AlphaPlus Consultancy Ltd

Each year, all children aged 6-14 in Wales take on-paper tests in reading & maths, to identify areas where children & teachers need to focus their efforts to make progress.

The Welsh Government is moving the tests to an on-screen format, starting in 2018. AlphaPlus is leading the multi-partner project to develop new tests & new technologies for school testing.

The new personalised assessments are to be taken online and have been specifically designed for use in Wales. The adaptive assessments automatically adjust the level of the questions to match the individual taking the test, providing an appropriate level of challenge for each learner. The software estimates the candidate’s ability on a scale, and the purpose of each subsequent question is to refine the estimate, and reduce the error in that estimate, so questions are chosen to optimise those measurements. The tests also need to cover the curriculum, so the choice of questions also takes account of coverage.