This paper presents a summary of a research which took place in the province of Quebec (Canada). In essence, the research question was:
The ICT Literacy Assessment uses real-time, scenario-based tasks to assess seven ICT skills required of today�€™s higher education students. The test measures not only knowledge of technology, but the ability to use critical-thinking skills to solve problems within a technological environment. The 75-minute test contains two different types of tasks: 14 short tasks, each of which addresses a single ICT skill, and one long task, which addresses multiple skills. Short tasks are designed to take no more than four minutes each to complete. The long task should take no more than fifteen minutes to complete. The ICT Literacy Assessment is offered at two levels of difficulty for higher education students: The Core Level Assessment is targeted to students transitioning to college. Administrators and faculty can benefit from testing students on an academic pathway into a college program by knowing the cognitive technical proficiencies of students doing entry-level course work. Academic advisors and students can make college-readiness decisions and course choices based on Core scores. The Advanced Level Assessment is designed for students transitioning to upper-level coursework. The test presents tasks similar to those found in the Core version, but they are designed to be more challenging, and they require more sophisticated reading comprehension skills. Advanced scores can support articulation decisions, provide guidance for rising juniors in determining readiness for advanced-level study, and inform student achievement and ICT curriculum progress. The ICT Literacy Assessment provides individual overall scaled scores that identify student performance compared to other test takers from the same test administration. Performance feedback is also provided, by subproficiency, to identify mastery of a skill or a need for improvement. Score data files are provided to allow institutions to aggregate data according to their own analysis needs. Test results help administrators and faculty determine and describe the strengths and weaknesses of individual students, the entire student body or subgroups.