Questionmark Perception Assessments Now Deliverable via ACT's Nationwide Network of 220 Test Centers

For Immediate Release

Questionmark Perception Assessments Now Deliverable via ACT’s Nationwide Network of 220 Test Centers

NORWALK, CT – February 6, 2006 – Questionmark announced today that the Questionmark™ Perception™ assessment management system may now be used to deliver online assessments via ACT Centers™, a nationwide network of 220 test centers that delivers computer-based testing and training services to individuals, employers, professional organizations, and educational institutions.

Questionmark Perception is used by organizations worldwide to create, report on and securely deliver high-stakes exams, quizzes, surveys and course evaluations. ACT Centers provide facilities for computer-delivered testing as well as proctoring, registration, scheduling and payment services. Test providers now have the option of delivering tests in ACT Centers via a secure internet connection to a Questionmark Perception server, which could be hosted by the test provider or by Questionmark.

The integrated solution, which Questionmark and ACT have successfully deployed for pilot projects for several customers, offers greater flexibility and control to certification providers, test publishers or any organizations that need to securely deliver online testing in a proctored environment. Using this solution, test publishers can be in control of the development and modification of their tests, without the work and time otherwise required to transition a test from development on the publisher’s system to the test center network’s system for delivery. Also, the use of the publisher’s own system means the publisher gets immediate access to results, without having to wait for a separate reporting cycle from the test center network system.

ACT and Questionmark recently deployed this integrated testing system for Boston University, delivering final exams to hundreds of students completing master’s degrees in criminal justice, as well as other distance-learning courses. “We found more than 80 percent of our students live within one hour’s drive of an ACT Center, said John Ebersole, president of Excelsior College and former dean for BU's Division of Extended Education. “It’s wonderful that our students can book themselves into these centers online and schedule times within a window that are convenient to them. That takes a big load off our shoulders and off the shoulders of our distance education learners.”

“We’re aiming to meet the needs of the many groups who have been under-served by big national test center networks,” said Tom Saterfiel, vice president of ACT. “Many smaller certification programs face cost, development and delivery hurdles when setting up testing systems. The new model created by ACT and Questionmark solves the dilemmas faced by a wide range of distance learning organizations.”

“This solution offers the best of both worlds,” said Eric Shepherd, president and CEO of Questionmark. “Perception users gain the ability to tap into a nationwide network of state-of-the-art test centers while maintaining complete control of their content. Exam and certification providers can choose from best-of-breed assessment management tools to author, deliver and report on their tests. And they can use these same tools across a range of assessment needs, including high-stakes tests delivered in a proctored setting and low-stakes tests delivered directly over the web.”

Combined with ACT’s nationwide network of test centers, Questionmark Perception offers test publishers, certification providers, educators and corporate trainers a complete solution for assessment creation, deployment and reporting. Perception offers robust scalable technology and enables efficient management of large item banks. Reporting includes statistics and item analysis to establish validity and reliability. Workflow management enables control over question creation and deployment, while Perception’s shared repositories with role-based security enable multiple authors to collaborate.

To learn more about Questionmark Perception, visit www.questionmark.com.

About ACT
ACT is a not-for-profit organization that serves millions of people in schools, colleges, professional associations, businesses, and government agencies with programs and services that have one guiding purpose — to help people achieve education and workplace success. For more information about ACT, visit www.act.org.

About Questionmark:
Questionmark (www.questionmark.com) has been providing testing and assessment software since 1988, and some 2,500 customers in 50 countries now use Questionmark products. The Questionmark™ Perception™ assessment management system enables educators and trainers to create, securely administer and report on surveys, quizzes, tests and exams. Multiple authors can work together in a distributed learning environment with seamless connections to existing systems and infrastructure. Options include a secure browser and proctoring security. Perception applications include pre/post tests, practice quizzes, course evaluations and certification exams. The software can be licensed or used as a hosted solution. Questionmark provides extensive documentation for users of the software in addition to comprehensive learning resources focusing on the effective use of assessments. Complete details are available at http://www.questionmark.com.

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