Page 33 - StudyTravel Magazine September/October 2021 Issue

DIRECTION

Changes in tests taken between 2019 and 2020*
*Several exam providers were unable to provide exams numbers when asked

2019 2020

Statistics provided In-person tests taken remote tests taken Total tests In-person tests taken remote tests taken Total tests Difference between 2019/2020 (%)

Exam provider Online/ taken Online/ taken
AEAS No n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Cambridge Assessment English No n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
ETS No n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
IDAT n/a 133 133 n/a 298 298 +124%
Michigan Assessment No n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Pearson PTE No n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a -36%
TrackTest English Part n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 320,000 +23%

language exam providers cent live human proctoring – and AI remote testing process, adding that
worldwide due to ongoing technology. Concerns around security “relying solely on AI for security and
concerns about cheating and have existed as long as high-stakes scoring raises red flags when it comes
other issues relating to the security testing has existed. Such concerns are to the integrity of test content and
of remote testing, which have been valid, as these have implications for the reliability of test scores”.
amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic. score validity.”
Tracey at AEAS comments, “Issues “There are specific cases where Future outlook
of security and integrity of online in-person testing does not make any
delivery must be tightly managed and sense,” suggests Brano, highlighting Despite the changes over the past
online proctoring on its own, without that online testing is likely to become year that continue to pose various
an in-person qualified and trained more common. “Situations when a challenges for the industry, test
supervisor, may raise concerns about student needs to travel a couple of providers report that they remain
the validity and accuracy of results...” hours to the agent’s location in order fairly hopeful for the sector’s recovery
“In relation to the method of to take the paper test... will hopefully due to stable or increased demand.
delivery, AEAS has continued to offer be perceived more obsolete now.” Tracey in Australia notes, “I am
our tests in person, supervised by our optimistic that once vaccines are
directly engaged Test Administrators.” ‘Finding the more broadly rolled out to our key
Michigan Language Assessment equilibrium’ markets and travel restrictions are
has partnered with Prometric to lifted, the number of families looking
guarantee the security of in-person Brano notes that the biggest chal- for an overseas school education will
or online MET administrations, says lenge for exam providers to deal with increase, which will in turn result in
Fernando. ProProctorTM, Prometric’s at present is “to find the equilibrium increased test numbers.”
remote assessment solution, incor- between the security and practicality Meanwhile, at Cambridge
porates human and AI proctoring of remote proctoring”. He adds, “The Assessment English, Francesca
procedures to verify the test-taker’s pandemic situation accelerated the concludes, “We are already seeing a
identity, block access to other web- trend of moving from traditional to very rapid return to in-person testing,
sites or documents, and continuously online provision. TrackTest welcomes and our centres are working hard
monitor and flag suspicious behaviour this trend and current industry stand- to meet demand whilst complying
during assessments. ards will need to embrace it, at least with the additional demands of
Srikant adds, “We have a com- for the specific-use cases.” social distancing. We are expecting
prehensive security process in place Srikant says ETS believes a a challenging year… but we are
for the TOEFL iBT Home Edition which combination of AI technology and confident that numbers will rebound
includes a combination of real-time human checks would work best to rapidly over the coming months.”
human monitoring – through 100 per maintain security throughout the joshua@studytravel.network

30 STUDYTRAVEL MAGAzINE