Help your students prepare for an adaptive exam.
What is an adaptive exam?
An adaptive exam adjusts the level of difficulty based on individual students' abilities. This difficulty level will change throughout the test. The questions are not pre-selected but are determined based on a student's response to the previous question. When a student gets questions correct, the subsequent questions will incrementally increase in difficulty. The reverse is also true; if a student answers questions incorrectly, the next question will be at an easier level.
At the beginning of an adaptive test, all students will see questions at an average level of difficulty. Then, going forward, the following questions a student sees will be based on their answers to the previous questions.
This means that every student has a unique experience when sitting an adaptive exam. Adaptive exams are always online tests as they use an adaptive algorithm.
Top Tips
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Accuracy is key, particularly at the start of an adaptive exam. Students should aim to get as far through an adaptive test as possible, without getting a question incorrect. This will allow them to have a higher chance of unlocking the more challenging questions. More challenging questions are worth more marks if answered correctly. Thus, it is very important to avoid making silly mistakes at the start of the test.
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Encourage your students to get into the habit of checking their answers as they go. It is important to note that students cannot go back and check their answers in an adaptive exam. The adaptive algorithm requires the previous answer to determine the next question. There is also no 'skip' button in an adaptive exam. Students must submit an answer to every question before moving on. If you have a student who tends to rush through tests, it is key to focus on slowing down as part of their exam preparation. This will ensure they have the best chance of getting as many questions correct and accessing the most challenging questions.
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Maximise the full-time limit. As mentioned above, students cannot go back and check their answers at the end of the test if they finish early. Thus, children should not rush to get to the end of the test, as any time left over at the end cannot be spent checking through answers. In some adaptive exams, there are no set question numbers. Going quickly and rushing will lead to incorrect answers and therefore easier questions which will not be scored as highly. Again, students must use all of the available time to be as accurate as possible and answer every question to the best of their ability.
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Use process of elimination. Adaptive exams generally use multiple-choice questions. This is a great opportunity for your students to use "process of elimination" as part of their exam technique if they are stuck or are finding a question challenging. As the questions are multiple-choice, children will always have a starting point to work from. If they are unsure, they should begin by ruling out any options that are incorrect to narrow down the number of possible answers. They can then make an educated guess.
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Reassure children that it is okay for the test to become more challenging throughout and that actually, this is a good sign! It is important to prepare your students with this knowledge so that they don't become discouraged if they find the questions more difficult. Before exam day, make sure they are confident with what an adaptive exam looks like it. For example: being easier at the start and harder at the end - to ensure they feel prepared and confident ahead of their test.
Mock tests are so useful in the preparation process as they mirror the question styles, adaptive process and timing of a real test. The difference is that children can review their transcripts after the mock test is complete which is a wonderful opportunity to learn from their mistakes before the real thing!
Contact schools@atomlearning.co.uk to learn more about how you can use mock tests at your school.