PEST - Professional Exam System

The developers of PEST software, designed for creating quizzes and tests, must have had a sense of humor. But it lives up to its name in several senses. Although a powerful shortcut for creating computerized tests, it can be a bit aggravating in practice. The program begins with text and script editors, but we found the interface awkward, with clumsy, abbreviated buttons without an immediately obvious function. Newcomers to this type of interface--and perhaps even veterans--will be well served by a trip through the manual, as well as a perusal of the bundled sample test. However, once over these hurdles, we were impressed with the results. The application can produce a range of different formats, including multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, flash cards, and drag-and-drop sequences. The company's site also features free downloads of quizzes on subjects ranging from world history to baseball statistics. The trial version of the software allows unlimited use for 21 days. If you're a teacher looking to create digital tests for your students, this might well be worth a look, as long as you're willing to invest some time learning the ropes yourself.