Frequently Asked Questions
What does Testive do?
Testive creates fast, accurate diagnostic tests for students and test preparation companies. Our rapid diagnostics lower the barrier to preparing for tests by helping students understand their current score without having to sit through a full-length practice exam.
What other insight does Testive provide beyond the score?
In addition to generating a predictive score, Testive creates a strengths and weaknesses report for each student that can be used to quickly focus students' studying efforts quickly.
Can Testive speed up any test
Some tests more readily lend themselves to becoming adaptive tests. As a general rule, any multiple choice test which has easy and hard questions can be speed up through our technology.
How can you get an accurate picture of students abilities with such a short test?
By using computer adaptive algorithms, Testive gets an accurate picture of student abilities in much less testing time than traditional tests. Testive's algorithm adjusts the difficulty of questions as the test progresses to match the ability level of each student. If the student is getting questions right, the test increases in difficulty. If the student is getting questions wrong the test gets easier. Testive zooms in on student ability level without having to ask the student a question at every ability level.
Does that really work?
Yes.
Really? How?
Our algorithms were developed at MIT and build upon several decades of academic research. The specific ways that we model the SAT and other tests are private, but our work builds on the Item Response Theory of testing. We generally use the Three Parameter Logistic Model to generate our item response function, but there are some aspects of our product where we have decided a Rasch model is more appropriate. This is similar to the approach that the GMAT and GRE used to convert from conventional tests to adaptive tests. Dr. Larry Rudner of the GMAC has an excellent online tutorial on IRT.
I'm still not clear. How can you get an accurate score with so few questions?
Dr. David Weiss, one of the early researchers into computer adaptive testing, shared the analogy of the high jumper with us.
There are two ways to measure the performance of a high jumper. One approach would be to have them make many jumps over a series of bars and raise the bar one inch between each jump. After all the jumps you could calculate how many they missed and use that as the score. This method is similar to conventional testing which asks questions at every level of difficulty and calculates a score based on how many questions you miss.
An other approach to measuring a high jumper would be to have them make a few jumps over a bar at very different heights and see how high they tend to be able to jump. Then the bar could be moved to just above to the level they tend to clear. After that you would only moved the bar around very slightly to zero in on the level the jumper can consistently clear. In this approach the bar is moved many fewer times. This method is similar to how Computer Adaptive Testing can zero in on ability with many fewer questions.
Aren't most big tests already given on computer as an adaptive tests?
Nope. For examples, the SAT is currently administered as a paper and pencil test on six Saturdays every year. Check out the College Board's Schedule of Test Dates for the next testing date.
Aren't standardized tests a measure of students' endurance and stamina?
Not really, even though it feels like it. While essentially everyone reports feeling fatigued at the end of the SAT, the Collegeboard has found that this doesn't impact testing performance. When it added the writing section to the SAT in 2004, the Collegeboard conducted a study of students who took different configurations of the test. They were looking to see if students performed worse on the longer test or on sections that came later in the test. They found that even though students reported more fatigue on the longer tests and during the later sections, it did not impact their scores. The results are posted here.
Since your tests are online, can't students cheat?
Our tests are designed to help students understand how they might perform on full length exams. The accuracy of the results is only as good as the student's commitment to try as hard as they would on the actual exam. We believe that shorter tests encourage students to try and answer the questions as they would on an actual exam because there is less time for distraction.
How does Testive make money?
Testive's software helps companies involved in test prep and student affairs to build their businesses. If you are interested in offering a rapid version a an existing (or new) test on your website to help generate leads and attract new customers, Contact Us for a demonstration.
Who is Testive?
Where does Testive get its questions? Can you use questions from past SATs?
Test writers rarely allow others to publish their questions. We generate our questions from a variety of experts who have experience developing questions that mirror the content and style of actual test questions for each test. Meet some of our content developers:
Elliott Rosenberg has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University ;(1968) and a MS in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1971). He had a 35-year career in the Business Information Systems field with United Technologies Corporation. Mr. Rosenberg has also been tutoring students in high school mathematics and SAT Preparation for 30 years. He is currently a Learning Skills Instructor at Watkinson School in Hartford, Connecticut and a private SAT Preparation Tutor.
Clear Choice Prep provides a turn key solution for tutors and test prep companies. Their software and content together provides an engaging, high quality experience for students and helps test prep companies differentiate themselves in the marketplace.