[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-620921-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-620921-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","adaptive-testing-an-introduction","Adaptive Testing - an Introduction","","Adaptive testing introduces computer adaptive tests (CATs) that select question difficulty based on a learner’s prior responses, creating a tailored assessment experience. The briefing outlines adaptive assessment as an item-selection process and distinguishes approaches such as item response theory (IRT) and knowledge space theory, focusing on IRT-based systems using an item bank. It summarizes key benefits and limitations, then describes educational use in Scotland and Wales alongside likely future adoption in England.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/adaptive-testing-an-introduction/620921/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/adaptive-testing-an-introduction/620921.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Jordan Avery","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-02","2026-10-20",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":33},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What is a computer adaptive test (CAT)?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"A CAT is an assessment delivered on a computer that adjusts the difficulty of each question based on whether the student answers previous questions correctly.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How does adaptive assessment select which questions to present?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"In IRT-based CATs, items are chosen from a large, quality-assured item bank, and the next question depends on the current estimate of the student’s ability from earlier responses.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What are the main benefits and drawbacks of computerised adaptive testing?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"Benefits include a tailored experience and flexibility. Drawbacks include limited applicability to mainstream qualifications and the fact that raw test scores are no longer a direct indicator of performance.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},620921,1792667916,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,94,99,104,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},70,"exam",{"id":95,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":100,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":33,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":115,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},1099523882367,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","Adaptive testing: an introduction  \nAssessment Research and Innovation  \nYaw Bimpeh and David West  \nKey points  \n• A computer adaptive test (CAT) is an assessment administered on a computer that selects the difficulty level of each question depending on whether a student answered previous questions correctly.  \n• The benefits of computerised adaptive testing include a tailored experience for students and flexibility of assessment.  \n• Drawbacks of computerised adaptive testing include limited applicability to mainstream qualifications and the fact that a student’s raw test scores are no longer a direct indicator of performance. CATs are not suitable for all subjects and cannot assess all skill types.  \n• In Scotland, children take adaptive tests in literacy and numeracy for the Scottish National Standardised Assessments, which provide teachers with diagnostic information and policymakers with national data on student progression. In Wales , statutory personalised assessments in reading and numeracy use adaptive tests and are available to take throughout the school year for learners in Years 2 to 9.  \n• GCSE and A-level subjects in England that may be more likely to adopt CATs in future – assuming assessments were in on-screen format – include Computer Science, Mathematics , Science, Economics , and Geography.  \n1. Introduction  \nA computer adaptive test (CAT) is an assessment administered on a computer that matches the difficulty level of each question or item to the ability level of the candidate. CATs have potential benefits over conventional fixed-form assessment, whether delivered via pen and paper or in anon-screen format.  \nIn future, it is anticipated that more large-scale educational assessments may be delivered using CATs , potentially including GCSEs and A-levels. However, there are still complexities and challenges involved in significantly increasing the use of CATs in the English education system.  \nThis briefing explores the following questions.  \n• What is adaptive assessment?  \n• What is the history of adaptive tests?  \n• How do computer adaptive assessments work?  \n• What types of questions can make use of adaptive assessment?  \n• What are the benefits of adaptive assessment?  \n• What are the challenges of adaptive assessment?  \n2. What is adaptive assessment?  \nAdaptive assessment ‘involves the selection of test items [questions] during the process of administering a test so that the items administered to each individual are appropriate in difficulty for that individual’. 1  \nThere are two main approaches to adaptive assessment implemented in existing assessment systems. One is based on so-called item response theory (IRT) , which uses a statistical model to estimate a numerical value for each individual’s level of proficiency in a subject. The other uses what is known as knowledge space theory: a mathematical way of representing the learning objectives for a subject and then estimating a learner’s ‘location’ on the various paths between no knowledge of the subject and mastery of the subject. The rest of this briefing focuses on adaptive assessments based on IRT.  \nItems are selected by a computer from a large item bank – a database of standardised, qualityassured questions. From this resource, the computer designs a bespoke assessment in real time to suit each individual student.  \nThe computer’s selection of the next question presented to a student depends on the current estimate of the student’s ability, based on their answers to previous questions.  \n2.1 Examples of CATs in education  \nIn Scotland and Wales , children take adaptive tests in literacy and numeracy:  \n• the Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSA) provide Scottish teachers with diagnostic information on aspects of reading, writing and numeracy  \n• in Wales , personalised assessments in reading and numeracy are currently statutory for learners in maintained schools from Years 2 to 9.  \nOutside the UK, well-known CATs in educational ","cbCaikkqZPaDRU9v","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaikkqZPaDRU9v","pdf",256652,"English","# Key points\n# 1. Introduction\n# 2. What is adaptive assessment?\n## 2.1 Examples of CATs in education\n# 3. What is the history of adaptive tests? \n# 4. How computer adaptive assessments work","[{\"question\":\"What is a computer adaptive test (CAT)?\",\"answer\":\"A CAT is an assessment delivered on a computer that adjusts the difficulty of each question based on whether the student answers previous questions correctly.\"},{\"question\":\"How does adaptive assessment select which questions to present?\",\"answer\":\"In IRT-based CATs, items are chosen from a large, quality-assured item bank, and the next question depends on the current estimate of the student’s ability from earlier responses.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the main benefits and drawbacks of computerised adaptive testing?\",\"answer\":\"Benefits include a tailored experience and flexibility. Drawbacks include limited applicability to mainstream qualifications and the fact that raw test scores are no longer a direct indicator of performance.\"}]","Adaptive Testing - an Introduction | PDF",1792464750,23]