The Test Community.Network

Tim Burnett

Welcome to the Test Community Network, your go-to weekly update on everything about assessment and testing. Tim Burnett and special guests will help you find the latest chances to explore and connect in the diverse world of assessment and testing. Discover new events, webinars, and podcasts, plus get inspiration from the Test Community Network marketplace. For more information visit: https://www.testcommunity.network

  1. 3 days ago

    10th Sept: Can Telemetry Replace the Exam? Jim Henderson on Assessing IT Skills in the Flow of Work

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Jim Henderson, owner of Validify Consulting and a Seattle-based specialist who helps IT companies build high-stakes certification programmes. With around twenty years in assessment — and a career in IT before that — Jim makes the case for assessing competence in the flow of work. They discuss: Why a knowledge test can only tell you so much about an IT professional, and how reading the telemetry people generate as they work proves they can actually do the job — not just recall itWhat certification can borrow from the video game industry, including an 11-tier progression system with 15–20 objectives per rank and a seasonal "recertify" reset that keeps skills currentHow to design telemetry-based assessment that resists gaming — spreading objectives across months rather than a single scripted task — and whether it's really more secure than proctoring (Jim's answer: "it depends") From the Novell practicum of the mid-2000s to a working prototype he's built today, Jim traces how cloud software and event-driven telemetry have finally made real-time, performance-based assessment feasible. The conversation gets into the practical hurdles too: short data-retention windows, chain-of-custody and auditability, the relentless pace of SaaS change, and why assessment telemetry may need to become a first-class feature protected by unit tests. It's a genuinely forward-looking listen for anyone rethinking how we validate skills in an AI-shaped world — with a nod to the parallel work of Microsoft's Liberty Munson. Watch Jim's prototype demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbQzvBz--KQ&feature=youtu.be Referenced in this episode: Validify Consulting at the ITCC 2026 Vendor Showcase Connect with Jim Henderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhenderson/ Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/ If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

  2. 3 days ago

    10th Sept - Global Assessment News Update

    This week's global assessment news spans AI regulation in schools, exam security crackdowns, and the future of digital credentialing. From New York City's ban on AI use through middle school to NSW's new limits on take-home assessments, education systems worldwide are grappling with how to respond to generative AI. Meanwhile, mass cheating arrests and a deepening crisis of trust at India's NTA highlight the ongoing battle for exam integrity. On the innovation front, ETS outlines its multi-year AI transformation, Second Mesh secures funding for AI-powered ESOL assessment, and new research examines whether digital assessments genuinely improve learning outcomes. The OECD's PISA 2025 results land alongside fresh debate on GCSE and A-level grade reliability, and the global conversation around micro-credentials, workforce readiness, and hybrid exam models continues to gain momentum. See the collection in full: https://testcommunity.network/collections/10th-september-weekly-global-news-update Disclaimer The Test Community Network curates and summarises publicly available news, research, and content from third-party sources for informational purposes only. Inclusion in this collection does not imply endorsement, affiliation, or verification of accuracy by the Test Community Network. All intellectual property rights remain with the original authors and publishers. Readers are encouraged to consult the original sources for full context. The Test Community Network accepts no liability for any actions taken based on the content summarised herein.

  3. 2 Sept

    3rd Sept - Forty Years of Getting Assessment Right (and Wrong) with Rick Jones

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Rick Jones, President of RMJ Assessment and independent assessment consultant with forty years of experience across Canadian provinces and international settings. They discuss: How the assessment conversation has shifted from digitising paper-based exams to exploring AI for item generation and constructed response scoringWhether candidates should be given access to AI tools during assessments, and what that means for test designWhat Rick is looking forward to at the IAEA 2026 conference in Toronto this September, from exhibition hall discoveries to conversations about early literacy and maths screeningRick shares insights from a career spanning roles in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario, including his work evaluating assessment programmes, organising the Pan-Canadian Forum, and profiling assessment experts from Canada and beyond. He reflects on the lessons learned from both successes and failures in large-scale assessment, and why the human role in AI-supported assessment remains essential. With the IAEA conference just weeks away, Rick talks about what he hopes to bring to the conversation and what he's keen to learn from the global assessment community. Explore Rick's Expert Profiles in Educational Assessment: https://rmjassessment.com/profiles-in-educational-assessment/ Register for the IAEA 2026 conference: https://iaea2026.org/ Connect with Rick Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-jones-65b43330/ Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/ If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

  4. 2 Sept

    3rd Sept - Global Assessment News Update

    This week's global news roundup spans 21 stories across the assessment, education and credentialing landscape. Test security dominates the headlines, with South Korea tightening exam rules after smart glasses cheating, Rwanda ordering over 7,000 students to retake national exams, and a new report urging an immediate ban on all remote unsupervised testing. India's examination system also faces scrutiny, with NEET-PG candidates reporting technical failures at test centres and JEE Advanced exploring a shift to adaptive testing by 2030. AI in assessment continues to gather pace, with stories covering AI-powered item banking, human oversight of AI-generated medical assessments, ethical concerns around AI grading in South Korea, and new rules in New South Wales limiting take-home assessments to combat AI misuse. ATP's forward-looking report imagines what assessment might look like by 2040, while the EU AI Act introduces new watermarking obligations for AI-generated content. Beyond the headlines, this collection also features insights on second-career teachers, the six transferable skills employers value most, portfolio-based assessment market growth, and talent mobility across Asia. Disclaimer: The Test Community Network (TCN) curates and summarises third-party content for informational purposes only. The inclusion of any article, report, podcast or external link does not constitute endorsement, recommendation or verification of its accuracy by TCN. All third-party content remains the intellectual property of its respective authors and publishers. TCN accepts no responsibility or liability for the content, accuracy or availability of external sites linked within this collection. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgement when accessing third-party resources.

  5. 28 Aug

    29th August - Global Assessment News Update

    Welcome to this week's Test Community Network global weekly update. Here are the highlights: AI & Assessment — Can AI mark video as well as text? We explore the next frontier in automated assessment. Plus, ATP looks ahead to what assessment might look like by 2040, and Credentialing Insights asks whether your AI policy is keeping pace with your AI adoption. Regulatory & Compliance — The EU AI Act enters the watermarking era with new transparency obligations. Ofqual unpacks the national GCSE results picture, and CXC defends the validity of its new CTEC exam amid scrutiny. Test Security & Integrity — Cirrus Assessment examines fairness risks when candidates choose between remote proctoring and test centres. We also feature Certory's human-first proctoring model and XProctor's AI-assisted integrity platform. And the BBC answers the question everyone's wondered: where does your exam actually go after you've finished it? Assessment Innovation — RM puts candidate experience at the centre of its digital expansion, CISCE launches a learning pattern tracking initiative in India, and IWCF's digital badging case study shows what modern credentialing looks like in practice. The Big Read — The New York Times argues the only way to stop cheating is to redesign the assessment itself. All links and full summaries are available at testcommunity.network. Disclaimer: This update includes links to third-party websites, podcasts, and publications. The Test Community Network does not control, endorse, or accept responsibility for the content, accuracy, or availability of any external sites or resources. Views expressed in linked content are those of the respective authors and organisations and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Test Community Network. Accessing third-party links is at your own discretion and risk.

  6. 19 Aug

    20th August 2026 Global Weekly News Update from the Assessment Community

    This week's global roundup covers exam security under the spotlight — from AI-enabled cheating and leaked papers to GPS-tracked test transport — alongside developments in proctoring fairness, assessment platform innovation, and the growing push for stronger regulation in the age of AI. We also feature job opportunities, conference registration, and a significant UK government tender for AI skills. Disclaimer: The Test Community Network curates links to third-party content for informational purposes only. We have no control over the content, availability, or accuracy of external websites and do not endorse the views, products, or services they contain. Linking to a third-party site does not imply any association with or endorsement by its operators. You access external links at your own discretion.

  7. 12 Aug

    13th August 2026 Global Weekly News Update from the Assessment Community

    This week's collection covers 24 stories from across the global assessment landscape. AI continues to dominate the headlines — South Korea's Insurance Institute has moved to 100% AI-generated exam questions, colleges in the US are quietly integrating AI into admissions, and universities from Edinburgh to Sheffield Hallam are wrestling with whether policing AI use is even worth the effort. Meanwhile, test security remains a persistent challenge worldwide, with large-scale fraud cases in Thailand and West Africa, smart device cheating in Cambodia, and a high-tech racket involving ChatGPT and hidden cameras in India. On the regulatory front, Ofqual has fined OTHM £25,000 for malpractice investigation failures, and the new US bar exam rollout has hit turbulence. There's also a thought-provoking piece on whether students still learn better from paper, a podcast exploring the future of credentialing, and research charting assessment's evolution from foundational ideas to systems thinking. — Disclaimer: The Test Community Network curates and summarises third-party content for informational purposes only. We do not control, endorse, or accept responsibility for the accuracy, content, or availability of external sites linked in this collection. Views expressed in linked articles, podcasts, and reports are those of their respective authors and publishers, not the Test Community Network. Readers access third-party links entirely at their own risk.

  8. 5 Aug

    6th August 2026 Global Weekly News Update from the Assessment Community

    This week's global news roundup takes in a bar exam cancellation in Washington State and the fallout that followed, Ofqual's £150,000 fine against EAL for repeated qualification failures, and a cyber-attack affecting over 600,000 records at England's Department for Education. Elsewhere, WAEC withholds more than 167,000 WASSCE results over malpractice, Kenya rolls out blockchain-verified exam certificates, and universities continue to move away from AI detectors in favour of redesigned assessments. Read on for the full round-up. Disclaimer: The articles, podcasts and other content featured in this collection are curated from third-party sources and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Test Community Network. Links are provided for informational purposes only, and the Test Community Network is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or content of external websites. Readers should verify any information independently before relying on it.

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About

Welcome to the Test Community Network, your go-to weekly update on everything about assessment and testing. Tim Burnett and special guests will help you find the latest chances to explore and connect in the diverse world of assessment and testing. Discover new events, webinars, and podcasts, plus get inspiration from the Test Community Network marketplace. For more information visit: https://www.testcommunity.network

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