Director of Sales & Marketing, Jeremy Carter, will be presenting alongside Martin Mackain-Bremner, Head of Assessments from the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians). They will be speaking on the topic of ‘From knowledge to competency – using advanced question types to test skills in a high stakes environment’. Jeremy and Martin will be drawing on the experience that BTL and AAT have gained over the years in developing advanced question types that not only test knowledge but also test competency in a skill or applied knowledge.

Delegates to this session will also learn about the challenges of moving from paper-based exams to on-screen and how these challenges might be met through the development of advanced questions types. The presentation will take place on Thursday 13th September at 1.30pm.

BTL will also be exhibiting throughout the days of the conferences. Delegates are invited to visit the BTL stand to see how both paper and on-screen exams can be created using BTL’s Surpass® Assessment Platform.

To pre-book a meeting with the BTL team, please email us using the contact form.

Further information about the conference can be found at www.eatpconference.eu.com.

BTL will be represented by Business Development Managers, Jessica Pape and Tim Burnett, who will be on hand to demonstrate why BTL’s Surpass® Assessment Platform is the system of choice for leading UK exam boards delivering their qualifications on-screen. Organisations using Surpass include, AAT, AQA, SQA, City& Guilds and OCR.

Delegates to the conference are invited to the BTL exhibition stand to learn how Surpass provides the widest range of assessment capabilities from one platform, including the ability to create and deliver both paper and on-screen exams.

OCR is a leading UK awarding body that offers a wide range of qualifications to schools, colleges, workplaces and other institutions. Their range of qualifications includes A Levels, GCSEs and vocational qualifications including Cambridge Technicals, Cambridge Nationals and NVQs.

Mark Dawe, OCR’s Chief Executive, says

“This new partnership with BTL enables OCR to give our customers all the flexibility of an on-screen service without compromising the integrity of our unique Functional Skills assessments.”

OCR has a history of reliable delivery with Functional Skills and friendly customer service. OCR’s Functional Skills are particularly valued as they really assess the ability of candidates to apply English, Maths and ICT in a problem-solving, practical way.

Learners, apprentices and employers value these qualifications because they accredit practical skills in an accessible and realistic way.

The Surpass assessment platform is the most comprehensive, innovative and secure assessment solution on the market. The platform offers the ideal solution for high stakes, high volume on-screen examinations. Surpass will provide OCR with the ability to take greater control of their assessment processes and swift access to valuable reporting and analysis capabilities.

Jeremy Carter, Sales & Marketing Director at BTL, says

“Our Surpass assessment platform continues to be the first choice for leading Awarding Organisations wanting to deliver high stakes exams on-screen. We are delighted that OCR has chosen Surpass and look forward to working together”.

BTL, the leading UK-based provider of assessment solutions, will be providing on-going support to OCR staff, full training, testing and consultancy to integrate Surpass with OCR’s back-office systems.

Surpass®, BTL’s flagship assessment platform, is known in the assessment industry for being able to create the most advanced on-screen assessment questions. Surpass is used by a number of leading awarding bodies to develop and deliver their global assessment programmes. Many of these organisations already utilise the AQTs to not only improve the candidate experience but also to develop fit-for-purpose exam questions.

Chris Fearn, AQT Business Unit Lead, states

“BTL are already well known in the education sector for providing functionally rich question types but we are always looking at ways to improve the learner experience by collaborating with our partners to create new, exciting and innovative advanced question types.”

The objective of BTL’s new AQT unit is to raise the profile of AQTs and develop new and innovative AQTs which would further enable awarding bodies to deliver a wider range of assessments on-screen. BTL’s AQTs can be purchased by existing Surpass users; however, BTL’s AQT team could provide non-users of Surpass an insight into how on-screen assessments could benefit them. For example, in the subject of maths a BTL AQT allows the learner to create a graph on-screen.

Key Benefits of Advanced Question Types
	Improved Learner Experience – Our AQTs are rich in functionality & interactivity.		Flexible – Our AQTs can be used in a wide range of assessment types and subjects.
	Convenient – Our AQTs can be added to any ContentProducer project at any time.		Meets Client Needs – Our AQTs are developed with client business needs in mind.
	Quality – Our AQTs are developed to BTL’s high standards.		Easy to use – Our AQTs are designed and developed with usability in mind for both the item writer and the learner.

For more information please contact the AQT team using the form on the contact page
BTL Launches Advanced Question Types Business Unit

Delegates to the conference are invited to the BTL exhibition booth to discuss how Surpass®, the most widely used assessment platform by UK Awarding Bodies, can help to transform existing and new assessment programmes. BTL staff will be on hand to show how Surpass allows organisations to fully manage their assessment processes, allowing full control in terms of creation, management and security as well as providing the added benefit of being able to produce both paper and on-screen exams. During the exhibition, BTL will be showcasing examples of assessments created in both Arabic and English.

Jeremy Carter, BTL Sales & Marketing Director, states:

“Surpass is an ideal solution for International Assessment Programmes due to its ability to support multiple language exam delivery, including Arabic. The platform allows for the creation, delivery and marking of both paper and on-screen exams and is therefore ideal for all types of assessment scenarios.”

BTL’s Surpass Assessment Platform is used by a number of leading Awarding Bodies, including, AAT, AQA, City & Guilds and SQA who use the platform to develop and deliver their global assessment programmes.

If any delegates would like to pre-book a meeting with the BTL team then please contact Hawa Mahmood via email at hawa.mahmood@btl.com or by telephoning the office on +44 (0)1274 203250.

Information about the conference can be found at www.gulfeducation.co.uk .

The partnership will see SQA licence BTL’s Surpass® Assessment Platform for the development and delivery of its whole assessment programme including the new National Qualifications being developed to support Curriculum for Excellence.

SQA has been using Surpass for the SOLAR e-Assessment programme since 2008; this new contract sees Surpass rolled out throughout the SQA – with Surpass being used to develop and deliver both paper and on-screen assessments.

SQA’s initial focus is on use of Surpass to develop assessments for the new National Qualifications. Over the five year duration of its contract with BTL it is anticipated that assessments to support all SQA’s key business streams will be developed and delivered using the Surpass Platform. The agreement will also see BTL providing a number of assessment related services; including full hosting, training, technical support and project management.

Keith Myers, Managing Director of BTL, states:

“Surpass has evolved to become more than just an e-Assessment system, it now offers the flexibility to develop and deliver both paper and on-screen assessments. We have a long and successful working partnership with SQA and we are delighted that SQA has chosen BTL to support them in this exciting new approach to managing their processes for assessment development from one single platform.”

Dr Janet Brown, SQA Chief Executive, said:

“This agreement between SQA and BTL Group Ltd demonstrates our continuing commitment to the use of the latest technologies for the development and delivery of on-screen and paper-based assessments for our entire provision of assessments, including the new National 4 and National 5. Use of these technologies allows SQA to further enhance the service we offer to our customers and to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of our operations. Our experience working with Keith and the team at BTL has been overwhelmingly positive and I look forward to continuing and developing our successful partnership.”

This year, the conference will look into the impact of e-Assessment on Qualifications, Awarding and Certification Assessment for Learning. The conference will look at how the technology, tools and techniques of e-Assessment can support High Stakes Assessment as well as Formative and Summative Assessment processes, including the delivery of qualifications and certification in the classroom and the work place.

BTL will be showcasing the latest developments in their Surpass® e-Assessment Platform during both days of the conference. Jeremy Carter, Sales & Marketing Director at BTL, will be speaking about ‘developing e-Assessment to support Awarding Organisations, learners, teachers and managers’ on the second day of the conference.

Delegates to the conference are invited to the BTL exhibition stand to learn more about the Surpass® Assessment Platform and find out why Surpass® is the system of choice for many leading Awarding Bodies.

To pre-book an appointment with the BTL team, please email info@btl.com. Alternatively you may call the office on +44 (0)1274 203250.

Information about the e-Assessment Question conference can be found at www.e-assess.co.uk .

AAT is the leading qualification and membership body for accounting and finance staff. BTL and AAT have been in partnership for assessment services for a number of years. AAT use the Surpass Platform to develop and deliver their global assessment programme. AAT computer-based assessments (CBA) continue to be the most innovative and relevant accounting assessments currently available, testing knowledge and skills through work-based scenarios faced by accounting technicians today.

The Surpass Platform provides all AAT students with the opportunity to sit a CBA at any time, whilst also providing them with instant provisional results. In addition, students can access practice assessments via the AAT website.

Jeremy Carter, Director of Sales & Marketing at BTL, states:

“We have a long standing relationship with the AAT; they are forward thinking, and truly push the boundaries of assessment. We are delighted that they have chosen to renew the assessment partnership for a further five years. The Surpass® Platform allows organisations to take control and streamline their assessment processes – something which AAT has done very successfully.“

Suzie Webb, Director of Education at AAT, states:

“This long-term partnership with BTL strengthens our strategic approach to the provision of assessments for our qualifications. As our portfolio of courses and qualifications expands to meet increasing demand from accounting technicians and their employers around the world, the Surpass® Platform provides a reliable, resilient and flexible environment for developing and delivering engaging, challenging and robust assessments.“

At both events, BTL will be represented by Head of International Sales, Murray Silver. Murray will be speaking about using assessment technology for high stakes assessments, and providing examples of how this has successfully been rolled out in the UK.

BTL has a history of working with some of the largest exam and professional bodies in the UK to develop and deliver global assessment programmes using the Surpass^® Assessment Platform. Delegates to both events are invited to speak to Murray Silver to discover how Surpass can transform your organisation’s exam process, from back office workflow management right through to exam delivery.

For further information about the Assessment Tomorrow Seminar in Bahrain, please visit www.assessmenttomorrow.com/.
For further information of the GESS Conference in Dubai, please visit www.gesseducation.com/ .

To achieve ‘Accredited Plus’, BTL created an exemplar assessment which was rigorously tested by people with a diverse range of disabilities and was reviewed for compliance with WCAG 2.0 AA. The key issues identified during the testing and review procedures have been subsequently resolved to provide ‘real-life accessibility’.
Achieving ‘Accredited Plus’ demonstrates that the Surpass Assessment Platform can be used to create and deliver highly accessible e-Assessments.

Accessibility features in the Surpass Platform include:

• JAWS screen reader compatibility
• Keyboard-only navigation
• Colour preference options for dyslexic and visually impaired users
• Additional time for candidates with special requirements
• Alternative text descriptions for images

Head of Digital Inclusion at Abilitynet, Robin Christopherson says;

“It is very encouraging to see an organisation take accessibility as seriously as BTL and adopt such a clear sighted, pan-disability approach. We hope that by ensuring that their products can be used by everyone regardless of any impairment, BTL will help accessibility best practice become a benchmark industry-wide.“

Paul Davis, Interaction Designer at BTL, states;

“As an educational software provider we recognise our responsibility to create software that can be used by everyone regardless of disability. Working with AbilityNet has raised our understanding of the needs of disabled users and we aim to use this knowledge to ensure that all users have a positive and engaging experience with our software.“

BTL has produced guidelines which detail how accessible content can be created using the Surpass Assessment Platform. These guidelines will be made available to all users of the Surpass Platform.
To view the accredited exemplar, please visit: www.btl.com/surpass/accessibility
Surpass e-Assessment content achieves AbilityNet 'Accredited Plus' Award