Pre-test to test out of course?

Mar 04, 2014

Hello:

I would like to include a pre-test that if passed would grade and mark the course as complete, and if failed would require the user to complete the course and then take/pass the 'regular/post' test. I have only been able to find that you can score only 1 test. Is it possible to do what I am asking and have a pre and post test, with either/both of them sending a passing grade to the LMS (so the pre-test would serve as a test-out of the course?

If so, how does this need to be set up to work correctly?

If not, are there any work arounds that would accomplish this?

11 Replies

Rachel Barnum

9 years ago03/04/14 at 5:39 pm (UTC)

Would these have the same questions on them? (or at least be from the same set of questions?)

Steve Flowers
Hero

9 years ago03/04/14 at 6:01 pm (UTC)

Hey Mike -

Only one results slide can be used out of the box to score an SL completion. If you employed the same test for pre-test and post-test you might get away with using one results slide.

However, if you're comfortable with JavaScript you could combine some variables, conditions, and JavaScript triggers to send completion and score when and how you want to.

We started offering test out tailoring in some compliance courses a few years back. These worked pretty well. A few points we settled on after multiple rounds of user testing.

Testing out by topic or section. The test was offered as a single stream of questions but scoring was done by section to tailor the output and prescribe content and activities based on where mastery wasn't demonstrated. If you passed a section, you tested out of that specific objective. Bomb one and you're only on the hook to experience and master that objective. Folks really appreciated not being forced through an experience for tasks and content they already understood.
Passing a section or topic required MASTERY. That meant 100%. This also meant our pre-test and post test or inline activities had different mechanics. Pre-test was one attempt per question. Post test or activities offered remediation.
We tried to make testing out a challenge that really represented conquering the objective. It was supposed to be hard (not ridiculous - but representative of the work task challenge). Downside- authentic challenges aren't always easy to design:(

Mike Palmer
Author

9 years ago03/05/14 at 7:45 am (UTC)

I am thinking the pre and post tests would draw from the same pool of questions. If they pass the pre-test the course would tell them that they have received completion credit for the course and they are done, but that they can continue if they want to review any of the course. If they fail the pre-test I would have them go through the course content and then take the post-test.

I do not have any experience with JavaScript. Is it hard to learn or configure for what I am trying to do? Does it matter if we are producing courses in AICC or SCORM?

Steve Flowers
Hero

9 years ago03/05/14 at 7:52 am (UTC)

Sounds like that's the least complicated approach. If you add a test that can be accessed before or after the course experience, this test could be labeled "pre-test" or "post-test" based on how its accessed. The participant doesn't need to know it's the same test Could even use question pooling to lower the probability of getting the exact same set of assessment items.

No need for JavaScript in this case. Same test just different paths for getting to it and indicating what it is. Same results slide - simplifies tracking.

5 years ago04/12/18 at 12:27 am (UTC)

I know I am extremely late to this party... But we are trying to do something similar to the original poster, the difference being no post-test.

Essentially, you can quiz out -OR- if you fail or are not familiar with the content you would take the entire course. At the end I had an exit button which calculated a score on the results slide and some triggers set on what to show depending on how they got to that results slide.

The issue is that the course DID complete in our previous LMS system, however will not complete in our new system.

Are there any JAVA script examples for how to make something like this happen? Essentially I need the results slide to read 100% when the user clicks a specific button.

Chadia Abou-Thiab

over 4 years ago02/07/19 at 11:09 pm (UTC)

Hi Sheri!

Did you happen to find a solution for your example? We are trying to accomplish the same for a course.

Leslie McKerchie
Staff

over 4 years ago02/08/19 at 4:10 pm (UTC)

Hello Chadia and welcome to E-Learning Heroes :)

I cannot speak on Sheri's behalf, but as Steve explained, only one result slide can be reported to your LMS, so they were looking to find a solution via JavaScript.

You are certainly welcome to reach out to the user directly via the 'Contact Me' option on the user profile if you do not hear back soon.

Michael Harrah

almost 4 years ago08/20/19 at 4:03 pm (UTC)

Sheri, I am trying to do basically the same thing. If you take a pretest and test out, you do not have to view the rest of the content in the course. Did this work for you because I am having trouble locating resources on the specific topic. If so, do you have a SL file that you could share? I'd like to see how to set it up.

Thanks!

Leslie McKerchie
Staff

almost 4 years ago08/22/19 at 1:23 pm (UTC)

Hello Michael and welcome to E-Learning Heroes :)

This conversation is a little older and I'm not sure if Sheri is still subscribed here, but you are welcome to use the 'Contact Me' option on her user profile if you do not hear back soon.

Does the user need to pass the test to complete? Did you take a look at the approach that Mike shared above, where it's really the same test, but the user does not have to know?