Kaplan IT Training Blog

Test models for IT certification exams: industry overview

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CERTIFICATION TEST TECHNIQUES
Troy McMillan

There is ongoing discussion throughout the IT certification community concerning the value of certification testing. Most of this discussion boils down to a small number of questions:

• Can standard multiple-choice certification tests accurately describe an individual’s technical knowledge?
• Do the limitations of the testing model(s) fail to measure hands-on knowledge?
• Isn’t it too easy to cheat with a multiple-choice model?

As the debate has raged, the major IT vendors ( Cisco, IBM, CompTIA, Microsoft, etc.) have tried various approaches to inspire confidence in certification testing as a valid tool. These are some of the item types and test formats we have seen in the past in an attempt to accomplish this:

Adaptive testing: Designed to seek out your weaknesses like a shark smelling blood. Continue Reading Test models for IT certification exams: industry overview…