Type and descriptive type questions demanding alpha and alphanumeric
responses. As a result of comparison by Ship Safety staff of The EXAMINER with the User
requirerments of the AUTOQUEST system, the conclusion was that the softwale sufficiently
met the requirements and warrants expenditule on customization primarily for data transfer
to the seafarers records system (ACES) and for translation into French to meet user and
official language policy requirements.
The Examiner Corporation is presently developing the product to run
under Windows95. Ship Safety is considering implementation of automated scoring of
multiple-choice examinations using optical mark readers and the Examinee Records System of
the Windows version of The Examiner System.
Beneficiaries
The EXAMINER software has provided the immediate benefit to Ship Safety
in saviug approximately $900 per written examination in Navigation Safety (061 & 062).
Similar savings are being achieved with Ship Stability examinations which use calculation
questions (numeric response) in addition to multiple-choice questions. Other beneficiaries
of the AUTOQUEST project as a whole include examination candidates, marire traing
institutions, ship owners/operators, and the public; through the improved capacity of Ship
Safety to adjust examination content for changing certification needs.
Implementation Strategy of The Major Functions of AUTOQUEST
Following the Options Analysis Phase, the strategy for implementing the
AUTOQUEST project has been further defined in four major Phases. namely:
1. Centralized Production and Statistics Reporting of Paper-and-pencil
examinations.
2. Decentralized Production and Statistics Reporting of
Paper-and-Pencil examinations.
3. Data interchange between the ACES system and the AUTOQUEST systems.
4. Centralized Production of Conputer-delivered examinations for remote
delivery.
Safety Sensitive Subjects
The continued offering of the challenge examination system by Ship
Safety, instead of an all-course systems, reflects a need of the industry. The first
priority for Ship Safety is to maintain a
