Patent ID: 7922494

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for monitoring responses to test questions presented in a data processing system, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of: identifying presentation of the test questions on the data processing system; responsive to the presentation of the test questions on the data processing system, monitoring test question timing data in which the test question timing data represents an elapsed time since an answered question from the test questions has been presented, wherein the elapsed time is an amount of time in attempting to answer a specific test question; and generating a customized user alert after the test question timing data exceeds an alert threshold while continuing to present the specific test question for the test taker to answer, wherein the customized user alert apprises a test taker that the elapsed time is excessive for the specific test question, wherein the customized user alert is periodically presented to the test taker based on an alert schedule for the specific test question after at least one time period indicated by the alert schedule, wherein the customized user alert includes an amount of time remaining to answer the specific test question, a suggested amount of time to spend on the specific test question, and an amount of time allotted to complete all of the test questions, wherein the alert schedule is generated for the test taker based on a customized alert profile for the test taker, wherein the suggested amount of time to spend on the specific test question is calculated for the test taker based on the customized alert profile, and wherein the customized alert profile includes previous performance information of the test taker, information to associate a level of difficulty of the specific test question with a capability category of the test taker to answer the specific test question, and at least one alert threshold for each of the test questions.