The following tables provide specifications that apply to all assessments administered online during the 2024–2025 school year for the Texas Assessment Program.
Operating Systems and Devices | |
Minimum Supported Operating Systems | Supported Devices |
ChromeOS 120 LTC 120 LTS 125 Stable | For a full list of supported Chromebooks, see https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366 . Chromebooks must have an Enterprise or Education license and be attached to a management domain. The devices are required to be attached to the management console to run in kiosk mode, which is required to run the Secure Browser for testing. In 2022, Google introduced the Long-Term Support Candidate (LTC) and Long-Term Support (LTS) channels for ChromeOS. CAI strongly recommends the use of these channels. For more information, see https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/11333726 . |
Windows 10 in S Mode 22H2 11 22H2 12a Server 2016 R2 | Desktops/laptops with the following minimum hardware specifications:
CAI supports any tablet running Windows 10 but has done extensive testing only on Surface Pro, Surface Pro 3, Asus Transformer, and Dell Venue. |
macOS 12.6 13.6 14 15a | Desktops/laptops with the following minimum hardware specifications:
20 or more GB hard drive space |
iPadOS 16 17 18a | All 9.7" or larger iPads running a supported version of iPadOS. |
Linuxd Fedora 36-37 LTS (Gnome) Ubuntu 20, 22 LTS (Gnome) | Desktops/laptops with the following minimum hardware specifications:
Required libraries/packages:
Recommended libraries/packages:
PulseAudio |
a Support for this version is anticipated upon the completion of testing following its release.
b ARM devices require x64 emulation.
c Apple silicon devices require Rosetta 2.
d Raspberry Pi and other similar single-board computers are not supported for testing.
The Texas Assessment Program system supports thin clients, including any that support Windows 2016 terminal servers; NComputing vSpace Pro 10 with L300, L350, and firmware version 1.13.xx terminal clients; and CloudReady Neverware.
The following table provides a list of supported NComputing solutions for Windows.
Minimum Supported Server Host | Supported Server Software | Supported Terminal |
Windows Server 2016 R2 | vSpace PRO 10 | L350, firmware version 1.13.xx |
Windows 11 | vSpace PRO 12 | L350, firmware version 1.13.xx |
The following table provides a list of supported terminal servers for Windows.
Supported Terminal Server | Supported Thin Client |
Windows Server 2016 R2 | Any thin client that supports a Windows server is supported. Thin clients allow access only to the program running on the host machine. Zero clients, which allow access to other programs on the client machine, are not supported. Please note that a terminal services or remote desktop connection used to access a Windows Server or workstation that has the Secure Browser installed is typically not a secure test environment. |
Note: Devices running CloudReady NeverWare and ChromeOS Flex are also supported. For information on supported devices and installation instructions, please visit https://www.neverware.com.
All supported computers, laptops, tablets, and other approved testing devices must meet the requirements in the following table. It is always recommended to test any new device on a practice assessment before using it for operational assessments.
Testing Device | Requirement |
Screen Dimensions | Screen dimensions must be 10" or larger (iPads with a 9.7" display are included). |
Monitors and Displays
| All devices must meet the minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. Larger resolutions can be applied as appropriate for the monitor or screen being used. For the best experience, your device’s display scale should be set to 100% to keep the amount of usable screen area within the 1024 x 768 minimum resolution for TDS. A secure testing environment can only be guaranteed when students test using a single display. A multiple monitor configuration is not supported. |
Keyboards | The use of external keyboards is highly recommended when tablets are used for testing. On-screen keyboards use valuable screen area and may make typing responses more difficult. The following are examples of external keyboards that pair with iPads:
|
Mice | Wired two- or three-button mice can be used on desktops or laptops. Mice with browser-back buttons should not be used. |
Headphones and Headsets | Wired headphones or headsets with a 3.5 mm or USB connector and Bluetooth devices are supported. |