2001 Census Major Test
The major test for the upcoming 2001 Census was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) late last year. It Involved a total of 20,000 dwellings in the Sydney and Batemans Bay areas.
Census Test Processing Manager, Bruce Jamieson, explains, "the purpose of the test was to identify any problems with current collection methods and processing systems, and resolve these problems before the dress rehearsal."
According to the final report - presented to ABS senior management in early February 2000 - the overall performance of the major test proved the technical viability of all the operating systems and hardware. While bugs were identified, those affecting the major test operation were able to be corrected and tested between major test cycles. The test operation also provided a good learning exercise in the operation, integration and use of these systems. A number of possible systems enhancements coming out of this process are also being investigated.
Looking forward, the 2001 Census dress rehearsal will be held later this year and will involve a total of 40,000 dwellings within the Melbourne area. As with all previous test areas, Melbourne has been selected because it is seen as being a fairly stable area. This stability allows for a more accurate comparison of the test data against previous census results - and ultimately produces a more accurate test result.
According to Bruce, the dress rehearsal is designed to test every system and procedure to be used in conducting the 2001 Census. In short, it's part of a continuous testing process in preparation for the next census.
The major difference between this series of tests and those for previous censuses is that this is the first time that Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) has been used. This replaces Optical Mark Recognition (OMR), which was used in both the 1991 and 1996 Censuses. This change will ideally produce both faster and more accurate results.
Like the major test, processing of the dress rehearsal is being conducted in ABS' Central Office in Canberra.
For more information on 2001 Census developments, keep reading upcoming editions of Census Update, or check out the ABS Census page on this web site.
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