The Examagram testing method is based on Item Response Theory (IRT). IRT has many benefits over classical test theory and is regarded as superior and able to accurately grade over shorter test frameworks.

IRT works by drawing from a large pool of questions, then choosing the next question based on the answer the candidate gives. The more questions the candidate gets correct, the harder the test gets. Over the course of the test the candidates actual ability will be found as the questions narrow down on the highest level they can consistently answer correctly.

This compares to classical testing theory where the questions are already predetermined before the test has started, quite often a select amount per grade. But this is open to reliability issues, for example the candidate can get lucky, guessing some of the difficult questions, skewing their actual ability. With IRT for example, if the candidate has a lower level of English, chances are they won’t even be given the higher questions to answer as they fail to reliably answer mid level questions.

We have had many candidates retake an Examagram test only to achieve the same result, much to their surprise. This is because, as explained above, we are not just scoring based on the number of correct answers over the entire test, rather the correct answers given at each difficulty level.