Best Online Assessment Software

What is the Online Assessment Software?

Online assessment software refers to the digital platform that is used to test students’ and employees’ skills. It is used by HR professionals to digitize the recruitment process. Similarly, teachers can use the software to conduct online tests. The procedure is similar to the traditional, pen-paper examination system. The only difference is the method used to conduct the exam. You can upload the test questions on the internet, allowing the candidates to complete the test online.

Schools are embracing digital tools to improve students’ academic performances while streamlining the regular administrative operations. Not only do these tools simplify the hectic manual processes, but it allows teachers to use their time on productive activities. Online assessment tools simplify the process by allowing the recruiters and educational institutions to determine the abilities or potential of the candidate.

Online assessment software features a broad range of tools that can be used to conduct virtual examinations, evaluate the employees’ or students’ skills, and generate reports based on their performance. Usually, companies integrate online assessment software with the learning management system to streamline basic manual operations.

Common Features of Online Assessment Solution

The online assessment software is designed to streamline a broad range of recruitment and examination processes. The feature-rich assessment software enables the education management system and the HR team to streamline the examination process.

It is, therefore, important for companies to check and compare the features included in the online assessment software. Depending on the size of your institution, you may need to hire a system that comes loaded with modern assessment tools, such as reports and analytics. You may also need to get add-ons.

Here, we are presenting some of the vital features that you must take into consideration when shopping for online assessment software.

1. Assessment Battery

The assessment battery can be defined as the group of tests that are conducted together in order to evaluate the problem-solving talent of the candidate. Now, the pattern of these tests depends on the particular job position and the employer’s requirements.

Let’s take the job of a coder, for example. When a company is looking for a professional programmer, it can use the test battery module to organize a series of coding tests to evaluate the knowledge of the programmer.

In addition to the problem-solving skills, the assessment battery is widely used for developing a test that can evaluate the personality, behavior, and other characteristics of the candidate. After all, soft skills are as important as hard skills.

Cognitive tests can be conducted to improve the quality of the hiring process for the company. You can conduct a range of tests, including but not limited to sales profiler, domain, and aptitude assessments to determine the competency of the candidate.

Assessment battery can be defined as the combination of these assessments that are used to identify the potential of the candidate in terms of their domain knowledge and social behavior.

2. Proctoring

Nowadays, security and transparency have become the main concerns of evaluators. They pay special attention to the security system before conducting the assessment. The online assessment software comes packed with a wide variety of security tools that guarantee a cheating-proof examination environment. The AI-enabled features and anti-cheat modules ensure that all the participants complete their assessments in a timely and authentic manner.

The online remote proctoring module is designed to make the assessment software as authentic and transparent as possible. Some of the common tools included in the security package are facial recognition, smartphone and other device detection, and distraction detection. The software ensures that no candidate cheats or uses malpractices during the examination.

3. Test Questions

Trying to determine the proficiency of the candidate without adding the subject-relevant questions to the test paper is useless. In order to assess the applicant’s knowledge and qualifications, you are going to have to add different types of questions to the assessment.

The online assessment software allows you to add all kinds of questions, including case studies, diagrams, fill-in-the-blanks, objective-type questions, and so on. This module allows you to create questions in different formats to evaluate the real potential of your candidates.

4. Analytical Reports

Now, generating comprehensive reports is no longer a challenging task with the right online assessment software system. The tool enables the evaluator to calculate the grades of each candidate based on their performance in the assessments.

It enables you to get full insights into each candidate’s performance. You could choose either the standard reports or customized reports. The best part is that you get to generate flexible reports using AI-based analytics.

These reports can also be used to gather insights into the overall performance of the candidates, such as the average time they take to complete the test, the average mark scored, and so on.

5. Assessment Management

Educational institutions know the importance of the digital system for conducting exams and regular assessments. The performance of students can be judged based on how well they complete their exams. Now, tests are not confined to the annual exams that are conducted on a yearly basis.

It rather involves a series of tests that are organized every now and then. You must have heard of the formative assessments and summative assessments. Besides that, employers may have to conduct self-assessment tests to ascertain the soft skills of each candidate. The assessment management software can be used for running all types of exams and regular assessment tests efficiently.

6. White Labeling

The white label is another crucial feature of the online assessment software. White labeling refers to the process of obtaining the legal rights for using the services rendered by another company. This feature helps improve the brand’s credibility.

White labeling helps you develop brand awareness by using your brand name for the product rendered by another company. When it comes to online assessment software, white labeling allows you to customize the interface and logo of the software. It gives you a golden opportunity to customize your brand to your requirements.

Who Uses an Online Assessment System?

The HR professionals are often on the lookout for a comprehensive system to hire the most talented candidates for the vacancies. The online assessment platform makes it possible for the human resource team to conduct multiple tests and evaluate the performance of the applicants seamlessly.

Not only the HR team, but the assessment software has proven to be useful for educational institutions and government sectors as well. It is an ideal platform for companies that often have recruitment requirements. Using the online assessment tool, you can conduct exams across multiple domains.

1. Corporate Sector

Businesses no longer rely on traditional methods to hire fresh talents. They rather choose the online assessment software system to accelerate the recruitment and employee onboarding process. Thanks to the centralized assessment solution. The process of assessing the proficiency and skills of professional and entry-level candidates has become quite a smooth and simple process. Companies can hire candidates based on their behavior, cognitive skills, communication, experience, qualifications, and past records.

The software helps companies assess a large number of applicants. It minimizes the assessment cost and optimizes the recruitment process. Using the online assessment solution, you can match the skill and qualifications of each candidate with your company’s requirements. Overall, the system improves the quality of your hire and streamlines the employee onboarding process.

2. Educational Institutions

Schools and colleges need to evaluate the students’ performance and skills regularly. Educational institutions conduct tests and exams periodically.  The software ensures the transparency of the exam. It helps you conduct the entrance tests, monthly semesters, quizzes, and regular assessment tests. The online assessment software solution has streamlined the examination and assessment process.

It keeps the examination process simpler while allowing you to assess the individual’s competencies easily. It prevents the risk of impersonation. Even famous universities have started to use online assessment software to measure the students’ potential and skills.

3. Government Sector

The online assessment software is used by the government bodies for hiring qualified and most deserving candidates for government departments. The comprehensive reports and in-depth proficiency evaluation make the assessment platform a credible and reliable platform to recruit the best candidate for the vacancies.

With only a few available vacancies in the government departments and a large volume of applications, the solution assessment software makes it easier for the recruiters to find the best candidate for the position.

The assessment software is mainly used by the human resource team for streamlining the recruitment process. It helps you automate the hiring procedure right from the screening. It allows you to handle a large number of applications from a single platform. You can also filter the applicants by specific skills and qualifications.

Top Reasons You Need the Best Online Assessment Software?

Online assessment software has a broad range of applications in different sectors. The private, government and corporate industries need a quality assessment tool to streamline the recruitment and examination process for the candidates.

It goes without saying that this digitized method of assessment is better and safer than the traditional assessment technology. The online assessment software is designed to avoid all sorts of malpractices, offer an excellent experience to the candidates, and improve the hiring quality. Let’s take a look at the reasons you need the best online assessment software for your business:

1. Reduced Workload

Moving assessments and examinations online can save teachers and recruiters a lot of time on administrative tasks. You could conduct a sequence of examinations online. For example, collecting the test papers and sending them to the evaluators can be a time-consuming and tricky task.

With the online assessment tool, you can move the entire examination process to the digital platform. From gathering the applicants on a single automated system to assessing their performance, you can carry out almost all the hectic management tasks online.

2. Transparent Exam Rules

Setting the exam rules and question papers for hundreds of thousands of students has become possible with the online assessment software systems. You can set the papers class-wise and section-wise. In fact, some modules allow you to set special criteria for the negative points as well as bonus marks.

The basic guidelines you can set using the online assessment software include the total time allowed for students to complete the exam, marks for each question, auto-scoring features on multiple-choice questions, and more.

3. Attend Exams Anytime and Anywhere

The major benefit of the online assessment software solution is that it enables the students to complete the exam from any location. It depends on the evaluator whether they would like to put time constraints or not. The exams with no time restrictions enable students to complete the test at any time.

The teachers can customize the examination criteria to their specific requirements. This restricts the geographical restrictions. Now, students who live in different cities can participate in online assessments from remote locations. They don’t need to visit the examination center for tests.

4. Issue Results Quickly

Checking a large bundle of test papers happens to be the most challenging and time-consuming task for evaluators. What makes it even more challenging is the fact that traditional assessment methods result in manual errors. Some questions do not even need manual checking.

For instance, multiple-choice questions can be checked electronically. The auto-scorable feature allows teachers to calculate the total marks scored by the student without making errors. You can even publish the results online.

5. Higher Security

As mentioned above, online assessment software open source features a range of security protocols and anti-cheat solutions that prevent any form of malpractices during the examination. The software comes packed with security tools that are capable of detecting devices and students’ movements throughout the exam. The evaluator gets a chance to monitor each applicant until they complete the test. As long as you have the online assessment software in place, you don’t have to worry about security issues.

Not only does it prevent cheating during the examination, but the security tools incorporated into the assessment software can record students’ personal details and examination-related information in a centralized system. It also provides the invigilator with a safe and smart way to keep an eye on the students from home. They don’t need to spend time and money visiting the examination center.

6. Saves Money

One of the main reasons schools and organizations are embracing this digital shift is the amount of money they can save on unnecessary expenses. Now, educational institutions do not need a large volume of test papers. Most importantly, they don’t have to set up the surveillance system in the examination hall or arrange furniture and other necessary equipment for candidates.

Besides that, it saves you a lot of time on administrative tasks. Think about it – you don’t have to execute the paper delivery, marking, score calculation, and even evaluation process. Everything can be automated and streamlined with the online assessment tool.

You don’t have to pay a fee to the invigilators, rental exam hall, printed question papers, staff fee, courier charges, and so on. The assessment software solution is designed to reduce your overheads. This digital transformation can save you a substantial amount in the long run.

7. Flexible Tool for Candidates

Candidates find the pen-paper-based solution quite inflexible. It involves a large distance, especially if the examination center is located far away from the city. Carrying all those ID cards and exam credentials to the exam center gets a little challenging for students. The assessment and examination software makes it super convenient for students to write the test from remote locations.

They can even complete the exam from home (if the faculty allows it). Not only for students, but the assessment software has proven to be a flexible and convenient solution for job applicants too. It helps candidates get rid of anxiety, which is quite common in traditional interview sessions.

8. Easy to Use

Contrary to what you may believe, online assessment or school management software is easy-to-use software with simple tools. The students and job applicants do not need technical knowledge to be able to operate the software. The authorities give them access to the question papers and other sections where they can fill in their exam details, such as roll number, name, address, contact details, and so on.

They are guided throughout the process. You can even set up the test tutorial for students, making it easier for them to get familiar with the test pattern before they start the exam. The intuitive design and simple user interface make the online assessment software an ideal option for remote applicants.

Complexity is never going to be your concern as long as you opt for customized and easy-to-use assessment software. If complexity is your main concern, you could offer training to students or job applicants in advance.

9. Quality Assessments

The student’s exam experience gets better with online assessment software. You can set up voice-based questions, graphs that need plotting, objective-type questions, and more. Overall, the software provides your students with an interactive test experience.

Your candidates and students tend to have a better perception of your brand when they get a personalized test experience. Even if you are currently focusing on the MCQs and the simple questions, you have the opportunity to expand the question range in the future.

Top Market Trends for Online Assessment Solution

Assessment plays an integral part in evaluating the knowledge and skills of the candidate. There is no denying that a large number of educational institutions and corporate organizations have been embracing a shift in the online assessment industry.

All thanks to the advanced features and some exciting modules that come loaded in the software system. Now, organizations are moving to an online system that’s far more flexible, efficient, and most importantly systematic.

You don’t need to be present in the examination center or the interview venue to participate in the assessment. Even employees and students based in different cities and countries can complete their assignments from their homes.

That’s how convenient it has gotten these days. While the standard online assessment software is loaded with effective functions and modules that allow you to run your organization and examinations effectively, researchers expect a few crucial trends that are expected to dominate the online assessment software industry in the coming years. Let’s take a look at the top trends:

1. Multilingual Assessment Tool

One of the major difficulties online educational institutions face is language problems. If you want to expand your organization on a global level, then you are going to need a translator and an interpreter to help students navigate around the online assessment software. However, that can prove costly and inefficient. The multilingual assessment software can be your ideal option if you are planning to invite international students to your competitive courses and other educational programs.

2. AI-powered Reports

It is important to generate comprehensive reports to identify the students’ exam patterns. AI-enabled reports allow you to ascertain the skills and proficiency of each candidate. These reports will allow you to plan your future assessment strategies based on the student’s preferences. You could use AI-enabled analytics to find out your audiences’ browsing history and the courses they are interested in.

3. Cloud-based Online Assessment Tool

Gone are the days when educational institutions had to pay thousands of dollars as an upfront cost for the implementation of on-premises assessment software. Nowadays, the cloud-based solution is gaining immense popularity. Not only does it offer high-security features, but the software installed in the cloud can be synced with other devices. You can use this software across any device, including your smartphones, tablets, and PCs. All you need is the login details.

4. Proctoring Tools

Most evaluators stick to the traditional examination system as they believe the online assessment software has loose security protocols.  The latest assessment software solutions come packed with advanced proctoring tools that allow invigilators to keep an eye on the examinees throughout the assessment.

Some software systems feature device and distraction detection systems. You could use these proctoring tools to enhance the security of your assessment software system. With these robust and anti-cheat security tools in place, you don’t have to worry about malpractices and cheating during the examination.

Which Online Assessment Software is an Ideal Option for Different Types of Buyers

As mentioned before, different types of organizations need a smart and robust online assessment software application to carry out the daily assessments. The type of software that makes a perfect fit for your organization will depend on your company and the standards you follow. The common types of assessment software applications are:

SMEs:

If you are running a small or medium scale organization, then you need the basic online assessment tool that’s designed specifically for small-scale businesses. It comes packed with a decent set of features that simplify your recruitment process and handle a large number of applicants. However, the modules included in such a type of software application are limited. If you expand your operations in the future, you will need to replace or upgrade the assessment software so that it meets the organizational objectives.

Enterprise-Level Software:

As the name suggests, this software application is designed for large-scale companies and reputable educational institutions that need to manage mountains of paperwork and assessments to organize. This software app offers you a wide array of features that streamline all sorts of manual checking, grading, and other such operations. Usually, the enterprise-level software solution is quite costly. It comes with a high subscription and licensing fee.

That being said, the enterprise-level online assessment software is highly recommended for large corporations and educational institutions that have to conduct assessments tests on a regular basis. If you invite hundreds of job applicants and students to your assessment tests, then the advanced assessment software will be a perfect option for you.

Tips for Choosing the Best Online Assessment System

Sifting through a large volume of applications has always been a challenging task for the human resource department. Not only does it consume a significant amount of time, but manual recruitment operations can lead to errors. Large corporations end up outsourcing the hiring jobs to a professional recruitment agency. While it does reduce your workload, it can cost your business thousands of dollars.

Similarly, conducting assessments and examinations on a monthly basis can be a time-consuming and expensive procedure. That being said, it makes sense for businesses and educational institutions to invest in a reliable and high-quality online assessment software solution. Instead of relying on third parties and freelancers, why don’t you simplify the assessment management task by handling all sorts of candidates’ assessments and exams from a centralized system?

Choosing the most suitable and cost-effective online assessment solution can get a little challenging, especially for beginners. So, if you are having a hard time making a decision, you have come to the right place. Below we have listed a few crucial factors that must be taken into account when shopping for online assessment software.

1. Customization

The assessment software that comes loaded with a limited set of features will not do. Nowadays, educational institutions and corporations require a versatile and customizable software application that can be customized to your specific requirements. It is important to note that each institution has unique requirements.

Chances are the exam pattern you follow differs from the standard assessment structure. The typical online assessment software will not fit your requirements. You should rather look for a custom-built software application that supports customization.

2. Scalable and Well-Equipped

If you are running an educational institution, then you might have regular assessments and examination requirements. Besides that, chances are you will want to expand your operations in the future. The reliable and scalable online assessment software system is the one that can help you conduct a multitude of exams on a regular basis.

Moreover, the system you purchase must be scalable, meaning it must adapt to the growing business requirements. You will not want to replace the online assessment tool just because the outdated version can’t handle a large number of tests and applications. The common tests you may want to conduct using this automated software include aptitude, cognitive, psychometric, and coding.

3. Check the Features Assessment Software Reviews

As mentioned above, more and more organizations are in search of a custom-built online assessment software solution. You need a system that is equipped for your specific requirements. List all the challenges you are facing with the traditional assessment pattern and find a system that could resolve all your major problems. Match the features of the software with your requirements.

4. Personalized Experience

Candidate experience is another crucial factor to consider when buying online assessment software. You don’t want to get stuck with a system that makes it super challenging for students and job applicants to understand the functions of the system. For a personalized user experience, you will need the AI-powered online assessment software application.

A system that caters to the individual requirements of each candidate will be the best fit for your company. Not only does it have an easy-to-use interface, but all options and features in the software are easily accessible to the users. It must allow you to upload questions in a comprehensible format and language. Try to find a system that supports multimedia content, such as videos, texts, images, infographics, charts, graphs, and so on.

5. Security Functions

A lot is put at stake during the assessment and examination procedure. For example, the student’s personal information and the answer sheets need to be secured so that they are only accessible to authorized users. Note that online assessment software applications come packed with different security protocols.

Some systems allow you to encrypt crucial data, while others feature a two-factor authentication system to prevent unauthorized access to the solution. Most of the cloud-based assessment software solutions support data encryption.

6. Mobile-compatibility

The mobile-compatible assessment modules have opened several opportunities for students. Now, people based in different corners of the world can take tests and collect their results from a single platform. Unfortunately, not all online assessment software apps are compatible with multiple devices. A majority of users prefer smartphones when it comes to online tests. After all, everyone cannot afford laptops and expensive gadgets.

With that being said, you must look for a software application that is compatible with mobiles and tablets. It must allow the candidates to participate in the assessments using their mobiles. A mobile-friendly software system enables teachers to upload question papers on mobiles. This makes it possible for your target audience to access the question papers, their assessment reports, and grades on the go.

7. 24/7 Support System

Find a vendor who offers a 24/7 support service. They must have a reliable customer support service department that offers sincere answers to all your queries. There is a chance you might encounter technical issues with online assessment software at some point. If you don’t have a professional IT team, then it is going to get super challenging to get these issues fixed. That’s when the customer support service steps in.

You can contact the support department at any time. A reliable service provider will help you at every stage. They offer support via email, live chat, phone, and other mediums to ensure seamless communication. Every vendor offers training during the implementation stage. However, not all are ready to provide support post-implementation.

Remember that you are going to need quality support services during and after the software installation process. That’s the reason why it is important to consider the quality of the support system the company offers before making a purchase

8. Integration

Finally, online assessment software must be compatible with third-party software apps. You will not want to replace the learning management software, quiz maker software, coaching class software, and other such ERP software solutions. So, look for an online assessment system that can be integrated with the existing apps.

Closing Line

Online assessment software has become an important tool in today’s technology-driven world. Regardless of the size and nature of your organization, you will need to automate the recruitment and candidate’s skill assessment process in the coming years. The software enables teachers to set questions ranging from MCQs to void-based solutions. It also simplifies the scoring and evaluation process.