Qualification tests
Just took the Russian to English translation test and wondering who writes these, please? As basic as it is (and yes, too basic to rate a professional that would potentially be bidding for translation projects), it just surprises me how contradicting it is. It did not mention whether it was a British English or American English test, it provided confusing examples giving you a chance of choosing only 2 options while 3 were readily available... I'm not amused...
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pkalimuthu 474 posts - India - Joined Mar 07 2008
These tests are from ExpertRating. No idea how they prepare the questions. Their tests especially language tests have been questioned by many. So, it is not uncommon, if you find someone commenting about their language tests. You can of course report the issues with the questions at the end of the tests, I believe.
Pothi.
apk17 16 posts - Germany - Joined May 06 2009
Yes, definitely horrible. I am fighting with a wall of silence since I tried out the English to German translation test for the first time: Full of mistakes, 95% of the questions have no "right" answers - you simply can guess which problem the developer/test writer had was his/her biggest one: did she/he have an punctuation problem? Or was it the grammar problem? Should I take the sentence with the word usage mistake? Or the spelling mistake, the one which proves that the test writer/developer didn´t really have much insight into German rules for capitals?
I am repeating this test just for fun since its installing 3 or 4 months ago every 30 days and enjoy the time of my private competition against time: how many reports to how many questions will I manage this time (and finish the test, though?) :] my rate of reported answers to another finished English to German translation test is getting better with every new test taking.
But well - although I have my fun with this, remembering the fact that the forum thread I opened once reg. this obvious problem was simply ignored by the oDesk staff just like my reports to those test mistakes are, I slowly start to deeply doubt they really care for their own "quality management" solutions.
Actually, I wouldn´t embarrass myself with embedding this test to my profile. I wonder who would or does. Funny to read that this not only concerns the ENG>GER and ENG>FRA translation test (the language problem of the ENG>FRA test writer was something a commenting person to the old thread added as news), but concerns ENG>RUS also. More experiences like this? Share your thoughts and criticism abilities with us, dear forum readers and oDesk providers.
oDesk simply has a serious problem with their test sellers. At least for the German case, I definitely can say that the test was either done by a German speaking person but a non-native or by a person who might have been native but definitely didn´t have any language related qualifications.
moksc 49 posts
Hi All,
In fact, all the tests I took so far on PHP, SQL, CSS etc, have been tricky, both questions and answers being confusing.
I've been blaming on my own incompetence. "How did people score 20%, 10%, even 3rd, 2nd, 1st? I must be the one in the wrong. Go back study more." I told myself.
Hopefully, the tests were developed by some academics. Otherwise, ExpertRating really has to look into it.
Mok
zansari 19 posts - Pakistan - Joined Jun 29 2008
@moksc
We all, here, are professionals and experts in our fields.
I personally satisfied with all the tests (at least those, which I have took so far) and found that they were not only prepared on theoretical basis but those tricky and confusing questions are actually practical based.
For example if you found a question for css for any filter property which invert the image on mouse hover and you found four options in answers to select one. But in question there is mentioned which answer is not correct. Actually you have to select the wrong answer from the provided answers. Off course it's a tricky question and such question as needed time as well to read all the answers and this question clearly describe that all answers provided will be correct except one. So my personal opinion this is what they wanted?
If a person have experience in his field and he/she is ready for the tests then there expertise and level of attention towards the questions will cause his test 100% perfect.
I personally scored 10%, 20% in some tests. And guaranteed that every expert can achieve it even more i.e. 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Try out tests again by paying some more attention to each question. And analyze the reason of the each question as well.
Note: I answered this specific post only on my personal behalf. Not on behalf of ODesk or any other so any one can have there options and opinions as well
Thanks for your time
Zulqarnain Ansari (Zain)
apk17 16 posts - Germany - Joined May 06 2009
Actually, I tried to point out that I am (and will go on with) critisizing the translation/foreign language related tests only, I wouldn´t say a word about IT/programming or data processing related tests. But those foreign language knowledge ("translation") related tests as far as I know were new (there seems to have been an ENG to GER translation test long before, it was cancelled, and again: as far as I know due to quality problems. then they installed an ENG to GER translation test anew - no idea if a really new one or if it´s the same which was cancelled before.) - and these tests ExpertRating simply should stop selling them before hiring some language specialists, native in the tested languages. When I remember the mistakes it contained, I wouldn´t be surprised if I´d find out that they have been written by the developers of [maybe acceptable] CSS tests. This would perfectly fit to the impression they make.