Computer-based testing (CBT) has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional paper-based examinations. By moving assessments online, institutions can streamline exam administration, simplify grading, improve the candidate experience, and gain faster access to results.

But conducting a successful online computer-based test involves more than simply putting questions on a screen. From creating the exam and preparing questions to registering candidates, delivering the assessment, grading responses, and releasing results, each stage needs to be carefully planned.

This guide walks you through the key steps involved in conducting an online assessment successfully.

1. Create the Exam

The first step in conducting an online computer-based test is creating the examination within your chosen CBT or online exam platform.

Several important details need to be configured at this stage:

• Exam name: Choose a clear and recognizable name. Candidates should immediately understand which assessment they are about to take.
• Start time: Specify the date and time when the exam becomes available. Candidates should not be able to access it before the scheduled start.
• Duration: Set the amount of time each candidate has to complete the assessment. Once the allocated time expires, the candidate's session is normally terminated and further responses cannot be submitted.
• End time: Set the date and time after which the examination is no longer accessible. The way this works can vary between CBT systems; in many platforms, the duration timer, not the overall end time is what ends an individual candidate's session.
• Start instructions: Provide candidates with all the information they need before beginning the exam.
• End instructions: Include any information candidates need to know after completing the assessment.
• Additional options: Depending on the platform, you may be able to configure features such as displaying results immediately, automatically emailing results, or providing access to a calculator.

Taking the time to configure these settings clearly can help create a smoother and more predictable online exam experience for both examiners and candidates.

2. Prepare Your Questions

Question preparation is one of the most important, and often most demanding parts of creating an effective assessment. Whether you are conducting a paper-based exam or an online computer-based test, the questions need to accurately measure the knowledge and skills you want to assess.

An online assessment platform can support a wide range of question formats, including:

• Multiple choice (MCQ): One correct answer
• Multiple response: More than one correct answer
• True or false
• Matching
• Ordering
• Sorting
• Fill-in-the-gap
• Short answer
• Essay
• Hot spot
• Computational questions: Including mathematics and coding
• Diagram-based questions

The range of available question types gives examiners greater flexibility when designing assessments for different subjects and learning objectives.

However, creating and editing large numbers of questions can be time-consuming. CBT Hub provides authoring tools designed to simplify this process, including the ability to import questions from a Microsoft Word file, edit questions using a visual authoring tool, and use artificial intelligence assistance.

3. Register Your Candidates

Once the exam and questions are ready, the next step is to add the candidates who will be taking the assessment.

There are two common approaches to candidate registration:

Candidate Registration

With this approach, candidates enter their own details into the system and are automatically registered.

Examiner Registration

Here, the examiner enters the candidates' information into the system. Candidates are then notified about the examination and provided with the information they need to access it.

The amount of information required depends on the online exam system being used. At a minimum, the platform needs sufficient information to authenticate candidates and allow them to access the correct assessment. This may include details such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, and passwords.

For organizations conducting exams for large groups, manual registration can become particularly time-consuming.

CBT Hub uses the examiner registration approach and provides Microsoft Excel/CSV import functionality to simplify bulk candidate registration.

4. Deliver the Online Exam

After the exam has been created, questions prepared, and candidates registered, the assessment is ready for delivery.

Candidates should already have received the information they need to access the exam during the registration process. The actual test-taking experience should be straightforward, particularly when the instructions provided during exam creation are clear and easy to understand.

For institutions concerned about exam integrity, many computer-based testing platforms also offer features designed to help reduce malpractice during an online assessment.

Depending on the system, these measures can include:

• Randomizing questions and answer options
• Screen monitoring
• Camera tracking
• Keyboard and mouse behavior monitoring
• Full-screen or device lockdown
• Other forms of online exam proctoring

CBT Hub combines several of these approaches to help proctor online examinations and reduce candidate malpractice.

5. Grade the Exam

Automated grading is one of the major benefits of conducting an online computer-based test. Instead of requiring examiners to manually mark every response, the computer-based testing system can automatically calculate scores based on the scoring rules configured for the assessment.

However, grading does not always have to be a simple matter of marking an answer as right or wrong. Different assessments may require different scoring strategies.

Common approaches include:

• Number-right scoring (positive marking): Candidates receive points for correct answers and no points for blank or incorrect answers.
• Formula scoring (negative marking): Candidates receive points for correct answers but lose points for incorrect responses.
• Partial-credit scoring: Candidates receive partial points when their response is partly correct.

CBT Hub uses a partial-credit scoring strategy, with every question carrying equal weight.

Selecting the appropriate scoring method is important because it can influence how candidate performance is measured and reported.

6. Release and Present Results

The final stage of an online assessment is delivering the results to candidates. Depending on the examination and the platform being used, results can be made available immediately after the candidate completes the exam or released at a later date.

Online exam systems can present performance in several formats, including:

• Raw score: The total number of points earned. For example, answering seven out of ten questions correctly would produce a score of 7/10.
• Percentage score: The raw score converted to a percentage. A score of seven out of ten would become 70%.
• Scaled score: A standardized score that can account for differences in assessment difficulty.
• Cut-off score: The minimum score required to pass.
• Curve grading: Individual performance is adjusted in relation to the performance of the wider group of candidates.

An online exam platform can also give examiners control over when and how results are communicated.

With CBT Hub, examiners can decide whether candidates are allowed to view their results immediately and whether candidates should receive automatic notifications. CBT Hub also presents results as both raw scores and percentage scores.

Conclusion

Conducting an online computer-based test involves a series of connected steps: creating the exam, preparing questions, registering candidates, delivering the assessment, grading responses, and presenting results.

A well-designed CBT system can make each of these stages easier to manage while providing candidates with a clear and consistent testing experience.

For institutions looking to move beyond traditional paper-based examinations, choosing an online assessment platform with comprehensive exam creation, question authoring, candidate management, proctoring, automated grading, and results functionality can help simplify the entire assessment process.

CBT Hub provides tools across these key stages, from bulk candidate registration and question authoring to exam proctoring, automated scoring, and results management.