In 2019, more than 4 million high school graduates took the SAT and ACT tests. (ref)
Still, it seems that SAT style tests can not be done in Moodle because you can not have negative marks for questions. (ref) Is this really the case?
Hi Dominique,
You can give negative marks for questions. For instance, in the quiz pictured, the overall grade is set to 10. The first multiple choice question is set so the correct answer grade is 100%. Usually, the wrong answers, are set to, None. However, in this case, they are set to, -100%. The question, Default points, for each question is set to five. In the picture the first question is answered wrong and the second one correctly. The first question is scored a -5 and the second a +5, thus giving a quiz score of 0. Now if both were incorrect, the quiz score would still be 0. It will not give an overall negative there.
Hello Al,
Thank you for your very clear answer. However, I should have asked my question differently. Is Moodle used to prepare students for SAT/ACT tests? If so, all the better. If not, why? Could it be because Moodle does not offer the features required in these tests (negative marks, cross out mode, separate scrolling, etc.?
Hi Dominique,
You ask why Moodle is not well-suited to prepare students for SAT/ACT tests. Maybe the reason lies in the wording of this Moodle statement:
"The world's free learning platform that helps you create effective online teaching and learning experiences in a collaborative, private environment."
In other words, Moodle is primarily aimed at teaching and learning, not testing.
Hello Joseph,
You ask why Moodle is not well-suited... This is not what I meant. My question is "Is Moodle suitable for preparing students for SAT/ACT tests?" The reason I ask this question is that I do not know the answer. I searched the internet, but found nothing. I wish someone would answer either "Yes, it is used often, see this site for example." or "No, it is not used much because this and that."
You ask why Moodle is not well-suited... This is not what I meant. My question is "Is Moodle suitable for preparing students for SAT/ACT tests?" The reason I ask this question is that I do not know the answer. I searched the internet, but found nothing. I wish someone would answer either "Yes, it is used often, see this site for example." or "No, it is not used much because this and that."
Maybe the reason lies... You seem to suggest that it's not used very much. If that's the case, it's too bad.
Moodle is primarily aimed at teaching and learning, not testing. With all due respect, you can not be serious. 
I think about it like this. Most people who take SAT/ACT tests are in middle or high school and would go to their teachers and councilors for information on preparing for the tests. Having been one of those teachers, I just did not have the time, resources, or subject matter expertise, to generate all the different types of sample questions that would be needed to make prep quizzes for use in Moodle. And, I do not know of any source of practice questions for Moodle that could be acquired, or used for making prep tests. Usually, a school councilor might have a sample test booklet with 5 or less sample questions covering each subject. Overall, not really much help.
Over the years as a teacher, I helped administer a bunch of different "high stakes tests" on paper and computer, and one of the MOST stressed things during run-up training, was that it was ILLEGAL for us to copy in any way, shape, or form, any of the test questions. In my last few years of teaching, we could not even have a cell phone in the room during testing. Technically, while making sure the students were making their best effort to take the test and mark it correctly, I was NOT allowed to even read the questions in/on a students test booklet or computer screen. Altogether, it would have made it very difficult and time consuming to make practice questions and quizzes for use in Moodle.
Having said that, I was a workaholic, and did make practice questions and quizzes for my students, for the subject I taught, Computer Applications. The quizzes made a HUGE difference. The first few years of teaching, I was lucky if I had 10% score above 90, with about 5% failing, on any given quiz. When I started using Moodle practice questions and quizzes for prep, for actual quiz results it was over 90% scoring above 90, and usually 100% passing.
Over the years as a teacher, I helped administer a bunch of different "high stakes tests" on paper and computer, and one of the MOST stressed things during run-up training, was that it was ILLEGAL for us to copy in any way, shape, or form, any of the test questions. In my last few years of teaching, we could not even have a cell phone in the room during testing. Technically, while making sure the students were making their best effort to take the test and mark it correctly, I was NOT allowed to even read the questions in/on a students test booklet or computer screen. Altogether, it would have made it very difficult and time consuming to make practice questions and quizzes for use in Moodle.
Having said that, I was a workaholic, and did make practice questions and quizzes for my students, for the subject I taught, Computer Applications. The quizzes made a HUGE difference. The first few years of teaching, I was lucky if I had 10% score above 90, with about 5% failing, on any given quiz. When I started using Moodle practice questions and quizzes for prep, for actual quiz results it was over 90% scoring above 90, and usually 100% passing.
AL,
You answered my question very clearly and more. Thank you very much.
Joseph,
I'm sorry, with AL's response, I think I understand better what you mean by teaching and learning, not testing.