ETS Test Security and Administration 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is ETS's typical policy on personal belongings such as bags and coats during testing?
- They must be surrendered to ETS security permanently
- They must be stored in a designated area outside the testing room, such as a locker (Correct answer)
- They may be kept under the examinee's seat during testing
- They are screened by security and then allowed at the workstation
Correct answer: They must be stored in a designated area outside the testing room, such as a locker
ETS requires that personal belongings be stored away from the testing area — usually in a locker or designated storage — to prevent unauthorized access to notes or devices.
Question 2: How does ETS primarily verify the identity of test takers for online proctored (at-home) exams?
- By mailing a physical verification code to the examinee's address
- Through a live or AI-assisted proctor who checks the ID and monitors the session via webcam (Correct answer)
- By requiring a notarized identity statement from a licensed official
- Through a one-time password sent to the registered phone number
Correct answer: Through a live or AI-assisted proctor who checks the ID and monitors the session via webcam
Online proctored ETS exams use real-time human or AI-assisted proctors who visually verify the examinee's government-issued ID and monitor the testing environment through the webcam.
Question 3: Which of the following represents a valid reason ETS may invalidate test scores?
- The examinee scored significantly higher than their previous attempt
- Evidence that prohibited materials were used during the exam (Correct answer)
- The examinee requested score reports for more than five institutions
- The examinee's registration was completed less than two weeks before the test date
Correct answer: Evidence that prohibited materials were used during the exam
ETS may invalidate scores when there is credible evidence that prohibited materials or unauthorized assistance were used, which undermines the integrity of the results.
Question 4: What is the purpose of ETS's erasure analysis on paper-based tests?
- To determine the number of questions a test taker skipped
- To detect patterns of answer changes that may suggest impersonation or cheating (Correct answer)
- To calculate the total time spent on each section
- To assign credit for partially correct answers
Correct answer: To detect patterns of answer changes that may suggest impersonation or cheating
Erasure analysis examines patterns of erased and changed answers to identify anomalies — such as a proctor changing answers — that could indicate testing misconduct.
Question 5: Which protocol does ETS use to maintain security of test forms across multiple administrations?
- Administering only one test form globally per year
- Using item banking and rotating multiple equivalent forms to prevent overexposure (Correct answer)
- Publishing all test questions online after each administration
- Requiring examinees to sign a waiver allowing ETS to reuse their specific test form
Correct answer: Using item banking and rotating multiple equivalent forms to prevent overexposure
ETS maintains a large bank of test items and uses multiple equivalent forms across administrations to reduce the risk of widespread item exposure and compromise.
Question 6: If an ETS test center proctor observes a possible cheating incident, what is the required first step?
- Immediately expel the examinee and confiscate all materials
- Document the incident in writing and report it to ETS through official channels (Correct answer)
- Verbally warn the examinee and allow them to continue testing
- Pause all testing in the room and notify local law enforcement
Correct answer: Document the incident in writing and report it to ETS through official channels
Proctors are trained to document testing irregularities in detail and report them through ETS's official reporting procedures, which ensures proper investigation and due process.
Question 7: What does ETS's 'Score Verification' service allow an examinee to request?
- A prediction of their score on a future test administration
- Hand scoring or rescoring of their responses to confirm the accuracy of the reported score (Correct answer)
- Transfer of their scores to a new intended score recipient at no cost
- A comparison of their score to the average scores from their school
Correct answer: Hand scoring or rescoring of their responses to confirm the accuracy of the reported score
ETS's Score Verification service allows test takers to request a manual hand scoring or rescoring of their test, ensuring the machine-scored result was reported accurately.
ETS Test Security and Administration 2
What is ETS's typical policy on personal belongings such as bags and coats during testing?