In this installment of my posts on the scheduled transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) format for the Mechanical PE Exams in 2020 and the Civil PE Exams in 2023 (https://ncees.org/exams/cbt/), we look at the new question types that will be introduced with the new CBT exam format.
The new CBT exams will not only have the traditional multiple-choice questions but four additional question types. They are referred to by the NCEES as AITs, Alternative Item Types. The four new question types include:
Multiple correct options – allows multiple choices to be correct and can have more than the usual four possible answers
Point and click – click on part of a graphic to answer
Drag and drop – click on and drag items to match, sort, rank, or label
Fill in the blank - space provided to type a response to the question.
While these changes allow for a whole host of new type problems, not being familiar with how these are to work could be troublesome. For example, will spelling be a problem with fill-in-the-blank questions? Spelling was never my strong suit. Will 23,000 and 23000 both be acceptable?
Currently, the Pencil-and-Paper PE Exams are all multiple choice with four possible answers – a very familiar format that we have come to expect in these type exams, and one that presents no unknown factors to provoke additional anxiety. Just another reason to take and pass the PE Exam now before the Pencil-and-Paper exam is no longer an option.
- Dr. Tom
Read Dr. Tom’s full article about the transition to the CBT format PE Exam at https://drtomsclassroom.com/news/change-is-coming.
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