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MTTest - wondering - question

Posted: Jul 17, 2010

Regaring MTTest and their pass/fail inconsistencies - I'm wondering if they don't set these things to fail anything after a certain number of test takers.

I'm just saying, if I were an MTSO hring a weed-wacker like MTTest, and with the high number of applicants these years, I'd be saying something on the order of "just send me the top 20." and so MTTest takes the top 20 from say...50, or even the top from after 2 days of open testing, and then 'defaults' to fail after that.

Someday I'll post as an MTSO and make phone calls questioning a lot of things out there for the REAL low-down.

to clarify my typo - pose as an MTSO, not "post" as one. - big difference needed - correcting

[ In Reply To ..]
.

No, not really - but this is what they can do (sm) - Former Hiring Mgr (using MTTEST.com)

[ In Reply To ..]
Each company determines what score threshold they want to use for each portion of their testing unit.

Some companies have one or more question sections first. They have qualifying information that will either allow you to move forward to the next section or will disqualify you and stop you there.

When you get to the infamous "objective" portion, again the company names what their threshold is. If they want to accept 80%, then anyone not meeting 80% will be stopped from progressing through. Those making the threshold grade and above are congratulated and allowed to move to the transcription portion.

The transcription portion is not automatically graded. It is automatically scored and sent to whomever the company wants to review it. Sometimes companies hire the graders at Career Step (pitiful graders, let me tell you - former students who have never worked as MTs and grade for CS and other companies so they are constantly confused on who counts what as an error) or sometimes companies use their own QA people to grade.

The problem is not MTTEST.com. I worked with this system for years and countless applicants. The system itself is not flawed.

What causes failures:
1. In all honesty, many MTs simply do not follow instructions on the objective portion. If it tells you to write "the misspelled word, if there is one," most people don't do that. They rewrite the whole phrase. This is counted wrong - you didn't follow the instructions. The grader CAN credit you back this question if you got it right otherwise but the company has to allow it or the grader at least be observant and understand what is happening. Most graders don't understand and don't give a flip, either. Still yet, many MTs assume they know correct spellings or definitions and make flat-out wrong choices. A few will miss an objective question because they accidentally skip it.

2. Inconsistent grading. Again, the companies vary so much in what they want and are not consistent with their instructions to graders (whether they are CS graders or their own).

3. Most companies give poor instruction to applicants on expectations. They should tell you a few short hard and fast rules they want you to adhere to and write their transcription keys accordingly. It takes a lot of time and effort - I know, I used to do it. It is a constant process.

I would love to provide a central testing center that actually does a decent job, provides consistent testing modalities, and also provides feedback to the testers. I tried to do that prior and it worked great but the company soon stopped it - said it took too much time. The MTs I was able to go over their test results with were always 100% successful the next time they tested.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have questions.

Very informative, hopefully current. But doies not explain why - just saying

[ In Reply To ..]
the person from another thread tested and failed, then immedately retested with the exact same answers and passed. That was the pass/fail discrepancy I had in mind. (wasn't me but made me wonder)

You post is informative but pretty much common knowledge - abiity to follow instructions comes with the territory; grading standards...well, purpose of testing at all, right? Your point labeled 3 - hello. No company ever gave me instructions outside of 'go to MTTest and take it.'

anyway......

Wouldn't it be cool if they had a short sheet of instructions sm - RoadRunnerMT

[ In Reply To ..]
or "account specifics" to follow for the transcription portion? This would also show the MTSOs if that MT had the capability of following those instructions as well. This would be so much easier than let's see do they want PRN, p.r.n., or as-needed basis. So many ways things CAN be done but if one way and not the way they want it, you are counted as wrong and with 98% accuracy that alone can throw you to fail.

I also wonder if some companies don't simply make their pass/fail extremely difficult due to the fact that most are using this test score to set your rate so the more difficult and more errors they can show, the lower your pay.

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