Assessment Systems Corporation

Assessment Systems Corporation (ASC) is a private computer software company specializing in e-assessment, computerized adaptive testing (CAT), professional certification consulting and psychometrics.

History

Assessment Systems Corporation (ASC), was founded in 1979 by David J. Weiss, Ph.D.,^[1] and C. David Vale, Ph.D.

Weiss is a professor at the University of Minnesota and is regarded as the father of computerized adaptive testing.^[2] CAT was mainly developed for use in the United States Military, notably for use in the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, but Weiss and Vale founded ASC to make it available to the public. Since then ASC has been a leading innovator in computerized testing and psychometric software.

In 2009, the company partnered with software company 4ROI to create a web version of its flagship FastTest platform. FastTest is a software system designed specifically for use by professionals in the testing and assessment industry, supporting e-assessment, item bank, item review and results tracking. FastTest has been used across all major industries performing assessment, including business, certification, university, medicine and K-12 education.

Psychometrics

ASC's focus has long been on quality psychometrics. It was the first company to offer a professional item banking and computerized testing platform to the public, in the form of MICROCAT,^[3] a DOS-based forerunner to FastTest. ASC also developed Iteman, which allows users to publish professional psychometric analysis reports using classical test theory, and Xcalibre, which provides a user-friendly system for item response theory analysis. Both were originally developed as DOS versions before being converted to Windows in the 1990s and completely redesigned in 2009. ASC also provides consulting services, helps organizations build quality tests and aids certification organizations in achieving accreditation by the American National Standards Institute or National Commission for Certifying Agencies (a process which involves steps such as job analysis and a standard-setting study).

Products

• FastTest – Item banking, e-assessment (online testing), computerized adaptive testing
• Xcalibre 4 – Item response theory analysis
• Iteman 4 – Classical test theory analysis
• Lertap – Classical test theory analysis
• CITAS – Classical test theory analysis (free)
• CATSim – Computerized adaptive testing validity studies

References