QualificationType Data Structure

Description

The QualificationType data structure represents a Qualification type, a description of a property of a Worker that must match the requirements of a HIT for the Worker to be able to accept the HIT. The type also describes how a Worker can obtain a Qualification of that type, such as through a Qualification test.

The QualificationType data structure is used as a response element for the following operations:

Example: GetQualificationType

The following example of the QualificationType data structure could be returned by a call to the GetQualificationType operation. GetQualificationType returns a GetQualificationTypeResult element, which contains a QualificationType element.

<QualificationType>
  <QualificationTypeId>789RVWYBAZW00EXAMPLE</QualificationTypeId>
  <CreationTime>2005-01-31T23:59:59Z</CreationTime>
  <Name>EnglishWritingAbility</Name>
  <Description>The ability to write and edit text...</Description>
  <Keywords>English, text, write, edit, language</Keywords>
  <QualificationTypeStatus>Active</QualificationTypeStatus>
  <RetryDelayInSeconds>86400</RetryDelayInSeconds>
  <IsRequestable>true</IsRequestable>
</QualificationType>

Elements

The QualificationType structure may contain the following elements.

Name	Description	Value
QualificationTypeId	A unique identifier for the Qualification type. A Qualification type is given a Qualification type ID when CreateQualificationType is called, and it retains that ID forever.	A valid Qualification type ID
CreationTime	The date and time the Qualification type was created.	A dateTime in the Coordinated Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time) time zone, such as `2005-01-31T23:59:59Z`
Name	The name of the Qualification type. The type name is used to identify the type, and to find the type using a Qualification type search.	A string
Description	A long description for the Qualification type.	A string
Keywords	One or more words or phrases that describe the Qualification type, separated by commas. A type's Keywords make the type easier to find using a search.	A string
QualificationTypeStatus	The status of the Qualification type. A Qualification type's status determines if users can apply to receive a Qualification of this type, and if HITs can be created with requirements based on this type. If a Qualification type is `Active`, a user may take a Qualification test to receive the Qualification, and HITs may include requirements based on the type. If the QualificationTypeStatus is `Inactive`, users may not apply for the Qualification, and newly created HITs may not use the type for their requirements. If a type becomes `Inactive`, HITs created while the type was `Active` and have not yet expired may continue to be accepted by Workers whose Qualifications meet the requirements.	`Active` \| `Inactive`
RetryDelayInSeconds	An amount of time a user must wait after taking the Qualification test before the user can take it again. A user may wish to take a Qualification test multiple times if the user was not granted the Qualification from a previous attempt, or if the test offers a gradient score and the user would like a better score. If RetryDelayInSeconds is not specified, then retries are disabled. A user may only request a Qualification of this type once, even if they have not been granted the Qualification.	A number of seconds, as a positive integer
Test	The questions for a Qualification test associated with this Qualification type that a user can take to obtain a Qualification of this type. This value is an XML data structure. See the QuestionForm data structure for more information.	XML data for the Qualification test, a QuestionForm data structure
AnswerKey	The answers to the Qualification test specified in the Test parameter. If an answer key is provided for a test, Mechanical Turk will process requests for the Qualification automatically, assigning the user a Qualification with a value that corresponds to the percentage of answers that match the answer key. This value is an XML data structure. See the AnswerKey data structure for more information. The answer key is optional. If an answer key is not provided with a test, Qualification requests must be processed manually by the Qualification author. The user's test answers will be included in the response from the GetQualificationRequests operation. Test must be specified if AnswerKey is present.	XML data for the answer key, an AnswerKey data structure
TestDurationInSeconds	An amount of time a user has from requesting the Qualification to complete the Qualification test. If the user does not submit test answers before this duration has elapsed after requesting the Qualification, the user must wait for the RetryDelayInSeconds to elapse before requesting the Qualification again. If retries are disabled and the duration elapses, the user will not be able to request the Qualification again, nor will the user be able to submit test answers for the request.	A number of seconds, as a positive integer
IsRequestable	This will be `true` if the Qualification type is one a user can request through the Mechanical Turk web site, such as by taking a Qualification test. This will be `false` for Qualifications assigned automatically by the system.	A Boolean, `true` or `false`

Name

Description

Value

QualificationTypeId

A unique identifier for the Qualification type. A Qualification type is given a Qualification type ID when CreateQualificationType is called, and it retains that ID forever.

A valid Qualification type ID

CreationTime

The date and time the Qualification type was created.

A dateTime in the Coordinated Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time) time zone, such as 2005-01-31T23:59:59Z

Name

The name of the Qualification type. The type name is used to identify the type, and to find the type using a Qualification type search.

A string

Description

A long description for the Qualification type.

A string

Keywords

One or more words or phrases that describe the Qualification type, separated by commas. A type's Keywords make the type easier to find using a search.

A string

QualificationTypeStatus

The status of the Qualification type. A Qualification type's status determines if users can apply to receive a Qualification of this type, and if HITs can be created with requirements based on this type.

If a Qualification type is Active, a user may take a Qualification test to receive the Qualification, and HITs may include requirements based on the type. If the QualificationTypeStatus is Inactive, users may not apply for the Qualification, and newly created HITs may not use the type for their requirements. If a type becomes Inactive, HITs created while the type was Active and have not yet expired may continue to be accepted by Workers whose Qualifications meet the requirements.

Active | Inactive

RetryDelayInSeconds

An amount of time a user must wait after taking the Qualification test before the user can take it again. A user may wish to take a Qualification test multiple times if the user was not granted the Qualification from a previous attempt, or if the test offers a gradient score and the user would like a better score.

If RetryDelayInSeconds is not specified, then retries are disabled. A user may only request a Qualification of this type once, even if they have not been granted the Qualification.

A number of seconds, as a positive integer

Test

The questions for a Qualification test associated with this Qualification type that a user can take to obtain a Qualification of this type.

This value is an XML data structure. See the QuestionForm data structure for more information.

XML data for the Qualification test, a QuestionForm data structure

AnswerKey

The answers to the Qualification test specified in the Test parameter.

If an answer key is provided for a test, Mechanical Turk will process requests for the Qualification automatically, assigning the user a Qualification with a value that corresponds to the percentage of answers that match the answer key.

This value is an XML data structure. See the AnswerKey data structure for more information.

The answer key is optional. If an answer key is not provided with a test, Qualification requests must be processed manually by the Qualification author. The user's test answers will be included in the response from the GetQualificationRequests operation.

Test must be specified if AnswerKey is present.

XML data for the answer key, an AnswerKey data structure

TestDurationInSeconds

An amount of time a user has from requesting the Qualification to complete the Qualification test. If the user does not submit test answers before this duration has elapsed after requesting the Qualification, the user must wait for the RetryDelayInSeconds to elapse before requesting the Qualification again. If retries are disabled and the duration elapses, the user will not be able to request the Qualification again, nor will the user be able to submit test answers for the request.

A number of seconds, as a positive integer

IsRequestable

This will be true if the Qualification type is one a user can request through the Mechanical Turk web site, such as by taking a Qualification test. This will be false for Qualifications assigned automatically by the system.

A Boolean, true or false