Competency-oriented examination design

This article illustrates the opportunities offered by a digital workbench for the preparation of commercial examination assignments. The core element of the workbench consists of an extensive database containing tasks and examinations which have been empirically checked and which serve as a foundation for the construction of new competency-oriented assignments. The article focuses on the two key challenges of designing examination tasks in an authentic way and of determining the degree of difficulty of the assignments. An explanation is provided with regard to how the workbench is able to assist in handling these challenges successfully.