About Tests

Tests allow LMS Administrators to evaluate the knowledge learned within content provided in Frontline.

Below are the guidelines for Tests

• You can view existing tests, create a new test or edit a test from the system menu Author > Tests.
• You can also simultaneously create a new training item from here that will be attached to the new test. Clicking on a test name or form view shows the test details screen.
• The Training Items tab shows training items to which the test is attached.
• You can attach the same test to more than one training item, but a training item can only have one test associated. This is useful if you create a standard one question "Statement of Understanding" type test and want to use it for many on-line training items (such as DOC items that link to operating procedures). 

Test Details

Below are the key fields on the test details screen

• Total No. of Questions: Filled in automatically as you enter questions in Test Layout.
• No. of Questions to Ask: Allows you to ask only a few randomly selected questions (when Random Questions is checked) from a bank of questions entered for the test. You can randomize from all questions in the test or randomize by each test topic.

• Random Questions: Randomizes questions, even if No. of Questions to Ask is same as the Total No. of Questions. This makes each test different.
• Random Answers: Randomizes answer choices presented for question types such as Multiple Choice, All that Apply and True/False.
• Show Test Results: If checked, the learner is shown the test results as soon as the test is completed. Actual result (Pass or Fail) and score are shown if the test does not contain essay questions.
  • The result is shown as Pending if the test contains an essay question, with a note that the designated grader has been notified.

• Show Missed Questions: Shows the questions that were answered incorrectly, along with the correct answers, at the end of the test.
• Share with Other Divisions: Makes test visible in other divisions. Typically not checked.
• Allow Taking Missed Questions After Failing: If checked, on subsequent attempts at taking the test, a learner is displayed only the missed questions (i.e. questions answered incorrectly). This can be useful for long tests.
• Display Certificate: Displays a Print Certificate button at the end of the test, if the learner passes the test.
• Allow Bookmark: Allows a learner to bookmark a test so that it can be completed later. This is useful for a long test.
• No. of Incorrect Answers Before Test Quits: Allows you to stop the test if a learner has already failed.
• No. of Attempts per Question: Allow you to give learners more than one attempt at correctly answering the questions. The same question is asked immediately following an incorrect answer.
• Navigation Style: Allows you to select the style and position of navigation bar for this test. Click on  to view or change the currently selected navigation style.

• Feedback Audio: Allows you to select an audio feedback for all questions in the test. The ".." button allows you to hear the currently selected audio.

Test Grading

Test grading is automatic, unless the test contains an essay question. Test grading is controlled by the following five fields near the bottom of the test details form.

• Use a Question Weighting System? (GradeOnPoints): When this field is checked, each question can have a different point value.

• No. of points required to pass the test (GradeOnPoints checked): When "Use a Question Weighting System?" is checked, enter the number of points required to pass the test in this field.
• No. of Questions answered correctly that yield a passing score: When "Use a Question Weighting System?" is not checked, this is the number of correct answers required to pass the test.

• Percentage of Questions answered correctly that yield a passing score: When "Use a Question Weighting System?" is not checked, this is the percentage of correct answers required to pass the test.

• Grader: Individual or job that will grade the essay questions. This field is visible only if the test has one or more essay questions. Use the radio buttons to select either an individual or job as the grader.  
  • A grader must be entered before this test can be assigned via the attached training item. Use the ".." button to search for the grader.
  • If the grader displayed is no longer available to grade these tests, delete the grader shown and use the ellipses button to change to a new grader; this action will transfer all the ungraded tests to the new grader.

Preview

• The Preview button allows you to play the test as it will be displayed to learners. Preview will not work for a test that is not attached to a training item.

Test Layout

• The Layout button gives you the complete layout for the selected test. The Test Layout form is divided into 3 sections:
• Action Toolbar: at the top of the screen.
• Test Structure: on the left side of the screen.
• Cell Details: on the right side of the screen.

Test Layout Action Toolbar -The Action toolbar is divided into 3 parts: Topic, Question Cell and General.

Topic: Topics allow you to organize your questions by topics of the learning content. If you create a test using questions embedded in a lesson, then the test topics will match the lesson topics, and questions are listed under the same topic as in the lesson.

• Add: allows you to add a new topic. The new topic is added after the selected topic.
• Delete: will delete the topic and all the cells under it.
• Rename: displays a dialog box where you can rename the topic.

Question Cell

• Add: launches the Create Cell screen.
• Cut: deletes the cell but saves a copy in your clipboard.
• Copy: copies the cell.
• Paste: pastes the cell below the selected cell.
• Delete: deletes the cell.

The Question cell can be one the following:

• Multiple Choice: Only one of up to eight possible answers is correct.

• True False: Either true or false is correct.

• All that Apply: One or more answer choices is correct. Square boxes allow selecting more than one answer choices.

• Fill in the Blank: The learner types in the answer in a blank space. It is compared against all possible entries that are acceptable as a correct answer. Answers are not case-sensitive.

• Multiple Choice with Essay: Only one answer choice is correct. Leaner can be forced to explain answer choice in the space provided.

• Yes No: Either yes or no is correct.

• Hot Spot: The learner clicks on an image. It is compared against the area on the image labeled as the correct answer. The author can also map other areas on the image to confound the learner. These are marked as the wrong answer choices.

• Matching: For each item on the left side of the answer table, learner is asked to pick matching answer from the right side of the table. The answer is correct if all of the items are correctly matched.

• Essay: Learner is provided a box for entering a free-format descriptive answer. Learner's answer is graded manually by the grader name entered in the Test Details form.  All other question types above are graded automatically based on correct answers selected for each question.

General

• Replace: allows you to search and replace a word or a phrase with another in the selected cell, topic or entire test. Only question strings are searched.
• Change Edit Number: allows you to track minor revisions to the test.
• Print Test: prints the entire test as seen by the learner. This is useful for classroom testing.
• Print Test with Answers: prints the entire test with answers. Correct answers are marked.
• Import Test Questions: allows you to import one or more questions from an existing test. The questions are added to the end of the test.

Test Structure

Question cells are grouped in topics and are displayed on the left side of the Test Layout screen. 

Cell Details - The Cell Details section has 3 tabs: Properties, Content and Preview.

• Properties:
  • Cell Type: automatically filled in as Question Cell.
  • Cell Title: automatically generated when you insert a new cell.
  • Order: automatically generated.
  • Points Awarded: must be entered if Use a Question Weighting System? is checked on the test form.
  • Required: can be checked when this question must always be chosen from the question bank.
• Content: allows you to add or edit cell content.
• Preview: allows you to see the test question with the answers.

Below are the guidelines for how tests are graded

• All tests are graded automatically, except for the tests that contain essay questions.
• If a test does not contain an essay question, the test is graded automatically by comparing learner's answer choices with the answers designated as correct in the Test Layout.
• If a test contains essay question, the grader designated for the test is notified by e-mail when a learner completes a test. When the grader logs in Frontline, a link Grade Tests is shown in the Quick Links section of the grader's Frontline Desktop.
• The link displays names of all learners whose test grading is pending. Each learner's name is hyperlinked to their completed test's essay questions and the answers entered by the learner.
• The grader reviews the answer entered for each essay question, grades it as correct or incorrect, and enters feedback if desired.
• The grader can save partial grading of any learner's test by selecting Update at any time or complete grading by selecting Submit.
• All essay questions in a test must be graded before the grader is allowed to submit results.
• The learner is sent an e-mail with the result of the test and the grader's feedback to each essay question