The non-functional requirements for Test Tool are organized into these categories:

• Performance
• General Characteristics
  • Security and Privacy
  • Simplicity versus Power

Most aspects of the Test Tool must be instantaneous including editing questions, replacing questions, displaying the question database, saving a test, previewing the student version, and checking whether answers are given to every question. The following are exceptional cases where it is not unreasonable to expect the Test Tool to take extra time:

• the time to generate a test depends on the constraints given and must be on the order of tens of seconds
• the time to log in, post a question, release a test, submit a test, or grade test must be instantaneous, except for any delays due to network transmission of data from the central host

The time to execute all administrative commands must be instantaneous, except for any delays due to network transmission of data from the central host.

In general, the performance of Test Tool commands that must access data across a network is subject to potential network delays. The Test Tool must transmit data as fast as is possible on any given network, but delays due to extrnal network circumstances are beyond the control of Test Tool.

There are no specific requirements for the allowable size of a test in terms of the number of questions. A test on the order of thousands of questions is the maximum expected size during normal use.

The maximum expected size of the Test Tool databases are the following:

• user database -- up to tens of thousands of records
• question repository -- up to hundreds of thousands of questions

The Test Tool must be able to operate with tests and databases of sizes larger than tehse normal maximums. However, the tool need not meet the previously-enumerated time performance requirements for calendars or databases larger than normal maximum sizes.

3.2.1. Security and Privacy

The central host passwords of any user must be kept secure from viewing or modification by any other Test Tool user, and from any user at all on the central host. The question repository must only allow access to authorized users. The grades and feedback must only be viewable by the instructor that graded the test and student that submitted the tests. Tests must only be taken by the students that the instructors specify.

3.2.2. Simplicity versus Power

On a spectrum of simple-to-use versus powerful, the Test Tool is split. For the instructor version, the Test Tool is on the side of powerful. Users are assumed to be computer literate and knowledgeable on the use of writing script to grade code. For the student version, the Test Tool is heavily on the side of simple-to-use so it does not inhibit the test-taking experience for the students.