Wins make a rating go up. Losses make it go down. The rated engines it scores evenly against mark it's approximate rating.
Test suites are at the conditions you want to evaluate. Do you want know which engine is best in blitz? Which is best in deep thinks or tactics? Set up the situation you want to test and let it run while you sleep.
Takes a lot of time though, you'd have to really love engines to mess around with all that stuff... or be a GM where it really matters heh.
so to give the engine a starting rating should I just oput it in a test tournament with other engines already rated and if so what type of tournament and what should the rating range be. The rated engines it scores evenly against mark it's approximate rating. not quite sure what your there should I rate it as a average human player would be rated in his first time getting a rating or is there a easier way that give the engine it's closes possible estimated rating.
I thought the programs used to set up these matches automatically gave a rating adjustment? Maybe not... I'm not into all that stuff so I don't know. If it was a random unrated engine off the internet I might start with Fritz 5 and work from there... meaning just have it play 3 quick games while you watch, unrated is fine.
How is rating a new engine with test suites done? How does one decide which test suite is best to use for a certain engine? Other than playing chess myself I LOVE to collect engines and rate them if there not already but I don't know how and it's irritating when I download a new engine and it doesn't show a specific rating but just gives levels like level 1 2 3 etc... Can someone help me. I'd post the engines that aren't rated in this forum once I rate them but I need to know how this is done. Thanks.