In 2020 the COVID epidemic affected Scio.cz just like everyone else. Up to then, our comparative exams were only taken using paper and pencil in classrooms throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was immediately clear that it would be impossible to continue like this. We were faced with the decision to either defer exams, something complicated and fraught with the uncertainty of what would happen a month or so down the road, or to find a way to take tests on-line, which is the path we chose.
We consulted technical specifications with the Czech representatives of Microsoft. And quickly moved from our initial idea to develop our own software to seek for suppliers of proctoring solutions. Finally, found the Australian based company Janison with whom we launched our online testing and proctoring within a few days.
At the end of the 2019/2020 school year, we found that many of the solutions on the market weren’t entirely satisfactory. So, in autumn 2020 we joined forces with a company specializing in AI technologies – BornDigital. We set up a partnership that allowed us to develop our own proctoring and testing application system for high-stakes tests. This system was already in use by students at Czech and Slovak universities in 2021.
But our ambitions don’t end there. We now have a system that is capable of serving both our needs and those of other educational institutions. We know that other institutions are also searching for a similar system. Our aim is to develop a universal system that can be used for any type of exam. We want to change how professional exams and certifications, language exams and exams that are part of HR processes are taken.
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This is the third year we have been organizing online entrance exams making use of Scio tools. We could use our own tests, customize the time and date the test took place, and save on hiring test centres abroad as well as at the faculty. The Scio team introduced us to things that we had not experienced before, we also adopted their know-how...
“Education worldwide has been thrown into chaos by Covid-19, with lockdowns and other disruption affecting more than 220m tertiary-level students... By using AI and machine learning, the Czech groups hope that their software will enable fairer online university exams...”
It will take just 30 minutes to go over everything, all from the comfort of your office or home.
It will take just 30 minutes to go over everything, all from the comfort of your office or home.