Glossary of terms

Glossary 

BI - Business Intelligence (Pearson built reporting solution)

BO - Business Objects

CAT - Computer adaptive testing

CBT - Computer-based testing; also (perhaps more typically) computer-based training

CCID - Client Candidate ID

CDD - Client demographic data file; a timestamped file supplied by a client to Pearson VUE and containing information needed to create individual records for eligible candidates, such as the candidate's name, IDs, address, and other information

CERTS - Pearson VUE's tool for test development, results analysis, and certification program management. Not an acronym, but it is a registered trademark

CF - ColdFusion, a development tool. Often seen as "CF Apps"

COB - Close of business

CRF - Canonical Results File

CTT - Client Testing and Training environment created for the purpose of enabling clients to take their exams in a test center like method (Registration, RMA, delivery) for the purpose of pre-production testing.

DLL - Dynamic-link library

EMEA - Europe, Middle East, and Africa office (Pearson term)

EPAD - Signature pad

KPI - Key Performance Indicator (Pearson Contact Centre term)

NOC - Network Operations Center

PLT - Pearson Language Tests

PPC - Pearson Professional Center/Centre

PPCUK - Pearson Professional Centre United Kingdom

PVTC - Pearson VUE Testing Center/Centre

RMA - Remote Maintenance Agent is the application used by testing centers to download newest exams and upload results

RTF - Rich Text Format, a file format that supports formatted text

SLA- Service Level Agreement 

SQA - Software Quality Assurance

TA - Test Administrator, proctor

TAF - Transfer Agent Factory - the Hub Service which transfers files from the Hub to RMA

TCM - Test Center Manager

TDA - Test Driver Application

TDFT - Test Driver Functionality Test

UAT - User Acceptance Testing

UNC - Universal Naming Convention

USD - United States Dollars

VAT - Value Added Tax

VPN - Virtual Private Network may also refer to a VPN Router (e.g. Cisco 3725)

VSS - VUE Support Services/work with test center incidents, exam issues in centers, hardware/software updates, test driver deploy support, etc.

VTS - VUE Testing System/release versions for track updates, PPC, PVTC, etc.

VUE - Today, not an acronym. Previously stood for Virtual University Enterprise

XML - Stands for extensible markup language, a markup language similar to HTML but that uses custom tags indicating the logical structure of coded data as well as its display specifications

Terms

 

Accommodations - Changes to the test driver or exam due to candidates special needs.

Adaptive - Exams that are tailored as the exam is being taken via an algorithm that analyzes each answer and, based on the difficulty of the question and the accuracy of the answer, chooses the next question for the candidate.

Admin - The administrative console at the Pearson Professional Centers.

Administrator Exam - A certification exam for exam proctors such as PVTC_A or PVTC_B

Assemblers - Converts hold files to client results feeds.

Assets - Workstations or other items used by a center to deliver exams.

Athena - Originally the code name for the new test driver, Athena was at one time the production name for the new generation Pearson VUE test driver now called simply the Test Driver.

Auto Update - An RMA triggered update to Test Delivery software. This occurs when the software is too far out of date and is no longer an acceptable version.

AVI codec - a codec used to encode or decode media stored in an AVI file

Bugs - Defects in the system. Two categories - those found in QA and those found in production.

Candidate - Student or test taker.

Centers - Test delivery locations

Channel - A collection of testing centers sharing common criteria. For example, the PPC channel consists of sites that are owned by Pearson VUE and that meet minimum criteria such as availability of biometric devices and building standards.

Client/Sponsor - The owner or sponsor of a testing program.

.DAT - File extension associated with compilation of all exam files (includes- itempool, spec, displays, QAReview, etc.)

Decvar - Declaration Variable defined in test creation / publishing.

Delivery Script -JavaScript that enables accommodations such as double time, etc.

Displays - when taking a test often a(n): intro screen, tutorial, copyright, survey, etc.

Double-Byte - languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean

Entry Monitoring - The process a candidate must go through to gain entry to the exam workstations.

External Items - Third-party plug-ins to the test delivery software/displays and captures a response outside of the test driver. (hot spots, IIE (Innovative Item Editor))

Experimental Content - Items and related test content that can be compiled and published independently for administration to candidates to collect data for such purposes as calibrating future item pools.

Formatters - Programs that generate a result feed for a client.

Foxe - xml editor

FTP - file transfer protocol, used to exchange exam source files

Gatekeeper - The proxy server by which RMA connects the test centers to the hub

Guid - unique ID assigned by CERTS

Hub - The main server in the VUE system. It is primarily used as a file system and as the location of the Hub Services.

Hub Services - Provides the business logic that can be leveraged by different applications within the VUE system.

Item Pool - file that contains client content/questions

Library - area where we save various files that are used repeatedly for client. For example: an intro screen used for every exam a client publishes is stored here

Macro - mini-program written in Word that makes numerous changes at once

Objectives - used to identify learning goals in specific areas. For example: Math, Trig, Calc, etc.

Outage - At least a monthly occurrence whereby new VTS code is delivered to the production environment.

Parent name - found at bottom of spec and used in Client Manager when publishing

Perforce (P4) - software that keeps source files (source control), similar to library

PowerBuilder - Language that CERTS is written in.

Private key - client exports to other computers on their site that are being used in their exam review process

Proctor - The computer console that controls admissions into the test area. Also the person who monitors the candidates during their exams.

Psychometrician - An expert in the theory and practice of measuring mental characteristics through statistical analysis of responses on exams or other tools designed to enable reliable inferences about those characteristics to be made; a statistical analyst who develops and analyzes adaptive algorithms used in adaptive exams.

Publication announcement - email that goes out to client, program manager and new exam list serve to confirm exam is published in field

Reg Man - Our exam registration system

Reporting sections - often used to report results in specific categories on score reports

Results Processing - team that works with candidate test results

Rubric - A system of scoring designed to promote standardization; a scoring rubric may consist of a set of criteria to be used in evaluating test takers' responses to an exam question.

Scenario 1 - Testing center configuration. Scenario 1 is a standalone machine (not allowed). There is scenario 2 (workgroup) and scenario 3 (server).

Site Database - The database located at each test center. This is updated by RMA during the replication phase.

Spec - file that instructs content in itempool, displays, etc., how to present and behave

Test Data - data used in the testing of an application.

Test Development - team that works with client to ensure psychometrically sound questions

Test driver - platform in which the exams are run such as desktop edition or browser edition   

TestList - database that stores various facts about exams

Test Plan - a documented plan of attack - states what will be tested and, perhaps more importantly, what won't be tested.

Test Scenario - Most often referred to as a Use Case - documents the "happy path" through an application.

Test Script - an automated test case.

Test Step - one small part of a test case.

Track - A combination of VTS Software and TDA software that is run by a test center. It is possible to have multiple tracks in the field.

vbscripting - dynamically produces information on score report, nda, etc. It allows generic events to be produced rather than unique score reports/displays to be produced for each series.

Wrapper Monitor - The application within which the Hub services are run. Provides information on service health and restarts hung services (e.g., DSF, TAF, and FQS)