The Theoretical Foundation of Socratic Tests: Dynamic, Multimodal, Conversational Examinations

Traditional exams penalize ambition through subtractive grading, while oral exams introduce anxiety and power imbalances between examiner and student. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for \"Socratic Tests\" --- AI-mediated conversational exams that adaptively probe a student\'s understanding. By combining Dynamic Assessment, Bloom\'s and SOLO taxonomies, and graduated scaffolding, the framework maps students\' cognitive boundaries and quantifies their zone of proximal development. Potential applications include more equitable, diagnostic educational assessment tools that reward genuine understanding over rote penalty-avoidance, useful for online learning platforms and adaptive tutoring systems. Authors: Ilya Mikhelson Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.29624v1