The system employs a range of similarly validated cognitive tasks seen in computerised test suites such as the Cognitive Drug Research computerised assessment system however COMPASS is a purposely designed software application allowing for greater flexibility in choice of tasks and delivery of randomly generated parallel versions of standard cognitive assessment tasks [ 78].
The older children also sat a computerised test designed to measure attention span.
Outside the classroom there are a few banks of computers where another company, subcontracted by Pertemps, Learn Direct, is testing claimants' maths and English skills through computerised tests.
That will require changes to the state's regular computerised tests for students, themselves only three years old.
They performed a series of computerised tests of attention and memory, once prior to breakfast and three times following breakfast at hourly intervals.
Cecilia Anim's amazement at the written report, describing her daughter's work capability assessment (WCA), the test to determine fitness for work, echoes the shock felt by hundreds of thousands of former claimants of incapacity benefit over the last three years, after undergoing the stringent new computerised test to check their continued eligibility for benefit payments.
Computerised tests of cognitive performance, consisting of memory, sustained attention and psychomotor speed, were performed during four sessions, i.e., prior to breakfast, after breakfast, after a mid-morning snack and after lunch.
Reports of assessments trialled so far are causing anguish to those who are also set to go through it, as tales of misunderstanding and inexperienced assessors who work for Atos (the company responsible for the new computerised test) are not reassuring those in most need of the benefit.
Contrary to our hypothesis, there were no group differences found in attention span, sustained attention or in the computerised tests of psychomotor speed and response inhibition.
