May 12, 2008
Wyoming Pilots Automatic Driver's License Exam
The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Driver Services will be piloting an automated driver’s license exam system in Cheyenne starting on May 12, which will last about three weeks. After the pilot phase is finished, 65 computers will be installed at the 29 driver’s license locations throughout the state by June 20. WYDOT purchased the new system from Q-Matic, of North Carolina, at a cost of about $1,400 per machine. The system will give exams for regular motor vehicle, commercial vehicle and motorcycle licenses. It can also test motorists in the various road signs. The system will have headphones for people who want to use them, and interpreters will still be allowed for the regular motor vehicle licenses. The pilot program will ensure everything is working properly and that there are no unforeseen issues. The pilot phase follows an extensive in-house review where workers tested the equipment and got it ready. The automated system will eliminate the possibility of cheating and fraud by require each test taker to show their birth certificate or provide their Social Security number. They will then be assigned a motor vehicle number which they have to use for the test. The test questions will be generated randomly so no two will be the same. The person taking the test will be closely monitored by the examiner, who can stop the testing.The automated system will make the testing more efficient and faster, and eliminate the need to manually score tests. It automatically stops when a person gets 80 percent of the questions correct, indicating that they passed. The test also automatically stops when a person gets 20 percent wrong, indicating that they failed.
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