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)