An internationally respected education system is a crucial prerequisite for India Inc to compete on the world stage. Indeed, perceptions of integrity in educational assessments are vital for India™s education system, national economy, and international image. For without credibility, education qualifications are of little value, and the respect accorded by other countries to the certification issued by a nation™s education system can plunge sharply. Over 2,000 years ago, China introduced public examinations to select the brightest and best for the civil services. Since then, tests have become normative for university admissions and to recruit employees. High-stakes exams for university admissions or professional qualifications have significant consequences for those who write them and organisations that conduct them. But in the new digital and globalised age, conducting high-stakes exams has become an altogether different proposition. Test providers must design and deliver valid, reliable, fair, and above all credible exams. Validity means the inferences made from test scores are meaningful, reflecting true absorption of knowledge and skills. For example, doing well in a university admissions test should mean the candidate is likely to do well at university. Reliability refers to consistency and reproducibility, and a fair exam is one which is equitable for all test takers regardless of their background or social status. Exam scores awarded should inspire confidence in those who use them as a basis for action or judgement. Contemporary test-sponsors have several tools at their disposal to develop and conduct valid, reliable, and fair examinations, the crucial ones being modern-day measurement sciences and computer-based testing (CBT). When developing computer-based tests, for example, Pearson VUE™s Ph D-level psychometricians collaborate with test sponsors™ subject matter experts to design and build tests aligned with best institutional and industry practices. Psychometricians are measurement experts who analyse candidates™ examination performance data. Question difficulty is measured by the proportion of test takers who are able to provide the correct answer. Question discrimination gauges how well the question distinguishes between more and less able test takers. Psychometricians also perform a process called test equating which enables test results to be comparable across time and different versions of an examination. This is an important process for ensuring reliability and fairness. For example in a medical exam, a candidate should not be able to excel simply because the version of the exam she took was easier than other versions. Psychometricians also work with test sponsors to establish a pass standard reflecting the minimum competence necessary to meet the exam™s purpose. Many universities and organisations which sponsor high-stakes exams around the world have shifted from pencil-and-paper testing to CBT. Since exam papers don™t have to be physically shipped to and from testing locations, CBT eases the administrative burden of test sponsors, making it much easier for them to conduct global exams. And examinees who cannot afford the time or money to write a test at a specified centre on a particular day, have the opportunity to visit a local CBT centre at their convenience, as exams can be conducted on-demand…
