How to Select Tests and Start a Test Session
The first steps for administering online tests are to select the tests that you wish to administer and start a test session. You can administer state-mandated achievement tests as well as formative tests that have been created and published in the Authoring system by districts and schools. Refer to the User Role Permissions for the Texas Assessment Program section for more detailed information on applicable roles for both authoring and state-mandated testing. When creating a proctored session, keep your session simple at first. You can add tests later. It is recommended that each test session is limited to 30 students to ensure proper monitoring of student test progress.
Please note that only the tests that you select will be available to students who join your session. You may have only one session open at a time. You cannot reopen closed sessions, but students can resume a test in a new session.
How to Create a New Test Session
Log in to the Test Administrator Site. The Test Administrator Interface landing page will appear (refer to Figure 3).
Click the tab labeled Schedule Proctored Session.
Click the button Schedule a Session (refer to Figure 5). Specify start and end times for the session and click Next.
The Test Selection window opens (refer to Figure 6).
From the list of color-coded test categories, select the test category from which you wish to include tests (refer to Figure 7).
Optional: To view the tests in a test group, select Plus icon to expand it (or Expand button to expand all groups) (refer to Icons):
To collapse an expanded test group, select Minus icon (or Collapse All button to collapse all expanded groups) (refer to Icons).
Optional: If you wish to filter the available tests or search for specific tests, do either of the following. Otherwise, skip to step 8:
To filter tests by their subject or grade level, select Add Filter button (refer to Icons). In the filter panel that appears, expand the available filter categories and check the necessary grades or subjects that you wish to filter by. Select Apply Filter(s). The test list updates to display the tests that match your filter criteria. If you need to remove a filter, select Remove X button for that filter at the top of the window (refer to Icons).
For tests created in the Authoring system, you may also filter by your favorite tests and by custom labels.
To search for a test, select Magnifying Glass button in the top-right corner (refer to Icons). In the Search Term field, enter a full or partial test label and select Go. The tests matching the entered label will appear. To close the search panel, select Close at the bottom of the panel.
To select the tests you wish to administer, do one of the following:
To select individual tests, mark the checkbox for each test you want to include.
To select all the tests in a test group, mark the checkbox for that group.
Once selected, tests display under their respective test categories in the panel on the right of the Test Selection window (refer to Figure 6). If viewing on a smaller screen, the test selection count displays at the bottom of the window (refer to Figure 7). To expand the selected tests section, select Collapse button (refer to Icons).
To add tests from a different test category, select Back at the bottom of the Test Selection window to return to the test categories view (refer Figure 6). Then repeat steps 2–8 to select more tests.
Optional: If you need to remove selected tests, do one of the following:
To remove an individual test, select Remove X button for each test you want to remove (refer to Icons).
To remove all the selected tests, select Clear All.
Once the required tests have been selected, select Start Operational Session for operational sessions or select Start Practice Session for practice sessions.
The Session ID appears on the Test Administrator Site (refer to Figure 9). Provide the Session ID to your students.
Test administrators can edit scheduled proctored sessions at any time before the test session starts. To edit an upcoming session, select the Edit button. Be sure to save the session when finished editing the session. To delete an upcoming session, select the Delete button.
How to Add Tests to an Active Proctored Test Session
If necessary, you can add additional tests to an ongoing test session. While you can add tests to an Active Proctored Test Session, you cannot remove tests from an Active Proctored Test Session:
In the Test Administrator Site landing page (refer to Figure 3), click Active Proctored Sessions. Then select Start a New Session Now on the right side of the page.
The Test Selection window (refer to Figure 10) opens to the page that you last viewed and shows the tests that are currently active in the session.
Mark the checkboxes of the tests that you wish to add to the session following the instructions in the How to Create a New Test Session section. Tests that are already active in the session or that cannot be added to the session are grayed out. If the active session includes a stand-alone test, the test categories themselves are disabled.
Select Add to Session. The exact label for this button may vary depending on whether you are starting a practice or operational session.
In the confirmation message that appears, click Yes.
How to Approve Students for Testing
After students sign in to the Student Testing Site and select tests, you must verify that their settings and accommodations are correct before approving them for testing:
Once students request approval, select Approvals next to the Session ID. The Approvals and Student Test Settings window appears (refer to Figure 11), displaying a list of students grouped by test.
To check a student’s test settings and accommodations, select Eye button for that student (refer to Icons). The Test Settings window appears (refer to Figure 12), displaying the student’s test settings grouped by their area of need. (refer to Icons):
If any settings are incorrect, update them as required. Students should not begin testing until their settings are correct.
Editable settings must be updated in this window, while read-only settings must be updated in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE).
Do one of the following:
To confirm the settings, select Set. You must still approve the student for testing (refer to step 5).
To confirm the settings and approve the student, select Set & Approve.
Repeat step 2 for each student in the Approvals and Student Test Settings list. Since the Approvals and Student Test Settings window does not automatically refresh, select Refresh at the top of the window to update the list of students awaiting approval.
If you need to deny a student access to testing, do the following (otherwise skip to step 5):
Select Red X button for that student (refer to Icons).
Optional: In the window that appears, enter a brief reason for denying the student.
Select Deny. The student receives a message explaining the reason for the denial and is logged out. The student can still request access to the test again.
If you wish to approve students directly from the Approvals and Student Test Settings window, do the following:
To approve individual students, select Check button for each student (refer to Icons).
To approve all students for a given, select Approve All Students.
How to Monitor an Ongoing Test Session
After you approve students for testing, you can monitor the testing progress for each student logged in to your session, and pause a student’s test, if necessary.
How to Monitor Students’ Test Progress
You can monitor the testing progress for each student logged in to your session from the tables displayed on the Test Administrator Site.
At the start of the test, all the students in the session are listed in the Tests Without Issues table. If TDS detects that a student requires assistance, the Tests With Potential Issues table appears at the top, listing the students who need intervention. This can occur when a student’s test has been paused due to a security issue, such as the launch of a forbidden application.
The tables refresh at regular intervals, but you can also refresh the tables manually by selecting the Refresh Page button in the top-right corner of the Test Administrator Site (refer to Icons). (Note this is not the same as a web browser refresh.) You can also sort the tables by a given column by selecting Up Down Arrow button in that column’s header (refer to Icons).
Test administrators can “pin” the record of any student whose progress may need to be more closely monitored. This will place the student’s test session progress information at the top of the active testing session page (refer to figure 14).
To pin a student record, select the pin icon in the Actions column. The student’s information will then display in a separate table at the top of the test session page.
Table 1. Columns in the Tables for Monitoring Students’ Test Progress
Column | Description |
|---|---|
Student Information | The name and TSDS of the student in the session. |
Test | Name of the test the student selected. |
Progress | Indicates the student’s test progress. It displays a progress bar to indicate how far the student has progressed in the test. The progress bar indicates the percentage of questions the student has answered out of the total number of questions. |
Status | Current status for each student in the session will be visible in the progress section. For more information about the possible statuses in this column, refer to Table 2. If the TDS detects that a student may be experiencing technical difficulties or requires assistance, such as the student may be experiencing connection issues, or has paused his test, a more info icon (More Info button) displays in this column for the student (refer to Icons). When you hover over the icon, a message provides details about the issue. |
Test Settings | Displays one of the following:
To view the student’s settings for the current test opportunity, select Eye button (refer to Icons). |
Actions | Allows you to perform any available actions for an individual student's test. The Pause button in this column allows you to pause the student’s test (refer to Icons). If a student pauses their test, a more info icon (More Info button) in the Test Status column provides information about how the test became paused (refer to Icons). However, the more info icon does not display when the test administrator pauses a student’s test. If you want to monitor the progress of a particular student, select the Push Pin button to list the student in a pinned table at the top of the page (refer to Icons). |
Table 2. Student Testing Statuses
Column | Description |
|---|---|
Approved | You approved the student, but the student did not yet start or resume the test. |
Started | Student started the test and is actively testing. |
Review | Student visited all questions and is currently reviewing answers before completing the test. |
Completed | Student submitted the test. The student can take no additional action at this point. |
Submitted | Test was submitted for quality assurance review and validation. |
Reported | Test passed quality assurance and is undergoing further processing. |
Paused* | Student’s test is paused. The time listed indicates how long the test has been paused. |
Expired* | Test was not completed by the end of the testing window and the opportunity expired. |
Pending* | Student is awaiting approval for a new test opportunity. |
Suspended* | Student is awaiting approval to resume a test opportunity. |
*Appears when the student is not actively testing. The student’s row grays out in such cases.
How to Pause a Student’s Test
You can pause a student’s test if necessary:
In the Actions column of the tables for monitoring students’ test progress, select Pause button for the student whose test you wish to pause (refer to Icons).
Select Yes to confirm. TDS logs out the student.
How to Transfer a Test Session to a Different Device
If you need to change devices during an active test session, you can transfer the test session from one computer, mobile device, or browser to another without stopping the session or interrupting in-progress tests. To transfer a test session to a new device or browser, do the following:
While the session is still active, log in to the TA Interface on the new device or browser. You will see the Active Sessions tab listing the active test session.
Select Join. The test session page will appear, allowing you to continue monitoring the test session. The test session on the previous computer or browser will close automatically.
Remember, only the user that created a session can transfer it, and only active test sessions can be transferred. If you do not return to the active session within 20 minutes, and there is no student activity during that time, the Test Delivery System logs you out and pauses students’ tests. If you log out of the session or the session times out, the session closes and cannot be resumed.
Note: While sessions can be transferred to an alternate device, a session cannot be transferred to a different individual.
How to Stop a Test Session
When students finish testing or the current testing time slot is over, you should stop the test session. Stopping a session automatically logs out all the students in the session and pauses their tests.
Once you stop a test session, you cannot resume it. To resume testing, you must start a new session. Please note, TDS automatically logs you out after 20 minutes of both user and student inactivity. This action automatically stops the test session.
Follow the instructions in this section to stop the session manually:
To stop a test session, select the Stop Session button next to the Session ID (refer to Icons).
In the confirmation message that appears, select OK. The test session stops.
How to Log Out of the Test Administrator Site
To avoid stopping a test session that is in progress, you should only log out of the Test Administrator Site after stopping a test session. Please note that navigating away from the Test Administrator Site also logs you out. If you need to access another application while administering tests, open it in a separate browser window:
To log out, select Directional button in the top-right corner of the Test Administrator Site (refer to Icons). A warning message appears.
In the warning message, select Log Out. The TexasAssessment.gov.