CyberExam

Introduction

CyberExam is one of the easiest to use quizzing programs.  It does not require any programming to use.  The CyberExam web site provides more information. You can create exams, assign students to take them, and view the results, including statistics. 

You can install CyberExam in one of two different ways.  The first way is illustrated with the image below:

In this way, the CyberExam resides on a server.  Your College Technical Support Team would probably install it on the College server for all faculty to use.  You would use your Netscape browser to create the exams that would reside on the server.  Students would use the browser on their machines to take the exams that would reside on the server. 

The advantage of this method for installing CyberExam is that instructors don't need to install or administrate the CyberExam program.  They only need to create exams and assign them to students.

A second way to install CyberExam is illustrated below:

In this way, CyberExam resides on the instructor's computer.  You would be responsible for installing it yourself.  You would create exams using your Netscape browser, but the exams would reside on your personal computer.  Students would use the browser on their machines to take the exams residing on your computer.  This option allows you a great deal of flexibility, but you are required to administer CyberExam yourself and to operate a web server on your desktop computer.

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Cost and Availability

Current costs should always be determined from quotes directly from the company.

Virtual Learning Technologies allows downloading of demo version for 30 days. The demo version is fully functional.

Virtual Learning Technologies also allows downloading a Classroom version that is fully functional, does not expire, but will support only 50 test takers (students). For individual faculty this is a nice feature.

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Starting the CyberExam server

If your College technical support team is installing CyberExam, you will not need to perform this step. 

However, if you are running CyberExam on your own computer, then you will need to start the server program before you can create tests. 

In the CyberExam directory (C:\CyberExam is the default installation directory) double click on the test.exe file to start the CyberExam server.  When the server has started you will see a box like the one below:

The CES Server Status field indicates that the server has started.  You can use this window to stop the server by clicking the Stop button.

When the server is running you can create tests and students can take tests.  When the server is stopped, you cannot create tests and students cannot take tests.  You can minimize the server window to remove it from your screen, but if you close it, then students cannot take tests.

From the File menu, click Properties to see the properties of the server running on your computer.

The first box give the IP address of the server on your machine.  You will use this number to access CyberExam.  See next section for details.

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Logging in

Start your Netscape or Microsoft Explorer browser. 

In the URL box, type the server address for CyberExam.  If CyberExam was installed on your College server, then the URL will be similar to this:  http://serverName.myCollege.cc.il.us:1273   

For this workshop,  the URL will be similar to this:  http://128.174.109.56:1273   Note that there is a colon immediately preceeding the number 1273.  If you are successful, you will be asked for a login ID and password in a box similar to that below:

If you are logging in for the first time, and CyberExam is installed on your computer, the login name is "admin" and the password is also "admin". 

If CyberExam is installed on your College server, your administrator will provide you with a login name and a password.

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Beginning to Use CyberExam

When you have typed in a login ID and a password successfully, you are presented with the Home Page with options.  The Home Page looks similar to the image below:
The buttons on the top are for creating and administering tests.  The buttons below with the green background are various kinds of help.  The Tutorial takes the test creator through the basics of creating a sample test.  It is a good place to start. The Design Guide is a guide for creating tests.  Everything you want to know about using the program to create tests is found here.  It is a good reference and seems to be well written.  The FAQ's answers common questions.  Many of them are of a technical nature.  You may not need to consult them.

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Design Center

The Design Center is where to go to create and edit tests.  It is available to Test Designers and to the administrator.  The Design Center is also the place where you add or create new Test Takers.  Once you have one or more Tests, and some Test Takers, you can assign one or more Tests to your Test Takers.  If you are teaching two or more courses, you can have different exams assigned to different Test Takers.

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Results Center

The Results Center allows the Test Designer to look at the results of student exams.  It displays scores and statistics.

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Administration Center

If you are not the CyberExam Administrator you will not see this button.  This Center allows creation of new Test Designers.  In the non-demo version you can have as many Test Designers as you like.

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Testing Center

This button is the one students would click to take an exam.  Note that students only see Testing Center and Results Center when CyberExam detects that a Test Taker is logging on.

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Types of Questions

CyberExam will allow you to create True/False, Short Answer (Fill in the Blank), Multiple Choice (zero or more correct) and Multiple Choice (one or more correct).

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Developing a Test

Let's create a test with three questions.  The test will have only one part, meaning that it will consist of only one web page.  All three questions will be on the same web page.  The items that need to be completed are:

•  Create a "new" test
•  Try out your test to make sure it performs like you want
•  Create a "new" test taker
•  Assign the test taker to take your test
•  Try to take your test by logging in as the "new" test taker

Creating a New Test

First, click the Design Center button to begin designing a new test.  Now click the Create and Maintain Tests image. 

Click the New button to create a new quiz.  For this quiz, choose Quick Start Mode to create a simple quiz.  In Quick Start Mode, you can only enter Multiple Choice or True/False questions.

Click Next.  You are presented with a screen to enter information about the quiz and the first quiz question.  For Full Test Name, type something descriptive.  For Test Identifier, type a short name with no spaces, such as quiz1 or test1.

In the Question/Item box type the first question.  You can use HTML tags in the question if you want some formatted text, and you know how to use tags. 

In the Type of Question/Item check box choose the type of question you have created. 

In the Enter Values for Choices boxes, type the possible answers and check one or more correct answers. 

Click Next when finished.

Add additional questions in the same manner as above. When you have finished adding questions, click Finish. You are returned to the quiz listing. Your new quiz appears on the list of available quizzes.

Trying the Test as a Student Would See it

In the Instruments to Administer screen, select your test by clicking, and click Try Test.

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Creating More Complex Tests

When creating a new quiz choos Expert Mode tohave many more options and much more flexibility.  The Create a New Text options require some exploration.  There are also options for Scoring the Test. After you have selected the test options, you must create at least one section. A test section is an individual page that contains questions. They are used to create a test with separate parts. Your test can have many sections.

There are many options associated with a Test section.

After the section is created, you can select the new section to begin adding questions.

You are now ready to enter some questions for the new section. Click New to create new questions.

There are many options for each question.  There are options for the answers as well, including partial credit options.  Once you have created questions, you can create one or more new test takers (students) and then assign the test to the test takers.  You can log in as the test taker and try the exam as a student.

This program is complex and rich and well worth some time to investigate its potential.

 

Deepa Singh
Business Developer
Web Site:-http://www.gyapti.com
Blog:- http://gyapti.blogspot.com/
Email Id:-deepa.singh@soarlogic.com