Case Study: Oman National Exams Project - Revolutionising Assessment Delivery

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Overview 

Since 2011, Pearson has been a key partner to the Ministry of Education in Oman, providing systems and services for Grade 12 national exams. This collaboration, initiated after a successful trial in 2010, introduced the region's first national digital marking system. Over the years, Pearson has worked closely with the Ministry to enhance marking speed and marking quality, aligning with their vision to improve the national examinations assessment process.

Pearson partnered with York Press as in-country collaborators to achieve the project's objectives and worked closely with the Ministry of Education to successfully deliver the project.

Customer and Context

  • Age and stage: Upper Secondary students; Grade 12
  • Purpose: To improve assessment design, quality, and marking efficiency

Timeline and Scope

  • Start/Finish: Initiated in 2011, ongoing
  • Cohort Volumes: Over 800,000 exams across more than 30 subjects per year
  • No of subjects: 23 subjects for General Diploma, 28 for Private/Vocational

Inputs and Outputs

  • Services include exam design, desktop publishing, marking centre setups, scanning, digitisation, marking, and result generation
  • Three examination sessions annually

Technology

  • Developed in-house, scanning and marking systems have undergone several versions over the project duration
  • All systems and hardware provided by Pearson, including data center equipment and laptops

Challenges/Complexities

  • Compressed timelines for test booklet design and marking process completion; adhering to a challenging schedule for project delivery
  • Frequent power outages, leading to lost marking time and requiring equipment support
  • Design and Desktop Publishing (DTP): A rapid transit through the desktop publishing process, including multiple review stages and comprehensive pre-press checks

Other Highlights/Differentiation

  • Rigorous QA processes and working in collaboration with the Subject Leads to ensure robust control of examination content
  • Data added during printing results in each student receiving a personalised test booklet that can be tracked throughout subsequent processing and marking
  • The import of text files produced by test developers into an InDesign template created to satisfy both client and OMR/onscreen marking requirements
  • The setup of four marking centers across the country to facilitate the marking process, each with a secure private network
  • Item level marking across all subjects, supporting 1400 concurrent markers each marking shift
  • Ensuring every marker (teacher) was allocated an account restricted to their subject, with double marking provision and an adjudication process for discrepancies

Outcome

  • Successful delivery of over 800,000 exams annually across a diverse range of subjects
  • Robust systems and processes in place to handle challenges such as power outages and compressed timelines
  • Continuous improvement in marking speed and marking quality over the years since the project’s inception