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Digital assessment is becoming more and more widespread in recent years. But what’s the role of digital assessment in teaching today? We’d like to give you some insight into digital assessment and automated scoring.

Just a few years ago, there may have been doubts about the role of AI in English assessment and the ability of a computer to score language tests accurately. But today, thousands of teachers worldwide use automated language tests to assess their students’ language proficiency.

For example, ɫèAV’s suite of Versant tests have been delivering automated language assessments for nearly 25 years. And since its launch in 1996, over 350 million tests have been scored. The same technology is used in ɫèAV’s Benchmark and Level tests.

So what makes automated scoring systems so reliable?

Huge data sets of exam answers and results are used to train artificial intelligence machine learning technology to score English tests the same way that human markers do. This way, we’re not replacing human judgment; we’re just teaching computers to replicate it.

Of course, computers are much more efficient than humans. They don’t mind monotonous work and don’t make mistakes (the standard marking error of an AI-scored test is lower than that of a human-scored test). So we can get unbiased, accurate, and consistent scores.

The top benefits of automated scoring are speed, reliability, flexibility, and free from bias.

Speed

The main advantage computers have over humans is that they can quickly process complex information. Digital assessments can often provide an instant score turnaround. We can get accurate, reliable results within minutes. And that’s not just for multiple-choice answers but complex responses, too.

The benefit for teachers and institutions is that they can have hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of learners taking a test simultaneously and instantly receive a score.

The sooner you have scores, the sooner you can make decisions about placement and students’ language level or benchmark a learner’s strengths and weaknesses and make adjustments to learning that drive improvement and progress.

Flexibility

The next biggest benefit of digital assessment is flexible delivery models. This has become increasingly more important since online learning has become more prominent.

Accessibility became key: how can your institution provide access to assessment for your learners, if you can’t deliver tests on school premises?

The answer is digital assessment.

For example, Versant, our web-based test can be delivered online or offline, on-site or off-site. All test-takers need is a computer and a headset with a microphone. They can take the test anywhere, any time of day, any day of the week, making it very flexible to fit into someone's schedule or situation.Ìý

Free from bias

Impartiality is another important benefit of AI-based scoring. The AI engine used to score digital proficiency tests is completely free from bias. It doesn’t get tired, and it doesn’t have good and bad days like human markers do. And it doesn’t have a personality.

While some human markers are more generous and others are more strict, AI is always equally fair. Thanks to this, automated scoring provides consistent, standardized scores, no matter who’s taking the test.

If you’re testing students from around the world, with different backgrounds, they will be scored solely on their level of English, in a perfectly objective way.

Additional benefits of automated scoring are security and cost.

Security

Digital assessments are more difficult to monitor than in-person tests, so security is a valid concern. One way to deal with this is remote monitoring.

Remote proctoring adds an extra layer of security, so test administrators can be confident that learners taking the test from home don’t cheat.

For example, our software captures a video of test takers, and the AI detection system automatically flags suspicious test-taker behavior. Test administrators can access the video anytime for audits and reviews, and easily find suspicious segments highlighted by our AI.

Here are a few examples of suspicious behavior that our system might flag:

Image monitoring:

• A different face or multiple faces appearing in the frame
• Camera blocked

Browser monitoring:

• Navigating away from the test window or changing tabs multiple times

Video monitoring:

• Test taker moving out of camera view
• More than one person in the camera view
• Looking away from the camera multiple times

Cost

Last but not least, the cost of automated English certifications are a benefit. Indeed, automated scoring can be a more cost-effective way of monitoring tests, primarily because it saves time and resources.

ɫèAV English proficiency assessments are highly scalable and don’t require extra time from human scorers, no matter how many test-takers you have.

Plus, there’s no need to spend time and money on training markers or purchasing equipment.

AI is helping to lead the way with efficient, accessible, fair and cost-effective English test marking/management. Given time it should develop even further, becoming even more advanced and being of even more help within the world of English language learning and assessments.Ìý

Versant tests are popular automatically scored English assessments. They allow test takers to prove their English proficiency and demonstrate that they’re capable of using English at work.

If you’re applying for a job or trying to get into a school language program, you may be preparing to take a Versant test right now! But how do you make sure you succeed at it?

Here’s everything you need to know about preparing for your Versant test.

What types of Versant tests are there?

There are four different types of English tests in the Versant suite. Each is designed with the purpose of testing English language proficiency. However, they’re slightly different in structure and the skills they test. As a result, they are used by companies or educational institutions with different goals.

Here are the five types of Versant tests:

• Versant English Test: a short, 17-minute test that focuses on speaking skills. Companies that primarily use spoken English use this test to assess candidates’ ability to communicate in English. For example, it’s popular with call centers.
• Versant Writing Test: a 35-minute writing test. It’s the ideal test for companies that use English primarily in writing. It evaluates writing skills through practical exercises like taking notes and writing emails.
• Versant English Placement Test: a thorough, 50-minute test that evaluates all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). Academic institutions use this formative assessment to sort students into language programs.
• Versant 4 Skills Essential: a shorter, 30-minute test that evaluates all four language skills. Companies often use it to find candidates with well-rounded English skills because it helps them fill entry-level positions quickly.
• Versant Professional English Test: a comprehensive 60-minute test that evaluates all four skills. Companies use this test to baseline skills, measure progress and prove employees’ proficiency, oftentimes at the end of a business English training course.

Which Versant test should you take?

Which Versant test you take will depend on what your goals are. Have a look at these examples:

• Arnaldo wants to study abroad for a year in Australia. He will most likely take the Versant English Placement Test to get into the university program of his choice.
• Arjun is applying for a job at a call center. His future employers will request that he take the Versant English Test to demonstrate how he communicates in English.
• Sofia’s aiming to become an email customer support specialist at an international retail firm. She’ll be asked to take the Versant Writing Test to prove her writing skills.
• Farrah is applying for an internship at a fast-scaling startup. So, she’ll need to take the Versant 4 Skills Essential Test.
• Last but not least, Samira is currently a mid-level manager at an insurance company and is enrolled in a course to upskill her communication skills. She’ll be asked to prove her English proficiency by taking the Versant Professional English Test.
  

Tips for preparing for your Versant test

No matter which Versant test you’re taking, there are things you can do to prepare. Here are 6 ways to make sure you get the best results:

1. Work on your intelligibility

Intelligibility refers to your ability to speak in a way that’s easy to understand for others. Even if you don’t speak flawlessly or have a native-like accent, your speech can still have a high intelligibility level. That is if you are able to express what you mean.

The Versant English Test has an intelligibility score. The system calculates it based on various speech factors like speed, clarity, pronunciation, and fluency. So, it’s important that you work on your intelligibility before tackling a Versant test.

Here are two exercises you can do to improve your intelligibility:

• Record your speech. Recording yourself talking for a minute or so lets you play it back, analyze your speech and identify parts of it that are hard to understand. Maybe you’re mispronouncing some words, talking too fast, or pausing too often. Try to practice talking about the same topic until your speech becomes easier to understand.
• Practice shadowing. Shadowing is a technique that brings together listening and speaking. Find a video of a proficient public speaker giving a speech on YouTube. Try to say the same words as the speaker at about the same time. Do this for about 30 seconds at a time. This will help you mimic the speaker’s speech, improving your intonation, pronunciation, and fluency.
  

If you can, enlist the help of an English teacher to help you work on your weaknesses, or find a friend who is a fluent English speaker and set up regular video chats.

2. Practice typing on your computer

Unless you’re taking the Versant English Test, which is a speaking-only test, you’ll be asked to prove your English writing skills. Since Versant tests are most often taken off-site, it’s likely that you’ll be taking it on your own computer at home. That’s why it’s a good idea to practice typing on your computer before your Versant test.

While Versant will not factor your typing into your English proficiency scores, the Versant Writing Test and Versant English Placement Test do include a separate typing speed and accuracy score. They’re provided as supplemental information for 3 reasons:

1. Since typing is a familiar task to most candidates, it is a comfortable introduction to the test.
2. It allows candidates to familiarize themselves with the keyboard.
3. If typing speed is below 12 words per minute, and/or accuracy is below 90%, then it is likely that this candidate’s written English proficiency was not properly measured due to poor typing skills. The test administrator should take this into account when interpreting test scores.

Bear in mind that all the exercises you need to complete are timed. So, if you want to make sure that you have enough time to type your answers correctly, it’s good to get a little practice. This way, you’ll be able to focus wholeheartedly on the content and structure of your sentences, not your typing.

To give you an example, the Versant English Placement Test has a dictation task, where you have to type sentences exactly as you hear them. It also has a passage reconstruction task, where you read a text, put it aside, and type what you remember from it.

Then, there’s a summary and opinion task where you have to read a passage, summarize the author’s opinion, and give your own. These are all practical exercises that evaluate how well you’d perform in real-life situations at work. For example, taking notes at a meeting, writing emails, or putting together a presentation.

3. Listen to everyday spoken English

Another definitive characteristic of Versant is that it tests how well you can understand and use English in an everyday context. It does not test the technical or literary use of the language. So, to get into Versant, it’s a good idea to immerse yourself in some everyday spoken English.

For example, you can watch videos of someone on YouTube talking directly to their audience in a casual way. Or, you can listen to a podcast that features a laid-back conversation between two people. And, if you can, don’t just listen but also practice talking about everyday topics. Ask a friend or a family member to chat with you in English about simple things like how your day was or what you had for dinner.

Tips for taking your Versant test

Preparation is key. But it’s also important to make sure that you take the test the correct way. Since Versant is a flexible test that can be completed online or offline and administered remotely, there are a few tricks to making sure you get the best out of it:

1. Choose your testing environment well

Take the test in a quiet room, with no background noise or people talking around you. Make sure that the space doesn’t have an echo. And, turn off your notifications so you won’t be disturbed by incoming phone calls or messages.

2. Make good-quality recordings

The best way to do speaking tests is by using a headset with a built-in microphone. Keep the microphone 3-5 cm from your mouth. Try not to touch or move it while answering questions.

3. Speak in a natural way

Try to speak at a normal conversational speed and volume. Just the way you would speak if you were talking to another person. Don’t raise your voice or speak too softly. Try not to speak too slowly or rush your answers. And, do not repeat your answers again and again.

Want to learn more about Versant? check out our postÌýEverything you need to know about the Versant tests.

Managers and HR professionals have a global workforce at their fingertips – and now, . This makes adopting a secure English language test for employment more important than ever.

An online English test enables organizations to assess candidates’ language proficiency from anywhere in the world, screen more applicants, and standardize the hiring process. They also help HR professionals and managers to save time – ensuring only people with the right language skills advance to the interview stage.

But how can employers be certain these tests are safe? And how easy is it for people to cheat? In this article, we’ll explore a few of the top security concerns we hear, and share what features make online language tests secure.

What is an online English test?

An online English test measures how well a job applicant can communicate in English, focusing on speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. They also assess a candidate’s specific English for business skills – for example, how clearly someone can communicate on the phone with clients, or understand what is being said during a conference call.

Online tests can be taken in a controlled environment – in a testing center with in-person proctors – but also from a job applicant’s personal computer or mobile phone at home. When tests are taken at home, they can be made more secure using virtual proctors or powerful AI monitoring technology.

Cheating, grading and data security

When many people think of taking a language test, they imagine the traditional way: students in a large testing center scribbling away with pen and paper. No mobile phones are allowed, and if test-takers are caught cheating, they’ll be flagged by a proctor walking around the room.

So when managers or HR professionals consider the option of an online English test – taken digitally and often without human supervision – it’s no surprise that many have questions about security. Let’s take a look at some common concerns:

Is cheating a problem?

A large number of test takers admit to cheating on their tests. According to research by the International Center for Academic Integrity, 68% of undergraduate students say they’ve cheated on a writing assignment or test, while 43% of graduate students say they have.

But how easy is it to cheat during a Versant test?

The truth is, not very. With Versant, exam cheating is actually quite difficult, and test takers would have to outsmart a range of AI monitoring technologies.

If a verified photo is uploaded to the platform, HirePro’s face recognition technology can compare the live test taker with it. This ensures test takers are who they say they are, and haven’t asked someone else to sit the exam for them. It is the institution’s responsibility to verify the original photo.

And since Versant tests are monitored using specialized AI algorithms – without a human present – even the slightest suspicious behaviors are flagged for review. For example, Versant notices if a different face appears in the video, or if the camera goes dark. With video monitoring, our platform also flags if the test taker moves from the camera, or looks away multiple times. And we’ll see if someone changes tabs on their computer.

Finally, the entire test is recorded. When suspicious behavior arises, HR professionals will decide whether to accept or reject the results – or have the candidate retake the test.

Are scores accurate?

We’ve all had frustrating experiences with AI. Chatbots don’t always understand what we’re trying to say, and speech recognition technology sometimes isn’t up to par. This leaves many wondering if they should trust AI to grade high-stakes tests – especially when the results could be the difference between someone getting the job, or not.

Versant uses patented AI technology to grade tests that are trained and optimized for evaluating English language proficiency. It evaluates speaking, listening, reading, writing, and even intelligibility.

Our AI is trained using thousands of fluent and second-language English speakers. With these models, we’re able to not only evaluate how someone should be assessed but also understand when they’ve mispronounced words or have made another mistake. Using all this information, a candidate’s final score is evaluated based on more than 2000 data points.

Do online tests follow GDPR standards?

HR professionals and managers deal with sensitive personal information every day. This includes each job applicant’s name, full address, date of birth, and sometimes even their social security number. The HR tools they implement therefore must also keep this data secure.

Most importantly, it must follow GDPR standards. The data must be gathered with consent and protected from exploitation. With Versant, test-taker data is securely stored and follows all .

All our data is encrypted at rest and in transmission. Versant assessment data is stored in the US and HirePro, our remote monitoring partner, stores the proctoring data in either Singapore or Europe, depending on customer needs. Both systems are GDPR compliant.

Versant: a secure English language test

°Õ³ó±ð Versant automated language test is powered by patented AI technology to ensure the most accurate results for test takers and employers alike. Even better, our remote testing lets HR professionals securely and efficiently assess candidates worldwide, 24/7 – and recruit top global talent to help more companies scale.