Exam Grading and Security Software

The purpose behind the multi-use CD

    The SEEM and WEEM exams would incorporate a unique feature which would greatly increase their sales potential. Unlike multiple choice language exams which must prevent would-be cheaters from obtaining answers in advance, the SEEM and WEEM exams would need no such security. These exams would be grading the examinees' ability to describe a picture, not their memory of specific facts associated with that picture.

    Consequently — by design — the actual exam CD could also be used for preexam study. A single CD would reduce production cost. Even more, however, it would encourage broad sales as potential examinees would buy the CD for their personal exam preparation. Thus, the organization publishing the exams could market all of the study material necessary for SEEM or WEEM and would not share that market with third party study manual publishers.

    The supplementary vocabulary sections do represent more of a content issue. This, however, will be controlled by preventing the examinee from carrying any materials into the testing area.

Grading security

    Grading security would have two components. The first component would be a unique code generated at the exam administrative center which would be assigned to the registered examinee. Thereafter, payment, expiration date, and the exam center at which the examinee would take the test would always be linked to that code number.

    The second component would be software the grader would use which would interface the completed exam with the work sheets used by the grader to score the exam. The work sheet could be used to grade the exam only when the examinee's unique code number was present.

    With these two components in place, all grading would need to comply with three criteria: 1) the standards maintained by each domestic or foreign exam center, 2) the information written on the exam CD (or floppy disc) generated during the exam, and 3) the information generated by the exam administration center and the grader.

Standards maintained by the domestic or foreign exam center:

1. Verification that the examinee paid for the exam. The unique code number would be assigned to the individual examinee only after the fee was paid at the exam center.

2. Verification that the name on the test score sheet was that of the individual actually taking the exam. Picture identification would be required for examinee registration and would become part of the registration. On the day of the exam, the same identification would be required of the examinee.

3. Verification that the exam was taken at an authorized exam center. The CD (or floppy disc) written during the exam would identify the exam center and the computer IP address on which the exam was written. In turn, this information would have to match registration recorded at the exam's administrative center. Thus, in the rare event that an examinee would attempt to bring an altered CD with a completed test into the exam area, the CD would not match the master list of hardware and software in that exam center, and the exam would be invalid.

4. Verification that a ban of all pens, pencils, paper, recordings, or electronic devices from the exam area had been strictly enforced. Any domestic or foreign exam center would be accountable for compliance to this requirement.

Information written on the exam CD or floppy disc:

5. Verification that the exam was completed within the time allowed for each section. Elapsed time for each question would be indicated on the completed exam. (See the heading on the work sheet example.) The exam summary (which is not illustrated) would show elapsed times, completed section times, and the accumulative time for the entire exam. The grader would need to verify that all time was consecutive and in compliance. In the event that an examinee attempted to bring a CD or floppy disc with prerecorded material into the exam area, discrepancies in cumulative times as well as other information would indicate non-compliance.

6. Verification that a trained grader under the exam administration's jurisdiction scored the exam. An examinee's code number would be included with the data electronically transmitted to the grader. All data would need to correspond with the assignment as verification that it was properly graded. This security provision would prevent fraudulent grading.

7. Verification that the final score was issued by the exam administrative center. The administrative center would be the only source of examinee scores. Appropriate protocol would be established by the exam administrative center so that electronic transmittal of the test score could be identified as coming from the exam administrative center.

    The above descriptions are merely suggestions. The software programmer would design the software security to best reduce the risk of exam fraud.

Public Domain notice: All descriptions of SEEM and WEEM are freely given without either stated or implied copyright protection. Spoken Language International does not have the financial means to develop or administer a spoken or written English exam. However, it would be to Spoken Language International's advantage that such exams be extensively used because of the demand it would place on our Spoken English Learned Quickly language study course. Thus, we present the SEEM and WEEM exams on this website with the hope that another institution will further develop and market them under any name. We relinquish any claim for remuneration of any kind as a result of another institution using this material for their own profit. Future publication of this material would carry the full copyright protection of the publisher and will then be subject to full enforcement of that copyright protection.