E-COURSE Microsoft Excel 2003
Greek version

Assessing the result, not the way of answering questions

Live question means that TEST4U assesses the result of your answer, not the way of answering a question. Live questions are also called IN-ATES (In Application Automated Test Evaluation System).

So when you use TEST4U, it is the real application software you train yourself on just as the one you will have to use at your work place. Therefore, in order to answer a TEST4U question, you have to know how to use the real application.

Supposing you want to train yourself on MS-Word 2013, TEST4U will display a question, e.g.

and it will wait for your reply.

In order to answer it, you will have the real MS-Word 2013 at your disposal.

There are many ways of answering the previous question. Let’s mention two of them. After selecting the correct word, you use:

1. Either the CTRL+B key combination
2. or a certain button (e.g. )

Think critically, not mechanically

Whichever of the two questions you select, TEST4U will accept it as correct. In fact, TEST4U grades the RESULT, not the WAY of answering a question. So, whichever way you choose to answer, if the result is correct, TEST4U will accept the answer as correct.

This is the case because TEST4U uses real application software; it does not simulate applications as it happens with simulation tests. In the latter case the correct answer is the one set by the programmer, not the one accepted by MS-Word 2013. So if the programmer has not set the CTRL+B key combination as correct, your answer will be considered as wrong.

TEST4U allows you to train on the real applications, not on their simulations. Do not forget that when you need to use MS-Word 2013 or another application at your workplace, you have to be able to use the real application software, not one of its simulations.

Real application software

TEST4U uses real application software (e.g. Word, Excel). It is not a simulation application in Flash version.

Scenario and Interapplication questions

TEST4U has redesigned Live questions, creating scenario and interapplication questions.

> Scenario questions

Scenario questions imply that student is not asked to respond to unique questions but to a set of actions producing a complete document.

Actions taken by a candidate to create and complete the document are not predetermined. On the contrary, every candidate may create the document on his/her own way. Understanding is the essential prerequisite of completing the document. So the candidate must be able to understand the structure of the document and then hierarchize all necessary actions.

See some scenario sample questions:

MS-Word application:
The TEST4U basic version will display questions similar to the following one:

In order to answer the question, the candidate needs to understand the number of columns and rows that the suggested table is consisted of (first table) and the differences between this one and the table of his document (second table).

MS-Excel application:
The TEST4U Expert version will display a data spreadsheet. Candidates will have to use these data to create a pivot table.

MS-PowerPoint application:
The TEST4U Expert version will ask students to create a complete presentation from scratch. This means that they will have to analyze the presentation: the number of slides it is made of, the kind of objects displayed on every slide, if there are any transition effects etc.

MS-Access application:
TEST4U Expert version requires that the candidate is able to create complete databases. She/He is not asked to enter data in a table but to figure out the structure of the database himself: the number of tables it contains, the relation between them, etc.

> Interapplication questions

Interapplication questions require that the candidate is able to navigate to (2) applications at least. From the point of view of technology, interapplication questions are Live questions' more advanced version.

Let’s see an example of interapplication questions:

A video solution for every question

If you answer a question wrongly, TEST4U will display a solution video for you to learn how to answer the question correctly. The next picture displays a TEST4U question.

If the student does not know the answer, TEST4U displays a video solution for this question.

Statistics for you and your students

TEST4U allows you to monitor your progress yourself providing statistics for every question.

Click here to see the Statistics offered by TEST4U.

Click here to see all the Charts offered by TEST4U.

TEST4U features can help you:

1. Assess your knowledge in MS-Office, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, AutoCAD etc. [see all supported applications]
    
2. Prepare yourself appropriately to participate in certification exams [e.g. DIPLOMA, ECDL].
    
3. Evaluate your employees [read more about evaluation tests]
    

Uses real applications

TEST4U is based on real application software. Therefore, if you want to train yourself e.g. on OpenOffice features, you must have installed OpenOffice application on your computer beforehand. So TEST4U is not a simulation application.




Assessing the result, not the way of answering questions

TEST4U cooperates with the actual, installed applications. In simple words, it sets the conditions for training on Live questions, which actually assess the result, not the way of answering questions. [What Live questions are?]




Training in the real application environment

The use of real applications guarantees that the training environment is the same as the application environment. So if you choose to train yourself on Open Office, all Open Office features will be available to you. If, on the other hand, TEST4U was a simulation application using e.g. Adobe Flash platform, only the features set by the programmer would be available for you.

So, if using e.g. Libre Office is one of your professional requirements, TEST4U will give you the chance to train yourself on the authentic Libre Office environment, the one you will use at your workplace as well.




A solution video for every question

In case you have answered a question wrongly, TEST4U will display a solution video for you to learn how to answer it correctly.




Student statistics

TEST4U allows monitoring your performance yourself by providing statistics for all of your answers.
Statistics are available not only for every student but for every class as well. Thereby you can have a picture of the overall class performance.


Click here to see the Statistics offered by TEST4U.