Milestone Tests now online

[RogueLeader]

I was looking in the LMS for my National Staff college material and I noticed that most of the different Milestone tests are loaded in the Learning Management System.

It looks like the only tests that aren't yet loaded is for the Eaker Exams.  It also has the prerequisites enabled so only those who are eligible to take it are allowed access to them.

That will save the Testing Officers from having to inventory them.

[FalconHatTrick]

From reading through the test administrator's document at the bottom of the page; it appears that this is still taken at a Squadron meeting, since it is still a closed book exam. In addition to that idea, is that just like the paper version, cadet's must complete the drill portion upon completion of Part 1.

As a CDC and Testing Officer, I haven't received any thing about an online option, nor has the Testing Officer Quick Reference has been updated to show an online version. 

For me, the Jury is still out about if this is a good idea or not.

[cnitas]

I  have no crystal ball for the future of testing, but Milestones should always be proctored, closed book exams IMHO. 

I have no problem with it being online, or taken on a computer as long as it is closed book and taken 'in person'.  Not at home in your pajamas.

Just thinking out loud, but it would probably require a testing portal of some sort that would be unlocked by the testing officer under their ID, then the cadet would sign into the portal with theirs. 

[THRAWN]

Works great if it has to be unlocked by a proctor AND there is web access at the unit.

[CAPDCCMOM]

In addition to Internet access, you will also need a quiet and out of the way space with limited distractions. I agree, not taken at home in jammies, and the Testing Officer must be able to do the log in or approval to test.

It might work.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Well...Eaker doesn't have a "test", so unless that's changing, nothing will appear. I'll wait to see what the roll out is like before deciding how I feel about it. In most cases, a smartphone can have hotspot fired up for access.

[RogueLeader]

Well...Eaker doesn't have a "test", so unless that's changing, nothing will appear. I'll wait to see what the roll out is like before deciding how I feel about it. In most cases, a smartphone can have hotspot fired up for access.

Well, my brain must have fried because I would have sworn there was.

[Гугл переводчик]

Well...Eaker doesn't have a "test", so unless that's changing, nothing will appear. I'll wait to see what the roll out is like before deciding how I feel about it. In most cases, a smartphone can have hotspot fired up for access.

Well, my brain must have fried because I would have sworn there was.

The leadership requirement is a 300-500 word essay. I had to look that up because I thought there was a written test as well

[kwe1009]

As long as this is a proctored, closed book exam then I think it is a good thing.  For the squadrons that have Internet access, they could completely do away with the paper tests.  If the intent is for them to be open book then I don't agree with that at all.

[Brit_in_CAP]

Former CDC and current testing Officer here...great idea as long as the test remain proctored and closed book.

I could recycle one filing cabinet!

I'll wait on the roll-out before passing final judgement, just like everyone else.

[FalconHatTrick]

Official Announcement from NHQ

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Programs' Wright Brothers, Gen. Billy Mitchell and Amelia Earhart milestone tests are now available online. As of today, cadets may take these exams online with the supervision of a senior member proctor.

Cadets have been able to take their leadership and aerospace achievement tests online since 2010, but the comprehensive milestone award tests have remained paper-based. A new process has been designed to allow cadets to take the tests online while maintaining the integrity of the process.

Cadet online achievement tests are open-book affairs, taken at home on the cadets' own time. The online milestones are designed to be administered at the unit, during a meeting and overseen by a testing officer. They remain timed, closed-book, comprehensive tests.

Milestones were designed to be comprehensive exams to periodically ensure cadets are retaining the information they've learned in previous chapters. Advantages to taking the test online include ease of use, instant grading and feedback, and simpler promotion processing, as scores are automatically updated in the Cadet Promotions application.

Any testing officers, primary and assistant, may administer an online test.

Paper tests will remain an option for units without computers and/or internet access. Paper tests are also important because they're far more easily adapted for cadets with special educational needs.

The Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award milestone test is partially online now and will be brought into the Learning Management System shortly.

Questions should be addressed to cadets@capnhq.gov.

My question is, are they pulling from a pool of questions? For example a pool of questions from each chapter? Some code to say no more than 5 from each chapter or something similar? Will it end up being the same exam every time. National has been vague (on purpose maybe) with details.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Don't think it's on purpose. Chances are they took the source material from the paper tests, and dumped them into the testing module.

[Garibaldi]

Official Announcement from NHQ

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Programs' Wright Brothers, Gen. Billy Mitchell and Amelia Earhart milestone tests are now available online. As of today, cadets may take these exams online with the supervision of a senior member proctor.

Cadets have been able to take their leadership and aerospace achievement tests online since 2010, but the comprehensive milestone award tests have remained paper-based. A new process has been designed to allow cadets to take the tests online while maintaining the integrity of the process.

Cadet online achievement tests are open-book affairs, taken at home on the cadets' own time. The online milestones are designed to be administered at the unit, during a meeting and overseen by a testing officer. They remain timed, closed-book, comprehensive tests.

Milestones were designed to be comprehensive exams to periodically ensure cadets are retaining the information they've learned in previous chapters. Advantages to taking the test online include ease of use, instant grading and feedback, and simpler promotion processing, as scores are automatically updated in the Cadet Promotions application.

Any testing officers, primary and assistant, may administer an online test.

Paper tests will remain an option for units without computers and/or internet access. Paper tests are also important because they're far more easily adapted for cadets with special educational needs.

The Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award milestone test is partially online now and will be brought into the Learning Management System shortly.

Questions should be addressed to cadets@capnhq.gov.

My question is, are they pulling from a pool of questions? For example a pool of questions from each chapter? Some code to say no more than 5 from each chapter or something similar? Will it end up being the same exam every time. National has been vague (on purpose maybe) with details.

Hopefully something like the FCC does with the amateur radio tests. A pool of questions from each chapter. Someone sitting over your shoulder making sure you don't open anything other than the LMC site. I see some potential for abuse here, to be honest.

[FalconHatTrick]

Official Announcement from NHQ

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Programs' Wright Brothers, Gen. Billy Mitchell and Amelia Earhart milestone tests are now available online. As of today, cadets may take these exams online with the supervision of a senior member proctor.

Cadets have been able to take their leadership and aerospace achievement tests online since 2010, but the comprehensive milestone award tests have remained paper-based. A new process has been designed to allow cadets to take the tests online while maintaining the integrity of the process.

Cadet online achievement tests are open-book affairs, taken at home on the cadets’ own time. The online milestones are designed to be administered at the unit, during a meeting and overseen by a testing officer. They remain timed, closed-book, comprehensive tests.

Milestones were designed to be comprehensive exams to periodically ensure cadets are retaining the information they’ve learned in previous chapters. Advantages to taking the test online include ease of use, instant grading and feedback, and simpler promotion processing, as scores are automatically updated in the Cadet Promotions application.

Any testing officers, primary and assistant, may administer an online test.

Paper tests will remain an option for units without computers and/or internet access. Paper tests are also important because they're far more easily adapted for cadets with special educational needs.

The Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award milestone test is partially online now and will be brought into the Learning Management System shortly.

Questions should be addressed to cadets@capnhq.gov.

My question is, are they pulling from a pool of questions? For example a pool of questions from each chapter? Some code to say no more than 5 from each chapter or something similar? Will it end up being the same exam every time. National has been vague (on purpose maybe) with details.

Hopefully something like the FCC does with the amateur radio tests. A pool of questions from each chapter. Someone sitting over your shoulder making sure you don't open anything other than the LMC site. I see some potential for abuse here, to be honest.

Is there a way National or a Squadron can block the opening of a new tab or some how restrict access to content outside of the test? I can see cadets feeling uncomfortable with a proctor looking over their shoulder, since you have to watch what they do on the screen, not just be in the room.

[Holding Pattern]

Official Announcement from NHQ

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Programs' Wright Brothers, Gen. Billy Mitchell and Amelia Earhart milestone tests are now available online. As of today, cadets may take these exams online with the supervision of a senior member proctor.

Cadets have been able to take their leadership and aerospace achievement tests online since 2010, but the comprehensive milestone award tests have remained paper-based. A new process has been designed to allow cadets to take the tests online while maintaining the integrity of the process.

Cadet online achievement tests are open-book affairs, taken at home on the cadets' own time. The online milestones are designed to be administered at the unit, during a meeting and overseen by a testing officer. They remain timed, closed-book, comprehensive tests.

Milestones were designed to be comprehensive exams to periodically ensure cadets are retaining the information they've learned in previous chapters. Advantages to taking the test online include ease of use, instant grading and feedback, and simpler promotion processing, as scores are automatically updated in the Cadet Promotions application.

Any testing officers, primary and assistant, may administer an online test.

Paper tests will remain an option for units without computers and/or internet access. Paper tests are also important because they're far more easily adapted for cadets with special educational needs.

The Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award milestone test is partially online now and will be brought into the Learning Management System shortly.

Questions should be addressed to cadets@capnhq.gov.

My question is, are they pulling from a pool of questions? For example a pool of questions from each chapter? Some code to say no more than 5 from each chapter or something similar? Will it end up being the same exam every time. National has been vague (on purpose maybe) with details.

Hopefully something like the FCC does with the amateur radio tests. A pool of questions from each chapter. Someone sitting over your shoulder making sure you don't open anything other than the LMC site. I see some potential for abuse here, to be honest.

Is there a way National or a Squadron can block the opening of a new tab or some how restrict access to content outside of the test? I can see cadets feeling uncomfortable with a proctor looking over their shoulder, since you have to watch what they do on the screen, not just be in the room.

2 options:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/mkiosk/

Kiosk browser mode. Takes some initial configuration, then forget about it.

http://www.teamviewer.com/en/

TeamViewer: Watch the workstation from another workstation.

[FalconHatTrick]

Oh Perfect, I will have to look into this.  Have you or anyone else figured out instructions? I can't seem to find anything in LMS or the Cadet Testing Module.

[Holding Pattern]

I have not applied either solution in a CAP environment yet. I imagine I'll be talking with the Testing Officer soon though.

[Майор Хаткевич]

I'll give this a go as soon as a cadet requests a test.

[FalconHatTrick]

I'll give this a go as soon as a cadet requests a test.

Has anyone determined how we grant access for the cadet attempting the test? I still haven't found anything. I did notice in the Cadet Testing module, there is now a link for Milestone Tests which just redirect the LMS Page.

[Anthony@CAP]

So, based on the guide for the online milestone test (which is a link on the side of the online version of the announcement - took a little bit to locate it). I believe the way it will work is the cadet will go into the LMS and when they click the start button it will prompt for the Testing Officer to enter their CAP ID and password to permit the cadet to start the test.

It would be great if someone could confirm this. I actually think this will be better than putting a cadet on a list since it required actually intervening to permit the start of the test in person (making it hard to bend the rules).

The guide can be found in the document links on the right side of the announcement here: http://www.capmembers.com/cadet_programs/?cadet_milestone_exams_now_online&show=entry&blogID=1704

[kwe1009]

So, based on the guide for the online milestone test (which is a link on the side of the online version of the announcement - took a little bit to locate it). I believe the way it will work is the cadet will go into the LMS and when they click the start button it will prompt for the Testing Officer to enter their CAP ID and password to permit the cadet to start the test.

It would be great if someone could confirm this. I actually think this will be better than putting a cadet on a list since it required actually intervening to permit the start of the test in person (making it hard to bend the rules).

The guide can be found in the document links on the right side of the announcement here: http://www.capmembers.com/cadet_programs/?cadet_milestone_exams_now_online&show=entry&blogID=1704

I can confirm that is the way this process works.

There is a bug in the Wright Brothers test.  Once the cadet passes the leadership portion of the test, it automatically goes over to the pending for promotion status without giving an opportunity for them to take the required drill tests.  NHQ is aware of this and they are working on a fix, but in the short term we will have to wait to promote until after the drill tests are administered.

[CAPDCCMOM]

Are the Tests timed? If I am not mistaken, a Testing Officer or Assistant mus t physically proctor, correct?

[wacapgh]

http://www.capmembers.com/cadet_programs/?cadet_milestone_exams_now_online&show=entry&blogID=1704

The new online milestones are designed to be administered at the unit, during a meeting, and overseen by a testing officer. The exam cannot be opened without a testing officer entering their CAPID and eServices password as a security measure. They remain timed, closed-book exams.

[CAPDCCMOM]

Just reviewed CAPR 52-16. Wright Bros is not a timed test. However the other Milestones are. Has his changed.

CAPR 52-16, 5-4 Protocols for Exams

[FalconHatTrick]

Just reviewed CAPR 52-16. Wright Bros is not a timed test. However the other Milestones are. Has his changed.

CAPR 52-16, 5-4 Protocols for Exams

I don't think anything has changed.  Updated Testing Officer Quick Reference (March 2016), still states, Wright Brothers Exam is still untimed.

If anyone tries the online testing, please report back with lessons learned. I'm curious if it is easier said than done.

[tkelley004]

We did a Wright Brothers last month, worked well, only one bug, it showed the leadership as passed and posted the written score, without the drill being taken. Will have to keep an eye on that and ensure the cadet passes the drill test before you promote them.

[RogueLeader]

We did a Wright Brothers last month, worked well, only one bug, it showed the leadership as passed and posted the written score, without the drill being taken. Will have to keep an eye on that and ensure the cadet passes the drill test before you promote them.

Thanks for the update on that.  I appreciate it.

[Майор Хаткевич]

We did a Wright Brothers last month, worked well, only one bug, it showed the leadership as passed and posted the written score, without the drill being taken. Will have to keep an eye on that and ensure the cadet passes the drill test before you promote them.

Thanks for the update on that.  I appreciate it.

Had our first online WBA a week ago. Posted the % score, and then I still had to fill the drill manually after it was done, so it's fixed.