Column

  1. TOP
  2. Column
  3. What are the benefits of outsourcing test administration?

What are the benefits of outsourcing test administration?

May 16, 2024
  • CBT
  • Test management

Test management requires a wide range of tasks, from preparation to post-test processing. Test management agencies can outsource this enormous amount of work. Even if you handle the work in-house when the test is first launched, as the scale of the test expands, the work will not keep up and in-house support will often reach its limits. In such cases, you should consider outsourcing the test management. In this article, we will explain the benefits of outsourcing test management.

1. The resources required for test operation can be reduced.

Running a test involves a huge amount of work. For example, the following tasks are required:

When preparing for an exam
  • Deciding on the test outline and details
  • Test Center Arrangements
  • Arrangements for staff on the day and consideration of placement
  • Exam application acceptance
  • Administrative tasks such as allocating exam Test Center to Candidate and sending exam tickets
  • Establishing the workflow and manual for the day
  • Test question creation
  • Inquiry correspondence
When the test is conducted
  • Reception and Test Center information
  • Exam Supervisor
  • Arrangement of exam papers and stationery
  • Security measures
After the test
  • Scoring and notification of results
  • Analytical Processing
  • Candidate status management

In addition to these tasks, there are many other small adjustments and arrangements to make, and running an exam is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. The more Candidate there are and the larger the scale of the exam, the more difficult it becomes to secure Test Center and staff, and to manage Candidate.

Outsourcing test administration frees you from many of these administrative tasks. There is no need to secure Test Center or staff, and you can outsource everything from pre-test preparation to post-test processing, allowing you to significantly reduce the in-house resources required for test administration.

2. You can focus on your core business.

The actual job of the exam organizer is not detailed administrative tasks. It is marketing and PR activities to raise the profile of the exam, increase the number of Candidate, and enhance the value of the exam. In addition, quality control of the exam is also an important job. However, if you are too busy with exam administration tasks, you will not have time to devote to these core tasks.

By outsourcing your testing operations, you can focus on your core business.

3. Prevent work from becoming dependent on individuals.

If test administration is assigned to a specific staff member, it will lead to dependency on that person, meaning that the work cannot be carried out without that person.

It is said that personalization has many disadvantages. For example, if there is a problem with the way the person in charge conducts their work or the quality of their work, there is no one to point it out. The work becomes a black box, making it difficult to give a fair evaluation. In addition, if the person in charge takes a leave of absence due to illness or resigns for personal reasons, there is a risk that work will stagnate.

By introducing outsourcing, business processes are organized and visualized, and are shared across the board, preventing them from becoming dependent on individual staff.

4. You can utilize specialized knowledge of test administration.

There are not many people with the know-how to operate exams. In that respect, exam operation agencies are professionals with a wealth of experience and a proven track record. It is a great advantage to have people with the specialized knowledge and know-how required for exam operation involved in the operation of the exam.

Because of their specialized know-how, they can follow up on even the smallest details of test administration and respond to new needs. In addition, it is expected that Test Format will change in the future using advanced technologies such as AI, and exam administration agencies are well versed in information about new Test Format and services. In order to evolve exams and increase their value in the future, it is necessary to utilize the specialized knowledge and know-how of exam administration agencies.

5. We can provide an environment where test takers can take the exam with peace of mind.

Various problems can occur during an exam, such as the need to change the exam date due to sudden illness, or natural disasters such as earthquakes or heavy snow on the day of the exam. If you entrust the administration of the exam to an experienced exam administration agency, they can handle things like rescheduling the exam date smoothly, so candidates can take the exam with peace of mind.

In addition, by choosing an exam administration agency that has many Test Center across Japan and has an environment where exams can be taken under the same conditions anywhere, the fairness of the exam can be guaranteed and test takers can feel even more at ease. Stable exam administration will increase the value of the exam and the number of Candidate can be expected to increase.

6. Labor costs and other costs can be reduced.

When outsourcing the administration of exams, costs will be paid to the administration company. This cost is a bottleneck, and there are many cases where companies are unable to decide to outsource.

However, the amount of work involved in running the exam is enormous, and it takes up a lot of employee resources. Even if you hire new staff due to a lack of manpower, it takes time and effort to train them to be a valuable asset. When you add up the costs of Test Center and external staff on the day, it all adds up to a huge amount.

As a result, outsourcing is considered to be more cost-effective than in-house production. When conducting testing in-house, fixed labor costs are incurred even during periods of low workload, even if temporary or contract employees are used. Another advantage of outsourcing is that costs are only incurred according to the work, so there is no need for unnecessary costs.

summary

Exam administration is complicated and involves a huge amount of work. By outsourcing the work to an exam administration agency, you can reduce the workload and focus on your core business. In recent years, exams have increasingly been conducted using computers, rather than paper-based group exams (PBT). When considering outsourcing exam administration, we recommend consulting with an exam administration agency that handles CBT exams, where participants gather at Test Center to answer questions delivered to a computer, and IBT exams, where participants take online exams at home or elsewhere, regardless of Test Center.

When outsourcing to a test administration agency, be sure to check the number of Test Center, security measures, etc. We have provided a detailed explanation in our column "How to Choose a CBT Administration Agency? 7 Points to Check," so please refer to it.

Prometric has strengths in the number of Test Center, quality, and security, and has established a system that can handle everything from application to analysis. With world-class test administration in 180 countries around the world, we provide an environment where Candidate can take the test with peace of mind.

Questions about introducing CBT, consultation on operation, fees, etc.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

LANGUAGE