CAT testing - Controlled Assessment Test

[Ooroo]

Dear All,

 

I was wondering what sort of experiences you had with the current year's CAT tests and what you have done to overcome the issues if you had any.?

 

I will write a couple of questions just to group the corresponding topics.

 

 

Do you normally have issues with sound? (headphones not pushed in all the way, sound level needs increasing, only one side is working, headphones don’t work at all etc.)

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Who plugs the cables in and checks sound? When does the sound get checked (before each exam session or after users logged on)?

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Did you have issues with the ‘Show all content’ link? Did you use your last year’s GPO when running the tests (with other words did you know about this issue before conducting the tests)?

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Do you experience freezes with the tests (last year or this year)? Did you need to reschedule these exams?

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Did you have issues with the Next and Back button not appearing and effectively stopping the test?

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What browser do you use as the default and what browser did you do the test with?

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Do you do tests on Fridays of the first week to catch up with the ones who couldn’t complete it all? Does your leadership provide this contingency if the tests cannot conclude in the first 3 days?

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How do you conduct the tests? What advice would you give to make the tests smoother and faster? (organizers, invigilators, timing, number of computers vs. testing students, number of test a day or certain tests on certain days etc.)

 

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If I missed anything please let me know.

 

 

Thanks for the help in advance.

[rad]

Will let you know on Monday, start then. never had major issues in the past.

[Boredguy]

So far we had 4 classes take the tests today and apart from 3 users coming to see us for a) they forgot their network logon, and b) didn't have the right password for the test, it seems to have gone fine.

 

We have another 4 days of test scheduled over the next fortnight as we are getting both Year 7 and Year 9 doing them.

 

Staff get provided with a standard audio troubleshooting guide and touch wood it works year on year without any intervention from us in IT Support

[Grey-gear]

Hello @Ooroo,

 

I have worked in a school that has do the CAT tests for number of years.

 

1. we normal don't issue headphones unless of unique cases, (a, a student requires it or b, a student is doing a catch up in a office that a member of staff is working in)

2. Normal sound is checked by the member of staff watching the student.

3. I believe you need to have 'Show all content' so yes.

4. No freezes for the last few years, but when we did the student needed to redo the test.

5. No I always get the staff to tell them not to press the browser back and forward buttons. The students that do will then need to resit the test, normal a good test to see who is following instructions.

6. Internet explorer.

7. The school has all the year 6\7 do the test over the span of 3 days. best advise I can give is try aviod laptops being used were ever possible.

 

Hope this is helpful.

[Gibbo]

No problems here, using Chrome.

[rad]

We do 2 forms a day and have done all week (8forms of 25 kids)

So far apart from today's PM group it all went well, why did the Pam group not work, cos the kids don't do what is asked and possibly right click, random click etc. so their fault and end up bombing out of the test they were in.

 

We use one login, IE, headphones and one classroom for the entire duration. Fortunately we have a room available, otherwise I have no idea what we would do.

[Ashfold]

I administer twelve forms from year 3 to year 8 sitting CAT tests and fourteen forms the previous twelve plus two year 2 forms sitting an online reading test each year.

 

We run these in our ICT rooms one class at a time for two weeks, I set up each PC manually before the first test checking sound etc and then I use Impero to remotely log on the computers to special testing user account. I rearly have to adjust sound etc after the first exam normally a year 8 group who I use to set volumes to a reasonable level.

 

With the younger pupils I will log each PC on to the child's test but with years 6,7,&8 I just use impero to open the web site and then talk them through the logon process.

 

I rarely have any technical problems other than one exam today when our ISPs DNS servers stopped working and we no Internet for a quarter of an hour as I wanted to start the test so I had to reschedule.

 

The teaching staff individuate and I leave them to it, over the last five years doing several different online test I have never had a serious problem other than the odd kid closing the browser or clicking back or the like but I just make them resit during on of the timetabled resits and give them a quick I told you not to do that if they are old enough.

 

To be honest it is probably the easiest two weeks of term with the ICT room off timetable and the test being so closely controlled.

[ITGURU]

We love CAT tests, they can take place in any of our 6 IT rooms. This year we were asked to check all IT rooms for sound to be working and so that there were NO issues with the tests.

 

Come the day of the tests, 3 rooms in use, their are issues with the sound not working, the next button not appearing, us IT support getting calls with staff frustrated asking why we've not checked the machines. we told them its because the website cannot handle the load (we won't be the only school using it) and that its an issue on their website.

Next thing we know they cannot access the website (yes apparently its our problem again) and advise its the website.

 

Next thing we know they have email the website support copying us in saying that the IT team say thats it the website with the issue. Guess what they reply and say yes, your IT team are correct, we experienced an issue where the system couldnt handle the requests and it was a rare occurrence that shouldn't happen again.

 

Is that not why we're in the job to support and advise! Roll on next year when we have to go through it all again!

[Grey-gear]

We love CAT tests, they can take place in any of our 6 IT rooms. This year we were asked to check all IT rooms for sound to be working and so that there were NO issues with the tests.

 

Come the day of the tests, 3 rooms in use, their are issues with the sound not working, the next button not appearing, us IT support getting calls with staff frustrated asking why we've not checked the machines. we told them its because the website cannot handle the load (we won't be the only school using it) and that its an issue on their website.

Next thing we know they cannot access the website (yes apparently its our problem again) and advise its the website.

 

Next thing we know they have email the website support copying us in saying that the IT team say thats it the website with the issue. Guess what they reply and say yes, your IT team are correct, we experienced an issue where the system couldnt handle the requests and it was a rare occurrence that shouldn't happen again.

 

Is that not why we're in the job to support and advise! Roll on next year when we have to go through it all again!

@ITGURU, I understand how frustrating it is when it seems that the staff are not listening and take action as such as go e-mail some else and then get the same answer you been given. At the time I can on guess who stressed they were with a large number of student reporting issues and in turn who stressed they made you. Hopefully these members of staff are not always like this and they just panicking for a quick fix.

 

Whenever the school I work at does CAT TESTS we have up to 6 classrooms at once normally with no trouble at all (unless a student presses back on the bowser instead of the webpage). So hopefully next time your school run them it should be fine.