Computer Browser Based Online Test Compared with APP Based Online Test
| Computer Browser Based Test |
App Based Test |
System Overview:
- Test on browser runs from server.
- Nothing is stored on user device.
- Each question comes from server at real time.
- All time is maintained on server.
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System Overview:
- To avoid demand for consistent internet, Test paper is downloaded in user Device.
- Questions display from local database.
- All time is maintained on user device.
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Positive Aspects:
- Mostly free from user device related problems, because everything opens on browser like a website and requires very less computer resources.
- There is very rare chance of different user experiences generated from server or system malfunction. Since the entire user group is catered by the common instance of software running from one server, thus there is no possibility that different users will have different behavior of software system. Unless the user himself or his computer behaves differently or closes or submits by mistake, the server is single source and will always behave uniformly for all users.
- This provides surety to the administrator that if one candidate is working fine then other must work fine too.
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Positive Aspects:
- Freedom from internet issues. Very less coincidence with internet.
- Saving of user’s internet data, thus Cost effective for User.
- Decreased load on Server hence decreased cost, thus cost effective for Institute.
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- Negative Possibilities:
If running from cloud server, there might be a possibility of Server crash just at the time of the event and might take some time to resurrect causing delay in start (this is just a theoretical possibility with very rare chances).
- There can be effect of user's slow internet (Server’s bandwidth is generally unquestionable).
- If running from local server, there is possibility of effect of slow Server or slow network.
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- Negative Possibilities:
There is Total Blackout after download.
Once test questions are downloaded, the process is disconnected from server, we do not know what user is doing.
- Sometimes the user will suffer due to his own mistakes but will blame the system. So all such reported issues cannot be accepted as software problem because in case of App, no one other than user knows what happened inside his device.
- Whether he answered any question, or he submitted himself knowingly or by mistake and later realized to correct his answers. Maybe he has many other Apps open which are consuming much resources such that insufficient memory is left for the Test process crashing the test app.
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Inference
Test on browser is the preferred way of conducting tests, for maximum control and uniformity. While Test on App is a voluntary bypass for cost benefit and internet freedom.
Computer Based Test System and App based Test System both are parts of the same system. Same algorithm, same logic, same process, same backend database and mostly same code. The only major difference is that the App based Test is very much dependent on user device, and user presentation hence it is prone to complaints.
Here it is to understand that if the same App is working fine on maximum users, then for some users their issues might be due to their local device conditions or personal behaviors.
If there are no problems in the Computer Based Exam interface and for most of the App users, then problems with some limited App users will have to be simply ignored as user device or mis-reported problem.
The Institute who adopts Test on App must accept that despite alerts and warnings, some users have their devices overloaded and many apps are open in background, which exhaust the device.
In case of any failure such users may blame their negligence to the App Software.
Since the user reports only the issue, not the condition of his device, so it is not justified to just accept the issue as an established software problem.
Though as a technical development Team we observe inputs from a larger sample and internal testing and development is continuously on the go to enhance the product, But at the same time, the institute who chooses to adopt the way of Online Test on App, must understand that the Technical provider team cannot attend each and every user’s issues without parallel examination their mobile devices.
