What is meant by a Computer Adaptive Test?

In each of these tests, one or more sections contain multiple choice questions. For each multiple-choice section of the test, there is a large pool of potential questions ranging from a low to high level of difficulty. Each section of the test starts with a question of moderate difficulty. If you answer the first question correctly, the computer will give you a harder question next. If you answer the first question incorrectly, your next
question will be easier i.e., the level of difficulty of the next question varies with whether the current question has been answered correctly or not. This process will continue until you complete the section, at which point the computer will have an accurate assessment of your ability level in that section of the test i.e., a computer adaptive test automatically adjusts to your skill level. In a computer-adaptive test, only one question at a time is presented. Because the computer scores each question before selecting the next one, you may not skip, return to, or change your responses to previous questions.

In a computer adaptive test, your score is determined by:

• the number of questions you answer
• whether you answer the questions correctly or incorrectly
• the level of difficulty and other statistical characteristics of each question; difficult questions carry more marks

The questions in an adaptive test are weighted according to their difficulty and other statistical properties, not according to their position in the test.