Experts in the field of testing speak out: Martijn van Herk

My name is Martijn van Herk and I have been working in the world of digital testing since March 2016. I started as a functional administrator, but over the years I have become increasingly involved with customers. I have now been working as an Application Consultant for some time. In this role, I work closely with the customer to ensure the optimal digital testing experience, anytime, anywhere.  

From challenge to opportunity

Converting a test process from paper to digital is a challenge. This inevitably leads to changes in the assessment process, even though you may not want that at all. After all, why change something that works well?

The fear of change can be a reason to stick to old work processes and systems. But it is precisely these changes that can work to your advantage and greatly improve your assessment process. Think of better data security for your candidates, a more efficient work process and a higher quality of your test.

Practical example: item construction in a word processor

An example that I often encounter in practice relates to the item construction of a test. Questions are still regularly developed in a word processor such as Microsoft Word. The document is emailed back and forth, including numerous comments and adjustments. It is a step in the right direction, but did you know that you can improve this process even further?

Solution: process optimisation

By choosing one testing platform you can automate a number of “manual” steps. The result? Your test and item development process becomes (even) more efficient! You save a lot of time and reduce the risk of errors. An automatic workflow within a single test platform means you no longer have to send emails back and forth. In addition, you can always scroll back through the item history thanks to automatic version management of questions and tests. Content is also automatically and securely stored in a central location, so you no longer have to search for the right document.

Maintain and optimise existing processes

There are numerous improvements you can implement to optimise your assessment process, even while retaining existing processes. As an application consultant, I enjoy working with clients to retain as much of the existing process as possible, while also optimising it with the help of the assessment platform!