Contents


Overview of the Test Site

Sample Test Page

Sample Test Page

There are two types of test tools available:

Global Tools Instructions

Help Button

help button

To view the on-screen Help Guide window, select ? in the upper-right corner.

Calculator

Calculator tool

To use the on-screen calculator, select Calculator in the global menu.

This tool is available for all NGSS tests and grades 6–11 mathematics (calculator segment and math Performance Tasks).

Dictionary

Dictionary Tool

To search the Merriam-Webster dictionary or thesaurus, select Dictionary in the global menu.

This tool is available for ELA Performance Tasks.

End Test Button

end test button

This button appears after you answer all test questions. Select this button to start the test submission process.

Items Drop-Down List

items dropdown

To quickly navigate to an item, select an item number from the Items drop-down list in the upper-left corner.

  • If an item has been marked for review, Item Marked for Review Flag displays next to the item.
  • If an item has been skipped or not answered, Item skipped warning icon displays next to the item.

Masking

masking button

The Masking tool temporarily covers a distracting area of the test page. To use this tool:

  1. Select the Masking button in the global menu.
  2. Click and drag across the distracting area.

To close the Masking tool, select the Masking button again. To remove a masked area, select X in the upper-right corner of that area.

Navigation Buttons

back button next button

To move between test pages, use the Back and Next buttons in the upper-left corner. If a test consists of only one question, clicking Next prompts you to end the test.

Notes

notes

To enter notes in an on-screen notepad, select Notes in the global menu.

This tool is available for ELA Performance Tasks.

Pause Button

pause button

To pause a test, select Pause in the global menu. Pausing the test will temporarily log you out.

Save Button

save button

To manually save questions, select Save in the global menu. This is an optional feature and is not available for all questions. If you do not use this button, your answers are still saved automatically.

System Settings

cog wheel icon

Students can select the cog wheel icon cog wheel icon in the upper-right corner to adjust the following:

  • Audio volume
  • Text-to-Speech settings (including volume, pitch, and speed/rate)

Zoom Buttons

zoom in button zoom out button

To enlarge the text and images on a test page, select Zoom In. Multiple zoom levels are available. To undo zooming, select Zoom Out.

 

Context Menu Tools Instructions

American Sign Language

American Sign Language Icon

You can watch videos that translate test content into American Sign Language (ASL). To view ASL videos:

  1. Select American Sign Language from the context menu.
    • If only one ASL video is available, the video opens automatically.
    • If multiple ASL videos are available, sign language icons American Sign Language Icon appear next to the test content for each video. Select the icon for the test content you wish to translate into ASL.

Note: This tool requires you to have the ASL accommodation turned on.

Expand Passage or Item

You can expand the passage section or the question section for easier readability.

  • To expand the passage section, select the right arrow icon Right Arrow Icon below the global menu. To collapse the expanded passage section, select the left arrow icon Left Arrow Icon in the upper-right corner.
  • To expand the question section, select the left arrow icon Left Arrow Icon below the global menu. To collapse the expanded question section, select the right arrow icon Right Arrow Icon in the upper-left corner.
Glossary (Word List)

To open the glossary, click a word or phrase that has a border around it. This tool is only available for certain words.

Highlighter

highlighter tool

Reset Highlighter tool


To highlight text, select the text on the screen and then select Highlight Selection from the context menu. To remove highlighting, select Reset Highlighting from the context menu.

You cannot highlight text in images.

Item Tutorials

To view a short video demonstrating how to respond to a particular question type, select Item Tutorials from the context menu.

Mark for Review

mark for review tool

To mark a question for review, select Mark for Review from the context menu. The marked question number displays a flap in the upper-right corner and a flag icon flag icon appears next to the number on the test page. The Items drop-down list displays Item Marked for Review Flag for the selected question.

Notepad

note icon

To enter notes or comments for a question, select Notepad from the context menu. After you enter a note, a pencil icon note icon appears next to the question number on the test page.

You can only access your notes for a question on that question’s test page.

Strikethrough

strikethrough tool

For selected response questions, you can cross out an answer option to focus on the options you think might be correct.

There are two options for using this tool:

Option A:

  1. To activate Strikethrough mode, open the context menu and select Strikethrough.
  2. Select the answer options you wish to strike out.
  3. To deactivate Strikethrough mode, press the Esc key or click outside the response area.

Option B:

  1. Right-click an answer option and select Strikethrough.

Test Rules

Navigation Rules

Smarter Balanced Tests:

CTAA and CAAELP Tests:

Pause Rules

Smarter Balanced Tests:

CTAA and CAAELP Tests:


About Text-to-Speech

If you have Text-to-Speech turned on for your test, read this section.

If you are testing with Text-to-Speech, you can listen to instructions, passages, and questions in the test. For ELA tests, some passages are not read aloud.

To listen to content with the Text-to-Speech tool:


Accessibility Features for CTAA and CAAELP

The table below lists the tools and features available for CTAA and CAAELP.

Embedded Tool Instructions
Help

help button

To view the on-screen Help Guide window, select ? in the upper-right corner.
End Test Button

end test button

Select this button to start the test submission process. This button will submit your test and you will not be able to return to it.
Highlighter

highlighter tool

Reset Highlighter tool

To highlight text, select the text on the screen and then select Highlight Selection from the context menu. To remove highlighting, select Reset Highlighting from the context menu.

You cannot highlight text in images. This tool is not available while the Line Reader tool is in use. When a test pauses, highlighting may not persist if the student switches testing devices.

Items Drop-Down List

items dropdown

To quickly navigate to an item, select an item number from the Items drop-down list in the upper-left corner.

  • If an item has been marked for review, Item Marked for Review Flag displays next to the item.
  • If an item has been skipped or not answered, Item skipped warning icon displays next to the item.
Line Reader

Line Reader Tool

To highlight text line by line:

  1. Select Line Reader.
  2. Change the highlighted line by using the keyboard navigation arrows.

To close the Line Reader feature, select Line Reader again.

Mark for Review

mark for review tool

To mark a question for review, select Mark for Review from the context menu. The marked question number displays a flap in the upper-right corner and a flag icon flag icon appears next to the number on the test page. The Items drop-down list displays Item Marked for Review Flag for the selected question.
Masking

masking button

The Masking tool temporarily covers a distracting area of the test page. To use this tool:

  1. Select the Masking button in the global menu.
  2. Click and drag across the distracting area.

To close the Masking tool, select the Masking button again. To remove a masked area, select X in the upper-right corner of that area.

Navigation Buttons

back button next button

To move between test pages, use the Back and Next buttons in the upper-left corner. If a test consists of only one question, clicking Next prompts you to end the test.
Pause Button

pause button

To pause a test, select Pause in the global menu. Pausing the test will temporarily log you out.
Print Page

print button

To print the entire test page, select Print Page.
Save Button

save button

To manually save questions, select Save in the global menu. This is an optional feature and is not available for all questions. If you do not use this button, your answers are still saved automatically.
Strikethrough

strikethrough tool

For selected response questions, you can cross out an answer option to focus on the options you think might be correct.

There are two options for using this tool:

Option A:

  1. To activate Strikethrough mode, open the context menu and select Strikethrough.
  2. Select the answer options you wish to strike out.
  3. To deactivate Strikethrough mode, press the Esc key or click outside the response area.

Option B:

  1. Right-click an answer option and select Strikethrough.
System Settings

cog wheel icon

Students can select the cog wheel icon cog wheel icon in the upper-right corner to adjust the following:

  • Audio volume
  • Text-to-Speech settings (including volume, pitch, and speed/rate)
Students testing with Text-to-Speech (TTS) can also use this tool to adjust TTS settings.
Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Text-to-Speech button

 

To listen to passages and questions, select a Speak option from the context menu. Or, right click on the passage, the question, or an option and select a Speak option.

Zoom Buttons

zoom in button zoom out button

To enlarge the text and images on a test page, select Zoom In. Multiple zoom levels are available. To undo zooming, select Zoom Out.