Performance-Based Testing
Deliver an authentic testing experience that reflects real-world skills.
Assess more than knowledge by giving candidates opportunities to demonstrate their skills in realistic environments and scenarios. Deliver complex performance-based tests with confidence through an experienced testing partner that supports more than two million performance-based assessments annually.
Get a demoChoose the performance-based testing format that fits your program.
Support different assessment objectives and candidate experiences with multiple performance-based testing formats:
-
Live in the application: Perform tasks directly within the software or system being tested.
-
Lab: Integrate external lab environments into the exam experience, allowing candidates to complete tasks within real applications or systems.
-
Simulation: Interact with a simulated application or environment that replicates real-world tasks and scenarios.
-
Observational: Perform tasks or activities while being observed by an evaluator.
Create, publish, and manage performance-based tests in Item Workshop.
Use the same item bank features and workflows available for standard item types to author, preview, review, and maintain performance-based test content. View candidate comments and item statistics directly within Item Workshop to streamline ongoing test maintenance.
Learn about Item Workshop
Receive personalized guidance from experienced performance-based testing experts.
Our team brings deep experience in performance-based testing and works with you throughout the test publishing process. We tailor the candidate experience to your program's terminology, instructions, workflows, and requirements.
ITS is an active member of the IT Certification Council (ITCC) and contributes to industry conversations and best practices in performance-based testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is performance-based testing?
Performance-based testing evaluates a candidate's ability to apply knowledge and demonstrate skills by completing realistic tasks or working within environments that reflect real-world situations. Rather than relying only on traditional test questions, performance-based assessments allow programs to evaluate how candidates apply what they know in practice.
What are the different types of performance-based testing?
Performance-based testing can take several forms depending on the skills and competencies being assessed. Common types include live-in-application testing, where candidates perform tasks directly within software; lab-based testing, where external lab environments are integrated into the exam experience; simulation-based testing, which recreates real-world applications or scenarios; and observational testing, where an assessor evaluates a candidate performing a task.
How is performance-based testing different from traditional testing?
Traditional assessments often measure what candidates know through questions and selected responses, while performance-based testing evaluates how candidates apply knowledge and skills through tasks, simulations, or other practical activities. The approaches can also be used together, allowing programs to assess both knowledge and its application when appropriate for their assessment objectives.
What are the benefits of performance-based testing?
Performance-based testing allows candidates to demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge and skills in realistic scenarios rather than relying solely on knowledge-based questions. Depending on the assessment's purpose, it can help programs evaluate practical skills, decision-making, technical proficiency, and performance in environments that more closely reflect real-world responsibilities.
How do you choose the right type of performance-based testing?
The right performance-based testing format depends on your program's goals, the skills you need to assess, and the environment in which those skills are typically performed. For example, a program may use live-in-application testing when candidates need to demonstrate skills in specific software, while a simulation may be appropriate when direct integration isn't possible or when the goal is to assess skills without tying the assessment to a particular application. Programs should also consider the delivery environment, technical requirements, and how they will evaluate candidate performance.
Explore what’s possible
DEMO: Adobe's Live in the Application
DEMO: Microsoft's Lab
DEMO: SAS's Lab
DEMO: Microsoft's Live in the Application