How to Test Efficiency of Antivirus

There are Thousands of Antiviruses available on internet. But many of them are not free. But the free antiviruses we get are not having many features, also not so accurate with the scanning ability. So the question generates here is
How to test an antivirus ?

• You can test your antivirus capacity by using this simple trick. Just follow the steps mentioned below.
• Create a moderate level virus and then scan it with your antivirus to check result.
• To create a moderate level virus open your notepad
• Type this code in the notepad X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*
• Save the file with a .exe extension. For example myvirus.exe
• Now close the notepad.

What Happens after this ?
As soon as you save the file, Your antivirus must detect the file you saved and attempts to delete the file or at least to quantize it. If it do not show any reaction then your antivirus is not much working on real-time basis. Then scan the file manually from your antivirus. If your antivirus do not detect the virus now also then your antivirus is not even strong in detecting a simple moderate level virus. Check out the file you saved and correct if you have made any mistakes. and try again . If no result, Its time for you to Kick out your antivirus for an other one!
How does this work?
The EICAR test file NO.3 which you create is a 16 bit application which cant be run inside a 64 bit version of Windows OS. Thus will be treated as virus as most of the viruses are based on this 16 bit application format.