On 19 August 2000, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques ordered the establishment of “The National Center for Assessment in higher Education” to perform standardized tests to measure student achievements applying for undergraduate study. After the establishment, the center set the mission, vision and goals, to determine its plan and path, which based itself on preparing scientific and professional standards where equity and efficiency are present, and at the same time, to achieve global leadership in the formulation tests and standards in the educational and professional fields. The center includes a number of functional, linguistic, and professional departments entrusted with the preparation of tests and assessments, as well as other supportive departments. The Centre has also developed an organizational structure that explains the process of decision making and how it moves from the top of the pyramid of management to the rest of the departments. Since its establishment, the center has made outstanding accomplishments in the preparation and formulation of standardized testing in various educational and professional fields that has been published in annual reports, which is part of the center's strategy of clarity, transparency and communication with various segments of society.
Establishment On the 19th of Jumada al-awwal 1421 AH which corresponds to the 19th of August 2000, a royal decree numbered 471/8 affirming the Higher Education Council's along with the Council of Ministers Decision, which includes:
The requirements of college admission should include exams where its results are used as a standard along with the high school diploma results, those tests could be performed according to the following: Exams to test the student’s abilities and skills. Exams to test the student’s educational attainment, and those tests should be unified when it comes to majors which are the same. The student is allowed to take the Exam more than one time in a year. Establishing a managerially and financially independent center to be named “ The National Center for Assessment in Higher Education.” To receive a fee, which is Commensurate with the costs of preparing these exams, to cover the costs of running the center and its development, and to organize the appropriate research in order to achieve this.
Mission, vision, and goals
Mission To provide educational and professional assessments that contributes in achieving equity and to elevate the efficiency of the institutions of our society, and to provide specialized studies and consultations in the field of educational assessment.
Vision To achieve global leadership in the formulation of tests and standards in the educational and professional fields.
Goals To develop means of educational assessment for all levels of education. The preparation and the management of the standards of the professional licensing tests. To assess educational achievements in order to elevate the efficiency of educational institutions. To help in finding students with extraordinary abilities, skills, and creativity. To attract and to sponsor experienced individuals in the area of assessment. Provide professional and education consultation services in the area of assessment. To perform specialized studies and research, and to spread the awareness on the importance of assessment in both the educational and the social fields.
Tests and assessments Educational tests presented by the center, are considered the most important test that are being developed, and it consists of two sections : The verbal and the quantitative. These test forces on student's analytical and deductive skills, in order to help them assess their learning capacity. Linguistic tests, are the second type of tests provided by the center, it includes: English language efficiency test, and the Arabic language test for non-native speakers. The center also presents an assessment test for talented and creative students, as well as vocational tests, the most important of which: Vocational Standards Test for Teachers. The test developing process goes through a number of steps, which includes theoretical and practical aspect. After the tests are formulated, they are subjected to examinations and testing through a specialized arbitrary committee, and prior to the final approval, the test are revised by a specialized committee, that consists of four experts.
Stages of test and question construction Test construction is based upon practical and scientific rules that are applied before, during and after each item until it finally becomes a part of the test. The following are the stages of constructing a test as followed by the Center.
Preparation Each year the Center attracts a number of competent specialists in testing and educationalists to receive training in workshops that deal with the theoretical and applied aspects of the test. The theoretical aspects include:
the concepts on which a test is constructed the goals and objectives of the test. the general components, parts and sections of a test the theoretical and technical foundations of test building. Applied training includes:
discussing different types of test items. This aims at putting theoretical and technical concepts into practice. collective training on writing items for various parts of the test constructing items on individual basis (outside workshops) which is intended as peer teaching.
Test writing Each test writer is charged with making questions that are relevant to his/her specialty. Each test writer is given a code number that carries his/her personal data for confidentiality. Each item is given a code number that is kept intact. Each item is in the question bank even if it is not to be used in the test.
Arbitration Various items of the test are arbitrated by a 3-member committee:
a specialist in the content area. a specialist in measurement an experienced educator. Each item is either:
accepted as is, or accepted after modifications, or rejected as invalid. Based on a set questionnaire the committee judge each item from various dimensions including the nature of the item, item difficulty, item conformity to the content controls, item bias, and item quality. Justifications have to be provided if an item is deemed invalid. All data is entered into the Center's computer.
Item entry All items are entered into the computer marked with the relevant arbitration judgment except those deemed invalid or incorrigible.
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