ETS Reduces Costs With Questions Inventory Management
In the mid-1990s, ETS started a transition from paper-and-pencil testing to computer-based testing for all of its graduate-level tests. Computer-based tests, offered on an almost daily basis at many test locations around the world and throughout the year, draw questions from a weekly pool of test items many times larger than the test itself, and that weekly pool itself gets refreshed from an even larger inventory of items. This inventory represents a substantial investment to ETS, because the items must be written and honed for precision, reviewed for cultural and gender bias, and pre-tested on large samples of test takers. Both item security and millions of dollars in item development costs are affected by the way in which the item inventory is managed.
An SD model was developed to project the number of available test items under different assumptions about security risk, and also to look at policies for more cost-effective inventory management. The model revealed that in cases of higher security risk, under existing policies, the number of available items could stagnate at an unacceptably low level. Model tests showed that a modest and safe amount of “recycling” items used in the past could neutralize this potential problem. Moreover, the model showed that, even when security risk was not high, the policy of recycling could effectively reduce ETS item creation costs and help their bottom line. The model analysis was presented to the ETS executive board and affected their decisions regarding test item inventory policy.
Client | Educational Testing Service (ETS), the world’s leading developer and provider of standardized educational tests |
---|---|
Author/Consultant | Homer J |
Publication
Homer J. Structure, Data, and Compelling Conclusions: Notes from the Field. System Dynamics Review, 13(4): 293-309, 1997. |
OTHER SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS
Solving Bottlenecks in Dairy Production Facilities with System Dynamics
Solving Bottlenecks in Dairy Production Facilities with System Dynamics EXECUTIVE Summary FrieslandCampina faced potential bottlenecks in production due to the merging of two factories. They hired SD&Co which employed system dynamics simulation models to predict...
A Design Value Calculator: A System Dynamics Boardgame
A Design Value Calculator: A System Dynamics Boardgame EXECUTIVE Summary Product design is a specific form of complex innovation that touches all areas of an organization’s management. While entrepreneurs recognise the value of design, they often tend to focus...
The World Bank Uses System Dynamics to Identify Root Causes of Poverty
The World Bank Uses System Dynamics to Identify Root Causes of Poverty EXECUTIVE Summary Madagascar has one of the highest poverty rates in the world. In 2022, an astonishingly three out of every four people in Madagascar lived below the poverty line. Poverty has...
Upcoming Events
Health Policy SIG Networking and Collaboration Event
Please join us for our quarterly Health Policy SIG virtual social hour! Agenda: TBD
Recent Posts
Society Governance Updates
Society Governance Updates Welcome, Allyson! New President Allyson Beall King joined the Policy Council as our 2024 President. Her primary role is as director of the Washington State University School of the Environment, which focuses on regional ecologies and our...
Call for Presenters: Seminar Series
Call for Presenters: Seminar Series We at the System Dynamics Society are continually seeking vibrant and knowledgeable presenters for our ongoing Seminar Series. As we unfold the calendar, there’s always a place for more insights, experiences, and expertise to enrich...
Honoring Excellence: A Glimpse into the Awards of the International System Dynamics Conference
Honoring Excellence: A Glimpse into the Awards of the International System Dynamics Conference The International System Dynamics Conference brings together experts, practitioners, and students to exchange ideas, showcase real-world applications, and celebrate...
Join us
OTHER SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS
Solving Bottlenecks in Dairy Production Facilities with System Dynamics
Solving Bottlenecks in Dairy Production Facilities with System Dynamics EXECUTIVE Summary FrieslandCampina faced potential bottlenecks in production due to the merging of two factories. They hired SD&Co which employed system dynamics simulation models to predict...
A Design Value Calculator: A System Dynamics Boardgame
A Design Value Calculator: A System Dynamics Boardgame EXECUTIVE Summary Product design is a specific form of complex innovation that touches all areas of an organization’s management. While entrepreneurs recognise the value of design, they often tend to focus...
The World Bank Uses System Dynamics to Identify Root Causes of Poverty
The World Bank Uses System Dynamics to Identify Root Causes of Poverty EXECUTIVE Summary Madagascar has one of the highest poverty rates in the world. In 2022, an astonishingly three out of every four people in Madagascar lived below the poverty line. Poverty has...
Recent Posts
Society Governance Updates
Society Governance Updates Welcome, Allyson! New President Allyson Beall King joined the Policy Council as our 2024 President. Her primary role is as director of the Washington State University School of the Environment, which focuses on regional ecologies and our...
Call for Presenters: Seminar Series
Call for Presenters: Seminar Series We at the System Dynamics Society are continually seeking vibrant and knowledgeable presenters for our ongoing Seminar Series. As we unfold the calendar, there’s always a place for more insights, experiences, and expertise to enrich...
Honoring Excellence: A Glimpse into the Awards of the International System Dynamics Conference
Honoring Excellence: A Glimpse into the Awards of the International System Dynamics Conference The International System Dynamics Conference brings together experts, practitioners, and students to exchange ideas, showcase real-world applications, and celebrate...
Upcoming Events
Health Policy SIG Networking and Collaboration Event
Please join us for our quarterly Health Policy SIG virtual social hour! Agenda: TBD