Part 2 - Responsibilities of Examination Users

Examination users are in a position to get information about examinations from examination developers, and a Code of Practice for them concerns the appropriate use of this information. Like examination developers, they have a duty towards candidates, and are under an obligation to set and maintain high standards of fair behaviour. These responsibilities are described below under the following four headings: Selecting Appropriate Examinations, Interpreting Examination Results, Striving for Fairness, Informing Examination Takers.

Selecting Appropriate Examinations

Examination users should select examinations that meet the purpose for which they are to be used and that are appropriate for the intended candidate populations.

Interpreting Examination Results

Examination users should interpret scores correctly.

Striving for Fairness

Examination users should select examinations that have been developed in ways that attempt to make them as fair as possible for candidates of different backgrounds (e.g. race, gender, ethnic origin, handicapping conditions, etc.).

Informing Examination Takers

In cases where the examination user has direct communication with candidates, they should regard themselves as having many of the obligations set out for members of ALTE under the section in Part One entitled Informing Examination Takers.

Acknowledgement is made to The Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education produced by the
Washington D.C. Joint Committee on Testing Practices.