Linear-on-the-fly testing, often referred to as LOFT, is a method of delivering educational or professional examinations. Competing methods include traditional linear fixed-form delivery and

computerized adaptive testing Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) is a form of Computer-based assessment, computer-based test that adapts to the examinee's ability level. For this reason, it has also been called tailored testing. In other words, it is a form of computer-adminis ...

. LOFT is a compromise between the two, in an effort to maintain the equivalence of the set of items that each examinee sees, which is found in fixed-form delivery, while attempting to reduce item exposure and enhance test security. Fixed-form delivery, which most people are familiar with, entails the testing organization determining one or several fixed sets of items to be delivered together. For example, suppose the test contains 100 items, and the organization wished for two forms. Two forms are published with a fixed set of 100 items each, some of which should overlap to enable

equating Test equating traditionally refers to the statistical process of determining comparable scores on different forms of an exam. It can be accomplished using either classical test theory or item response theory. In item response theory, ''equating' ...

. All examinees that take the test are given one of the two forms. If this exam is high volume, meaning that there is a large number of examinees, the security of the examination could be in jeopardy. Many of the test items would become well known in the population of examinees. To offset this, more forms would be needed; if there were eight forms, not as many examinees would see each item. LOFT takes this to an extreme, and attempts to construct a unique exam for each candidate, within the given constraints of the testing program. Rather than publishing a fixed set of items, a large pool of items is delivered to the

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

on which the examinee is taking the exam. Also delivered is a computer program to pseudo-randomly select items so that every examinee will receive a test that is equivalent with respect to content and

statistical Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a s ...

characteristics, although composed of a different set of items. This is usually done with

item response theory In psychometrics, item response theory (IRT, also known as latent trait theory, strong true score theory, or modern mental test theory) is a paradigm for the design, analysis, and scoring of Test (student assessment), tests, questionnaires, and sim ...

References

{{Reflist Educational assessment and evaluation School examinations Computer-based testing