expect. Creating such a test can be hard work, and for years people have relied on the good old, tried, pen and paper approach; the applicant would get a piece of paper with a list of various questions and queries that they needed to answer to the best of their ability, and then wait a while for the tests to go through the long and tedious process of manual evaluation.

This approach is tried and it works to an extent, but nowadays thanks to the advent of modern technology, people are coming up with better and more efficient solutions for testing in the form of testing software. In this article, we want to discuss what you can gain from switching to a pre-employment testing software solution such as GetCertified, and why it’s a step up from the conventional method of testing.

Time Efficiency

Testing is a process that involves gathering and processing a lot of information – not only do you have to evaluate the tests themselves, but there is also the employee’s CV and background to consider. If you have a large number of applicants, this can be very tedious and take a really long time as long as you’re using the manual approach. Every paper has to be looked at separately and read with maximum focus, which can be both tiring and inefficient if a human has to perform this task. If you use employee training software to aid you in this endeavor, however, it’s a completely different story.

Modern computers can perform billions of operations in a single second, which means that it takes milliseconds for them to grade and evaluate a 50-question test, which is basically instant. This means that the number of applicants is no longer a factor, so you don’t have to limit yourself in that fashion – anyone can take the test, and only those who are deemed competent enough by the software will be allowed to pass.

Absolute Objectivity

Another problem with the manual evaluation of pre-employment tests is us humans’ natural tendency to be biased. Objectivity has long been a problem with tests, not only in the realm of pre-employment testing but virtually in any situation where one has to take a test. It doesn’t matter how much we pride ourselves on objectivity, even if the tests are completely random we are still subject to a certain amount of bias. A computer program is another story entirely, as it functions based on logic alone and is incapable of being subjective in any way. This is a sure-fire way to make sure that the results you get from your employees are truly a precise evaluation of their abilities, so you perfectly know what they’re capable of and how they can benefit the company.

Superior Reliability

Apart from the ability to be objective, humans are also not really that good at performing repetitive tasks with equal focus over long periods of time. This is why there are lots of accidents on assembly lines or in any other field that requires people to spend their time doing tedious tasks, and it’s even worse when those tasks, apart from being repetitive, also require a great deal of focus at all times. A test is a perfect example of this because the questions are always the same, but the answers are slightly different every time. And after grading fifty or a hundred tests, one really tends to lose their focus and this can lead to mistakes in the evaluation process itself, making it less precise. A program doesn’t get fatigued in this manner, so it’s the perfect replacement for the human mind for such a task. It will stick to its given algorithm 100 percent of the time, no matter how many tests it evaluates, and this is priceless when you want to get precise information from the testing material.

Convenience

Finally, it’s important to mention how pre-employment testing software can make the entire evaluation process much more convenient for both the tester and the tested. Applicants can perform tests from the comfort of their own homes, and all you have to do is send them a link via email and they can get to work right away. This is a huge step up from the conventional approach where all the applicants have to be in the same room at the same time. By using software-based solutions, they can simply perform the test at their leisure, and as soon as they’re done you instantly get their results and can contact them regarding the additional steps they need to take. It’s not only a great way to speed up the process, but it makes it far more flexible as well.

Summary

There are many more advantages that you can gain from using a software-based pre-employment testing solution, but we think that these four are sufficient for now. Pen-and-paper has been around a long time and it has served us well, but its time is at definitely at an end. Automated testing is the future, and if this type of software keeps evolving, sooner or later it’s going to be the only logical choice.

Driving Schools Testing – Case Study

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Driving schools are constantly facing with the need for testing of its students. This can be a big cost for driving schools, because most of them are still using the traditional way of testing, paper-based testing.

Orthodox driving test

If you are told that the procedure of passing the driving test here is simple, they have informed you wrong. Maybe the test won’t be that hard, if you study, but until you have reached them, there is a lot of paper work to be done.

The first thing you do is go to a licensed driving school and pick up the necessary forms there. The forms are then taken to a licensed eye doctor where you need to be examined and the forms fulfilled, of course. The next station is medical doctor. He also has to fill in the forms. Every form filled in is being paid. That is when you go to the driving school to take lessons. Then you are being scheduled the test. In case you have failed the test, you have to pay to do it again, as well as you have paid it for the first time. It seems to be a normal thing for them, but everywhere in the world, it sounds strange, but it is simply their way of doing thing.

Driving schools – practicing tests

Driving Test Complete is easily the most comprehensive PC software of its kind. Includes all the Official DVSA questions, answers, explanations, case studies, hazard clips and full driving test plus lots more.

This product offers you hundreds of Hazard Perception Test clips to practice on with comprehensive tutorials and videos on how to make your first test your last. Includes the 26 Official DVSA sample clips.

No other product offers an interactive learn to drive program that shows you step by step how to develop your skills using LDCs highly acclaimed LD System of driving tuition.

No other product offers a more accurate video of a full driving test.

Professional voice-over is used extensively throughout the product for help, information, learning notes, tutorials, animations, video, questions, answers, explanations and hint advice.

The Product is made up of 8 distinct programs: Theory Test program (consisting of many different parts such as information module, learning module, exam testing module and review), Hazard Perception program (consisting of information learning module, exam testing module and practice learning module), Learning to drive program, Show me Tell me program, Practical Driving Test program, Highway Code plus program and many others.

State level – Driver certification

One more advantage of using this software is that no one should wait for the results any more, they would be known almost instantly.

Since government seems to search for the profit all the time, here is the way. A lot of certificates can be given in no time. Both future drivers and the government would be satisfied. They shall briefly think about that as a serious project since we have already gone through a lot of them.

Analysis – of great importance

Driving Schools Driving License

Losing the license, it happens all the time to many people. The thing is that when they lose it, it is not being registered anywhere so it repeats constantly, without even being noticed. This changes things a bit. Everything is being recorded so if someone has lost it, it will be seen in the system that he has been looking for another one. This method can make you realize who the reckless drivers are. And, on the other hand maybe it will make them keep their things better and in a safer place. This will also save time to both them and you.

Integration possibilities

What would be even better than this is? Integration. This means that everything can be found in one and a same place. There can be included insurance, car companies and all the things connected to this. This will prevent both drivers from wasting time while going to a lot of different places gathering all the necessary things they need. It will also make everything go faster and there would not be needed for the crowd to be made.

YouTestMe Get Certified is a perfect solution for driving schools that have a constant need of testing and certification.

 

Knowledge Management - Modern Testing

Knowledge Management – Traditional vs. Modern Testing

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As knowledge management becomes one of the key areas for future development, experts still debate the merits of traditional testing and compare it to the computer-based one. Whether it comes to making adjustments to the Learning Management System (LMS), or testing solutions regarding Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), some people still prefer the old ways over the new. This position is understandable, but it is also important to take an objective view of the current situation and make plans for the future.

What kind of testing is the most dominant nowadays?

It goes without saying that the traditional, paper-based approach is by far more users across the board. Due to its low cost, ubiquitous status, and the fact that it has been proven in action time and time again, a lot of people prefer it over the uncertain, costly alternative that is CBT. However, times are changing, and those that fail to keep up will be left behind. With that in mind, CBT has been gaining in popularity as a knowledge management tool, especially over the last decade. The sheer amount of research on this topic has been growing at an exponential rate, but conclusions are still… inconclusive.

The thing is, technology is developing at such a rapid pace that studies and their findings cease to be relevant in a matter of years, so a lot of the initial studies have been rendered inconsequential a long time ago. Besides, the computer experience an average candidate has nowadays is vastly different from what it would have been a decade ago, or what it will be a decade from now. However, if there is a general consensus on this issue, at least when it comes to studies conducted within the last three years or so, it would be that there is no major difference between CBT and PBT, as the difference is smaller than 0.05%. Of course, this may change in the future.

Knowledge management today – use of modern technologies

As technology advances, so do the testing methods, even at lower education levels – not to mention companies. For one, computers and tablets have been present in most schools for years, in some form or another. The increased level of interaction between students and teachers has also resulted in additional testing methods, that are done via computers and other devices. At the university level, many institutions resort to OpenCourseWare (OCW), Google Classroom, or similar solutions for knowledge management problems.

As for companies and solutions aimed primarily at adults, we can see an ever-increasing use of social networks for educational purposes. The potential to adopt knowledge from one’s peers as well as its success rate has not gone unnoticed. Webcams, whiteboards, and screencasting have all found their uses in this area as well.

Paper-based vs. computer-based testing

Each of them has certain benefits over the other. For instance, the cost of paper-based testing is essentially boiled down to a sheet of paper and the person in charge of monitoring the exam, whereas computer-based testing requires electricity, computers, and other means that make the initial costs much higher. On the other hand, it is a lot easier to implement en masse and is arguably much safer in terms of administration. Then again, it all depends on the level of measures implemented against cheating and the level of commitment on behalf of those being examined.

In the long run, however, CBT does involve a number of advantages. For one, exams do not need to be shipped to a physical location, so there should be no delays or associated costs. Simple encryption should keep away most troublemakers. Most importantly, scoring is a lot faster in this regard, as everything is done electronically. The probability of human error is much lower as well. One downside is that this only applies to certain types of tests, so scoring essays in this manner is still far too good to be true. PBT will most likely remain in use, at least on some level – until CBT technology has advanced enough to take over entirely.

CBT in practice

Before introducing a virtual learning environment, many institutions specializing in education such as Cambridge were beyond reach to the overwhelming majority of people. After all, you can only fit so many people inside a classroom at one time. However, after making the switch to include advanced technologies complete with CBT, the overall level of education has increased dramatically. This is a life-changing opportunity for people who could not afford to study at a prestigious university due to lack of funds or because they have to support their families. In the future, however, most universities will offer their services online in one form or another, while maintaining the regular, physical lessons to those who can afford them.

From language teaching to gaining new skills, various companies all around the world have resorted to this kind of knowledge management for their employees, especially in the IT sector. The ability to create a universal test, translate it into a number of languages, and conduct it simultaneously in several different countries has not gone unnoticed by major companies. There are even companies that specialize in conducting computer-based testing and offering their services to schools and businesses alike.

YouTestMe Software Solutions

YouTestMe recognized the potential of improving modern ways of testing and developed two knowledge testing platforms that are very competitive in today’s e-learning market. The first solution is Classroom 2020, a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that offers a wide set of features bound to improve the quality of lecturing and testing. It was designed for schools, colleges public, and government institutions.  The second solution, Get Certified, a quiz maker and certification platform, answers to the constant requirement of employee training and certification. But those are only a few features that our products have. Feel free to sign up for free demos of Classroom 2020 and Get Certified to see for yourself all of the advantages of modern knowledge testing solutions.