Thousands of teenagers in England have taken online Sats tests in ICT for the first time.

They are guinea pigs for a national test which will become compulsory for 13 and 14-year-olds in 2008.

The trial is being run in more than 500 schools by the exams and curriculum watchdog, the QCA.

The organisation says it is the first time a national test has been sat online anywhere in the world.

Pupils at Chesham Park Community College in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, were among the first guinea pigs.

The 13 and 14-year-olds recently sat two, 50-minute tests which were delivered entirely online.

The tests are marked by computers. They are double-checked by humans but Karl, 13, found the idea rather un-nerving.

“I find that aspect a bit worrying – like computers are taking over the world,” he said.

‘Less stressful’

As for the tests themselves, pupils were happy to award them a good mark, saying they were fun, interesting, clear and more easy to understand than written tests.

Because they are typically taken in an ICT room, not a big exam hall, they also found them less stressful than other tests.

“It was not as hard as other tests, because you were not constantly writing, and there was more explanation than with some of the others,” said Karl.

The tests are set in a virtual world, with specially-designed software, not standard programs used in many schools.

When they log in, children see a number of graphical icons for such things as e-mail, spreadsheets, the internet and presentations.

Link: BBC NEWS | Education | Online exam clicks with students.