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Quality Assurance

Version Control

20 min

Simple Explanation

Version control ensures every change to assessment materials is tracked, authorised, and documented. It provides an audit trail showing who changed what, when, why, and who approved it.

Professional Definition

Version control in assessment is the systematic management of changes to assessment materials. Each version is uniquely identified with metadata: version number, date, author, change reason, and approval status.

Explain It to a 10-Year-Old

Version control is like "track changes" in a document, but with rules: every change gets a number, nobody can edit the approved version directly, and there is always a history of who did what.

Why It Matters

Without version control, it is impossible to prove to a regulator which version of an assessment was live at any time. If an error is discovered, there is no way to trace when it was introduced or who approved it.

Where It Fits in the Process

This topic belongs to Quality Assurance in the assessment development journey.

Accessibility Fairness Bias SME Management Quality Assurance Technical Review Version Control

Step-by-Step Process

1
Establish version numbering

Simple sequential: v1, v2, v3

2
Define change process

Draft → Review → Approve → Lock

3
Record metadata

Date, author, reason, approver for every version

4
Lock approved versions

No direct editing; changes create new version

5
Maintain version history

Complete, accessible record of all changes

Worked Example

Version history for Digital Administration MCQ (Item Q6):
v1: Draft created by Developer A, 01/03/2024
v2: Distractor B updated following SME review, 08/03/2024, Approved by QA Lead
v3: Answer changed from B to A following technical review, 15/03/2024, Approved by Chief Examiner
v4 (Current, Approved): Minor wording clarification to stem, 20/03/2024
No direct editing of v4 permitted. Any change must create v5.

Common Mistakes

MistakeProblemBetter Approach
Editing approved versions directly Audit trail broken; cannot prove what was live when Lock approved versions; all changes create new version
Not recording change reasons Cannot explain to regulator or auditor why changes were made Always document the reason for every version change

Checklist

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Interview Connection

You may be asked about this topic in assessment developer interviews.

Practice Interview Questions

Knowledge Check (3 Questions)

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Summary

  • Version control provides an audit trail of all changes
  • Approved versions must not be directly overwritten
  • Every change needs: version number, date, author, reason, approval
  • Version control supports regulatory compliance and quality improvement
  • Without it, you cannot prove which version was live at any time
Technical Review