Introduction
In 1943, a committee on examinations, headed by E.F. Lindquist, established the Evaluation and Examination Service (EES) with the mission to "...perform for faculty the mechanical, clerical and statistical tasks involved in test preparation and administration, and to give professional advice and technical assistance in the matters of test construction and interpretation." This early mission statement continues to inform EES policy decisions. Following is an outline of services available to faculty, staff, and students.
Answer Sheets
The Exam Service maintains a supply of answer sheets that are adaptable to a range of item formats. These answer sheets are free for classroom tests, quizzes, and instructor/course evaluations. The various answer sheets are designed to serve specific testing needs. If an instructor selects an answer sheet that is not the most economical for a test a fee may be assessed. Answer sheets for purposes other than testing, (e.g., class or lab attendance, research, departmental reviews, surveys, questionnaires, etc.), can be purchased from EES.
Answer sheets should only be used if they will be returned to EES for machine scoring. Non-scan answer sheets are available for tests which will not be scored by EES (e.g., hand scored). Non-scan answer sheets look like regular answer sheets but are reproduced in-house at much lower cost than preprinted forms. More information and examples of answer sheets are available at: Answer Sheets.
Test Scoring and Analysis
Faculty who have their tests scored at EES are provided a test analysis at the time of scoring. Information from this program can help instructors improve the quality of individual questions and the test as a whole. A test analysis can also help in determining areas of instruction that were particularly effective or those that may benefit from revision. Test analysis results are guaranteed within four business hours. No test analysis is provided for scoring jobs with five or fewer answer sheets. Although our scoring service is free for classroom tests, rescoring for any reason other than Exam Service error involves a minimum charge. Information on how to interpret the results from the test analysis program are available at: Reading Your Test Analysis.
Composite Program
The Composite Program provides instructors with a gradebook view of their assessments throughout a semester. The program compiles and tracks student test scores and can be used to assign course grades. The composite may include scores from tests scanned by EES and/or scores from projects, labs, essays, or any other course component graded on a numerical scale. Information on how to use the Composite Program is available at: Composite Program .
Standardized Testing
Exam Service personnel or their designees are responsible for the administration of a variety of standardized tests on The University of Iowa campus. The test programs include those from national test companies (e.g., ACT, MCAT, CLEP, LSAT, etc.) to local placement tests (e.g., MPT, CDT, Foreign Language, etc.). For a full list of national test programs and registration information go to: National Tests. For information about University of Iowa placement tests go to: UI Placement Tests.
Course and Instructor Evaluation
The Exam Service offers two scanner-based options for instructor and course evaluation. Each utilize answer sheets to collect data for subsequent analysis. This publication provides an overview of these two options but a detailed explanation of procedures for developing, ordering, administering, and processing evaluation forms is provided at: ACE Bulletin.
ACE--Assessing the Classroom Environment
ACE is the University's standard method for course/instructor evaluation and is designed for administration and processing in large quantities. ACE combines questions chosen from an extensive item pool with instructor-generated questions. Some departments have established a mandatory core of questions for all instructors within their department.
ACE forms can be ordered by individual instructors or in bulk by a department. Faculty should check with their department for specific instructions.
Non-ACE Evaluations
An instructor or department can choose to write their own evaluation questions and administer them using a standard EES answer sheet. A variety of answer sheets are available for this purpose. Those interested in this option should contact EES to determine which answer sheet should be used.
Disposal of Secure Materials
Used or extra test books and answer sheets delivered to EES will be shredded and disposed of free of charge. For reasons of security, instructors are strongly encouraged to use caution when disposing of test materials. Materials not related to testing such as student records, confidential office files, etc., can be shredded by EES for an hourly fee.
Consultation and Technical Assistance
Our staff is available for consultation on such topics as test construction and analysis, grading, questionnaire design and processing, and course and instructor evaluation. Information can be shared in either an individual or group setting. To avoid duplication of services offered by other campus offices, some requests may be referred to other departments.
