I dont understand Adaptive Exams

Well if you answer a question, and say you get it wrong, the next question would presumably be "easier:...can you still go back and change your answer? They say that once you reach a certain difficulty, you simply pass the exam, regardless if you get to the last question. However, can you theoretically not reach that difficulty by the end of the exam, go back, and change your answers to the right ones?

Sorry if this is confusing, its a little hard to explain.

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Comments

royal

With adaptive exams, you cannot go back and redo your answer. As you said, if you answer your question and get it wrong, your next question will be easy. If you answer the question correctly, the next question will be more difficult. If you answer a bunch wrong your exam could finish sooner with a fail. The same can happen if you answer many difficult questions correctly. It will finish sooner and pass you.

Plantwiz

I'm not aware of any of the exams currently being adaptive, but there may be some.

Adaptive exams do not allow you to go back and answer/change answers. You answer and if you are correct, you theoretically get a more challenging or higher point value question. If you get it incorrect, you get a similar value question until you cannot get any 'easier' or run out of points.

When I took my A+, My core exam was 20 questions and my OS was 21. I probably missed 1 question on the OS OR the point I scored during my first several questions pushed me higher enough into the passing range then the exam stopped.

Likewise, I either got all my Core questions correct or answered enough point value correct that the exam stopped.

There is no way to know 100%. Though I'm pretty confident I got them all correct I really have no way to verify this.

The theory of adaptive exams was to limit the question poole and score the exam in such a way that once the minimum score was met the exam ended.

As I mentioned, I don't know of any exam that does this currently.

supertechCETma

An adaptive exam uses a statistical process of discovery. It first presents a question of moderate difficulty. When the examinee responds, the question is scored immediately. If correct, the test statistically re-estimates the person's ability at a higher level. The exam delivery algorithm then finds and presents a question that matches that higher ability. (If the first question is answered incorrectly, the opposite sequence occurs.) After the examinee responds to the second question correctly, the test re-estimates the examinee's ability as higher still; if incorrect, it re-estimates the ability as lower. The exam delivery algorithm then searches for a third question to match the new ability estimate. This process continues with the test gradually targeting the examinee's ability level. The exam ends when either the accuracy of the examinee ability estimate reaches a statistically acceptable level or when the maximum number of items has been presented.

Ten9t6

The others have pretty much covered everything... you can not go back...like most current Cisco tests.

Which test are you looking at that is adaptive? I haven't taken one of those since the NT4 track. I don't remember which test it was, but I got out of there with 12 questions.......even saying that, I did not like adaptive tests.

Vask3n

Well Im taking the CCNA Intro, and I believe it is adaptive

RussS

IMHO adaptive exams are bogus - part of the modern thought train that we should have no winners and no loosers

Webmaster

Vask3n wrote:

Well Im taking the CCNA Intro, and I believe it is adaptive

No it's not. None of the certifications we support at TechExams.net include adaptive exams.

Vask3n

Actually Johan, I just checked my Cisco Press book for the INTRO, and it explicity mentions that the exam does not allow you to return to previous questions. Therefore, it is to some extent adaptive.

JDMurray

Vask3n wrote:

Actually Johan, I just checked my Cisco Press book for the INTRO, and it explicity mentions that the exam does not allow you to return to previous questions. Therefore, it is to some extent adaptive.

An "adaptive exam" changes its question selection based on the user's (in)correct answers. Disallowing the ability to change previously answered questions does not make an exam "adaptive." Many non-adaptive exams also have this feature to add an additional degree of difficulty to the exam.

Trailerisf

Vask3n wrote:

Actually Johan, I just checked my Cisco Press book for the INTRO, and it explicity mentions that the exam does not allow you to return to previous questions. Therefore, it is to some extent adaptive.

Uh...no?

Webmaster

A random selection of questions is downloaded from prometric of VUE for your attempt. You will be presented will all those questions (if time allowed), in a predetermined random order. Whether you answer a particular question correct or incorrect doesn't influence the selection nor the order in which the questions are shown. I.o.w. the exam does not adapt to you.

and it explicity mentions that the exam does not allow you to return to previous questions. Therefore, it is to some extent adaptive.

In an adaptive exam the previous answer influences the next question, which is why you can't go back in adaptive exams. That doesn't mean that all exams in which you cannot go back are adaptive.

A teacher back in highschool had a funny analogy that applies to your conclusion. "Just because Miss X weares a blue coat doesn't mean that there's a Miss X in every blue coat." It was only funny because Miss X was another teacher with a very funny obnoxious blue coat, but I'm sure you get the point.

Vask3n

Ahh, thanks everyone for clearing it up for me.

I feel better know that it is not adaptive, but knowing I cant go back makes it a bit frightening. Anyway, on with the exam!