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. 3d ago

    4th June Weekly Global News Update

    This week's global news collection brings together 21 stories from across the assessment and education technology landscape. Test security dominates, with CBSE's On-Screen Marking crisis in India unfolding across a coordinated cyberattack, a vendor under scrutiny, and a sharp argument that the real failure is one of governance rather than technology. Leaked Cambridge International papers, glitches in Pearson's SATs marking system, and a look at how China, India and South Korea defend their high-stakes entrance exams round out the integrity theme. Artificial intelligence runs throughout: Surpass Assessment's ISO/IEC 42001 certification, Ofqual's concluding webinar on AI in awarding organisations, fresh thinking on assessment design for an AI-enabled future, and a CoSN report capturing how K-12 IT leaders are weighing AI adoption against cybersecurity risk. Elsewhere, the collection examines declining student literacy and attention, the "devices down" debate, the STEM versus STEAM question, the human cost of Kenya's exam culture, Portugal's move to digital assessment, AQA's new e-marking partnership, and three podcasts exploring integrity, security and safer digital learning. Together, the stories trace a single thread — how assessment protects its integrity, embraces technology, and keeps learners at its centre. Disclaimer: The links in this collection direct to external, third-party websites that are not owned or controlled by the Test Community Network. We share them for information and convenience only; their inclusion does not imply endorsement of the views, products, or services they contain. We are not responsible for the accuracy, content, or availability of external sites, and summaries are our own interpretation of the original sources. Please refer to the original article for the full and definitive account.

    14 min

  2. 3d ago

    Why Membership Bodies Need to Get Serious About AI with Richard Gott

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Richard Gott, Chair and Founder of the MemberWise Network — a professional network for over 8,000 membership and association professionals across the UK and EU.They discuss:Why membership organisations are moving from piloting AI to needing proper integration — and why only around 20% have got there so farThe gap between AI adoption and AI strategy, with only a minority of membership bodies having digital, data or AI strategies in place despite growing usageHow organisations can create a "Netflix Plus" personalised member experience — using AI to surface the right content, cross-sell services and turn passive subscribers into active advocatesRichard shares findings from the MemberWise Digital Excellence Report, including the statistic that properly integrating AI into a membership department can increase capacity by around 35%. He explains how organisations like the Institution of Engineering and Technology are already using bespoke AI tools to inform decisions — from where to hold conferences to how to optimise content — while many smaller bodies are still taking a more DIY approach. The conversation also explores subscription fatigue, the importance of evidencing member value, and why the shift from transactional to relational engagement is critical for growth.Connect with Richard Gott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/memberwise/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-chatEvents: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-eventsPodcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcastsMarketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplaceSubscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

    24 min

  3. May 27

    28th May - Global Assessment News

    This week's collection brings together 18 items from across the assessment world. AI continues to dominate the conversation, with research warning that generative AI overuse may deskill graduates, a striking statistic showing student AI use in exams has risen to 92%, and several voices calling for a fundamental rethink of assessment design in response. Elsewhere, a teenage researcher's disclosure of critical vulnerabilities in India's CBSE marking portal raises urgent questions about exam system security, Pearson Edexcel has apologised for errors in a GCSE Computer Science paper, and there are calls for proposals from conferences in Kuala Lumpur and Sydney. On the professional side, the FAB Awards are open for entries, the e-Assessment Association is running its 2026 Online Proctoring Survey, and RCS England is recruiting a Director of Education. Podcasts this week cover serious games in credentialing, human-centred academic integrity, and whether AI literacy is substance or marketing. Whether you work in higher education, vocational assessment, professional certification or K-12, there is something here for you. The collection in full: https://testcommunity.network/collections/28th-may-2026

    7 min

  4. May 13

    14th May - Global Assessment News

    Assessment & Testing Updates Oxford seminar exploring how AI could transform examinations, personalised learning, authenticity, surveillance and inequality.https://testcommunity.network/a-new-examination-era-ai-and-the-transformation-of-educational-assessment Surpass Conference 2026 heads to Manchester with sessions on AI, digital assessment, skills and the future of qualifications.https://testcommunity.network/surpass-conference-2026-speakers IACAT invites proposals for its 2026 conference in São Paulo, covering CAT, IRT, AI in psychometrics and modern assessment research.https://testcommunity.network/iacat-2026-call-for-proposals Dr Luca Longo argues AI reveals deeper questions about what education and assessment are really measuring.https://testcommunity.network/e-atp-2026-conference-opening-keynote-cheating-or-revealing-what-ai-exposes-about-education Integrity Advocate explains why human-reviewed ID verification creates stronger evidence than automated confidence scores alone.https://testcommunity.network/why-automated-identity-verification-isnt-enough-for-high-stakes-exams A discussion on building academic integrity culture, Ireland’s education-first approach, AI, trust and transparency.https://testcommunity.network/the-opposite-of-cheating-the-opposite-of-cheating-podcast-season-2-episode-60-loretta-goff Charlie Burley shares why school wellbeing strategies fail and introduces the Six C’s framework for tackling teacher burnout.https://testcommunity.network/edufuturists-why-your-school-wellbeing-strategy-isnt-working-and-what-to-do-about-it-with-charlie-burley-343 This episode examines why more students are enrolling in college but failing to complete their degrees.https://testcommunity.network/education-insight-what-20-years-of-data-reveals-about-college-success UPESSC used AI-enabled surveillance and real-time monitoring for large-scale lecturer examinations in Uttar Pradesh.https://testcommunity.network/upessc-lecturer-exam-conducted-smoothly-under-ai-monitoring Indian students and educators raise concerns about cognitive fatigue in the revised CUET UG 2026 exam format.https://testcommunity.network/students-worried-over-no-break-3-hour-cuet-ug-exam-format A look at how classroom.cloud supports classroom management, safeguarding, BYOD and AI-driven risk analysis in schools.https://testcommunity.network/the-edtech-podcast-325-unlocking-the-power-of-classroom-cloud-the-ultimate-edtech-solution-for-schools Dr Ghulam Nabi Shakir argues that AI-assisted assessment could improve fairness, transparency and efficiency in Pakistan’s exams.https://testcommunity.network/from-e-assessment-to-ai-assisted-assessment Türkiye moves vocational qualification exams to digital e-exam centres, supporting national education and workforce transformation.https://testcommunity.network/vocational-qualification-exams-shift-to-e-exam-system-in-trkiye Two people were arrested in Kerala for alleged high-tech cheating using Bluetooth devices during a PSC exam.https://testcommunity.network/psc-exam-cheating-two-arrested-in-thiruvananthapuram-for-high-tech-malpractice Tim Burnett speaks with Lee Fawcett about cheap hardware, AI apps, online proctoring vulnerabilities and red-teaming assessments.https://testcommunity.network/test-community-network-7th-may-how-a-7-webcam-a-vibe-coded-ai-app-could-be-a-test-security-problem-with-guest-lee-fawcett

    9 min

  5. May 6

    7th May: How a £7 Webcam, + a Vibe-Coded AI App, Could Be a Test Security Problem with guest Lee Fawcett

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Lee Fawcett, a counter-fraud and investigation specialist supporting the UK qualifications and assessment industry.They discuss:- How a £7.36 USB webcam and a vibe-coded cheating app scored 8 out of 10 on a GCSE algebra test — with almost no technical expertise required- Why online proctoring platforms still can't detect the full range of concealed hardware and AI-assisted cheating methods available today- The case for "red teaming" your assessments — thinking like a criminal rather than an exam owner to uncover vulnerabilities before bad actors doTim starts by demonstrating a live proof-of-concept: a tiny USB camera taped to a keyboard, feeding exam questions to an AI app built with Lovable, which reads the screen every ten seconds and whispers the answers back through audio.Lee shares his reaction and his experience investigating cheats and criminals who exploit test security vulnerabilities.The pair discuss the limits of remote proctoring, the commercial cheating industry, and why organisations need to start by assessing the real-world value of what their qualification represents — not just the security of the delivery method.They also flag the Conference on Test Security coming to Cambridge in November as a must-attend for the community.Connect with Lee Fawcett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leefawcettuk/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-chatEvents: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-eventsPodcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcastsMarketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplaceSubscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

    23 min

  6. Apr 30

    30th April: ReadSpeaker: Rethinking Accessibility in Assessment with Hugh McNeela

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Hugh McNeela, Sales Account Manager for Corporate Learning (UK & Ireland) at ReadSpeaker.They discuss:- Why text-to-speech in assessments isn't just an accessibility tool, and how a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach benefits all candidates, including the 70% of people with neurodiversity challenges who never disclose their condition to employers- How ReadSpeaker integrates directly into assessment platforms, from LMS environments like Moodle and Canvas through to high-stakes exam delivery, without compromising the security or integrity of assessments- The real-world impact of TTS on learning outcomes, including how Penn Foster improved their 30-day course completion rates by 54% simply by adding text-to-speech to their contentHugh and Tim explore what happens when accessibility is built into the design of an assessment from the start, rather than bolted on as a reasonable adjustment.From reducing the logistical burden on teachers during exam days, to eliminating the stigma that stops learners from asking for help, ReadSpeaker's approach treats voice support as a core part of fair assessment — not an optional extra.The conversation also touches on why deterministic TTS rendering matters in high-stakes exams, and how ReadSpeaker handles secure environments, including compatibility with safe exam browsers.Connect with Hugh McNeela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughmcneela/Learn more about ReadSpeaker: https://www.readspeaker.com/?utmsource=testcommunitynetworkConnect 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-chatEvents: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-eventsPodcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcastsMarketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplaceSubscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

    24 min

  7. Apr 21

    23rd April- Reliability, Validity, Fairness: with Mary Pitoniak

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Mary Pitoniak, Assessment and Measurement Expert and President of Pitoniak Educational Measurement.They discuss:Why reliability, validity and fairness are the three pillars of good assessment — and how they connect, reinforce and constrain each other Whether personalised assessment powered by AI is really ready for prime time, especially for high-stakes tests like licensure and certification How AI is the "hot topic" at every conference right now, and why handing it to organisations without psychometric expertise is like "giving the keys to a Maserati to someone who barely knows how to drive"Mary brings nearly forty years of experience in assessment, including twenty-four years at ETS working on NAEP and auditing programmes to the ETS standards. She and her long-time collaborator Linda Cook were recently named the first women editors of Educational Measurement — now in its fifth edition — and won the National Council on Measurement in Education's Award for Exceptional Achievement in Educational Measurement. In a refreshingly plain-spoken conversation, Mary makes the technical accessible, explaining why standardisation has historically meant standardisation to the dominant culture, why the question isn't really "is the test valid?" but "are the interpretations of the test score for the proposed use appropriate?", and why the most exciting developments in AI and assessment still need to be anchored to the same enduring principles.Read the book: Educational Measurement (Fifth Edition) — Edited by Linda L. Cook and Mary J. Pitoniak (Oxford University Press, open access)https://testcommunity.network/content/educational-measurement-fifth-edition-edited-by-linda-l-cook-and-mary-j-pitoniakConnect with Mary Pitoniak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-pitoniak-3560a691/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-chatEvents: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-eventsPodcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcastsMarketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplaceSubscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.networkFull Transcript here: https://testcommunity.network/download/6NGB7H

    34 min

  8. Apr 16

    Webinar: AI Superpowers - Vibe Coding, Cowork & AI Skills

    You don't need to be a developer to build software anymore — and this session proves it.In this hands-on webinar, Tim Burnett explores three game-changing AI developments that are reshaping how professionals work and build:🛠️ Vibe Coding — Learn how anyone can create functional apps and tools just by describing what they want in plain English. No programming experience required. We cover the real potential, the limitations, and why this trend is heading straight for the assessment industry.🤖 Claude Cowork — Anthropic's desktop agent that works alongside you to manage files, automate tasks, and handle complex workflows — all without writing a single line of code. Like having an AI colleague sitting right next to you.📋 AI Skills & Agent Workflows — Discover how reusable AI instruction files are turning assistants into specialist agents, and why this is a breakthrough for organisations looking to build scalable, repeatable AI workflows across their teams.Plus, Tim shares his regular Beyond Assessment AI Update — the latest AI tools, trends, and developments that matter most to the assessment community.Whether you're an assessment professional curious about AI's next leap, or someone who's always wanted to build tools but lacked the technical skills — this one's for you.🔔 Subscribe for more from the AI Superpowers series by the Test Community Network — the global platform for assessment professionals.

    46 min
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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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