Edexcel Promissor (problem)

[cedwards08]

Hi,

 

I'm new to this site so I don't know if this is the right room.

 

The problem that we are having with this software is that certain PC's are not showing up the images that go with the questions (which has meant we had to pull out three students from the exam). When i phoned their support line up they said it was flash not installed but this problem was still there after i installed flash (meaning i had to pull another student out).

 

I am going to phone them again later but i was seeing if anyone else had this problem and what they did to fix it.

[Gerry]

What's your setup? If your running ESMServer on an XP box, then you're only allowed 10 simultaneous network connections to it. Can be changed with www.LvlLord.de - Tipps, Tricks & Utilities - Tools

[Nicola]

Have you installed the correct version of Flash, we have version 9.0.115.0 and the tests are running fine here

[ArchersIT]

I had a problem with the images not being displayed during the practice tests. I was playing around to find the problem points with the software and discovered that if I changed languages during the test (IIRC, from UK English to American English) then it would not display the images. Changing back again cured it.

 

Obviously this may be completely unrelated to your problem - I just mention it because it rang a bell.

 

Cheers

 

Jonathan

[Guest kerrymoralee9280]

We found that we had to log the kids on with our 'testteacher' account.

 

This solved the problems (if you look at the tech info for the software it actually states that users NEED admin rights). Not really a big issue as we hide all the shares etc and they are under constant supervision. Plus, once in the software it doesn't allow you to do anything else until you exit it.

[cedwards08]

Thanks for all the replys.

 

After phoning them again i found out that i hadn't given the students the correct rights on the promissor folder on those PC's (i had missed them out, which i guess 2 out of 60 isn't to bad:D).

[Gerry]

Don't actually need full admin rights on the clients. I've installed this software on 5 of our sites now, and all you need to do is set up the server like this (taken from my own instructions tailored for my college):

 

1. Designate a PC as the SERVER – it’s a good idea to use one which students won’t be using and close (in terms of the network) to the testing machines

2. Log-on as administrator

3. Create a folder on the SERVER – “C:\ESM_Test_Centre” and share it – allow everyone access to read and write files.

3a.Right-click the folder and click on “Sharing & Security”

3b.On the “Sharing” tab click on “Permissions” and set Everyone to have Full Control

4. On the “Security” tab, add Everyone as a group, and give it Full Control

5. Run the ESM installation package you downloaded previously – allow it to install into the default location “C:\Program Files\Promissor” and set the data installation location to “C:\ESM_Test_Centre”. Leave anything else as default.

6. Make a note of the SERVER’s machine name (helps with installation on client PC’s later)

7. Remove “ESMServer” shortcut from the Startup folder in the Start Menu (Start->All Programs->Startup)

8. Run ESMServer and edit the PROXY settings.

9. Close ESMServer and run “regedit”

10.Look for “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Promissor” and give users of the machine full control over the registry key

 

This should let all clients work with users own accounts.

[CyberNerd]

3. Create a folder on the SERVER – “C:\ESM_Test_Centre” and share it – allow everyone access to read and write files.

3a.Right-click the folder and click on “Sharing & Security”

3b.On the “Sharing” tab click on “Permissions” and set Everyone to have Full Control

4. On the “Security” tab, add Everyone as a group, and give it Full Control

 

11. Watch with amusement as the students find the share and delete each others exams

[tech_guy]

11. Watch with amusement as the students find the share and delete each others exams

 

LOL I was just thinking that.

[jack0w]

I have to admit we're experiencing very similar problems, which are as of yet unresolved. When we load the tests we don't see graphics/text on a random number of computers - the number of computers and which computers this affects changes each time we run the test.

 

We've been in touch with Edexcel and the ball has now been put into Pearson Vue and the Developers court to resolve this problem. Just in the throws of packaging up one of the affected computers to send off to them so they can investigate as they are apparently unable to replicate the issue.

 

I know of one other school which is definitely affected by this problem..... you are not alone!!

[jsnetman]

It is definitely permissions on the program folder on the workstations. Use either xcalcs to set read write permissions on the promissor folder or use AD file system.

[jack0w]

Not definitely! Our permissions are set correctly, and have had the settings checked on countless occasions by Edexcel/Pearson Vue, yet we still have the problem!

 

They seem to be suggesting to us now that it may be due to a software conflict/java script error?

[jsnetman]

Ok try logging on as local admin or domain admin and run a demo test, if it works on one of those accounts it is DEFINATLEY permissions.

[CyberNerd]

e've been in touch with Edexcel and the ball has now been put into Pearson Vue and the Developers court to resolve this problem. Just in the throws of packaging up one of the affected computers to send off to them so they can investigate as they are apparently unable to replicate the issue.

 

Lucky you, they just refused point blank to support us

[Gerry]

11. Watch with amusement as the students find the share and delete each others exams

 

I know! It's not very secure, but it works. So far, the GOLA system has been used for the last few years, and nobody has messed around with the share.

[CyberNerd]

I know! It's not very secure, but it works. So far, the GOLA system has been used for the last few years, and nobody has messed around with the share.

 

Yeah, it's the way they recommend doing it. I'm at a complete loss with edexcel over onscreen testing. There is SO many things that are wrong with it - it's quite unbelievable that they've been able to carry on like this.

[jack0w]

Lucky you, they just refused point blank to support us

 

It has taken nearly 2 months of chasing to get to this point and currently the pupils here have not been able to successfully sit their mock examination on the software either!

 

We've tried testing the software with admin accounts, network & local and still haven't been able to get it to run on all computers!

 

Not long to until the real GCSE exams now either....

[CyberNerd]

I feel a complaint to QCA is in the making

[CyberNerd]

I really do not think that Edexcel meet the Regulatory principles for e-assessment on a number of levels. Security, application compatibility, suupport etc

The specification layed out by ofqual is here Ofqual - Regulatory principles for e-assessment

 

feel free to complain:

Ofqual - How to complain

[bizzel]

I'm a little worried to find that most people had installed it around October time - I only got handed it today!

[jack0w]

Wow thought we were late getting the download details!! We had to wait until Feb '08!

 

Have finally got to the bottom of our problem with the 'Promissor' software ...... it doesn't work with IE7!

 

Requirements stated IE6 and above was supported.......................... obviously 7 isn't above 6!! ;-)

[ninjabeaver]

Wow thought we were late getting the download details!! We had to wait until Feb '08!

 

Have finally got to the bottom of our problem with the 'Promissor' software ...... it doesn't work with IE7!

 

Requirements stated IE6 and above was supported.......................... obviously 7 isn't above 6!! ;-)

 

You have got to be kidding. I'm just rebuilding a new image to roll out across the school with XP SP3 and IE7. Friggin awesome.

[rob_f]

I've had no problems with Promissor Administrator client software with IE7. I had the tests running as a local administrator with group policy running the software as a custom shell and locking down things - go into the room before the test, log on all the PCs and get them at the Promissor login screen ready for when the kids arrive.

 

The only security flaw i could see with that was when getting to the end of the test, if the default printer was set to something like MS XPS document writer, this presented a "file -> save as" style dialog that allowed browsing of the disk.

 

Installing the software, then rebooting, then performing a reinstall straight away solved almost all DLL problems I was seeing.

[jack0w]

I've had no problems with Promissor Administrator client software with IE7.

 

After testing on 28 computers in our ICT Suite we found that we got a random number of failures - plus the computers affected by no Graphics/Text changed every time we ran the test!

 

Pearson Vue (who I believe produce the Promissor software) took one of our computers off-site for some extensive testing and after a couple of days they concluded that it was Internet Explorer 7 causing the problems. We've since received the computer back and have successfully run the test three times now with a 100% success rate now that Internet Explorer 7 has been removed from all 28 computers.

 

We're running the Edexcel Applied French Reading exam here, which exam are you running? I'm just wondering if perhaps the issue that has been identified is relating more to the exam which is being run as opposed to the client software itself.

[ninjabeaver]

Numeracy and Literacy Level 1 and 2 OnScreen Exams here.