Abstract: A method for developing and administering tests over a computer network. The method provides a way for test deliverers to develop tests in response to either internal requests or external ones originating from parties, such as employment agencies or prospective employers, desiring to test the knowledge of others, such as potential employees. This original request usually specifies certain criteria, such as the number of questions desired and whether the test should be administered adaptively or not, which are treated as a first set of rules. Based on the original request, pools of prospective questions and answers are developed along with a second set of rules covering such matters as grouping, selection and ordering. The result is a test definition and the creation of a prototest which is then implemented in a test definition language developed specifically for that purpose.