Surpass - Secure Client (what a pain)

[FragglePete]

We've been trying both - initially just timed out, but now just get Invalid Keycode errors. 20 minutes left to start.

 

Still no response from the helpdesk.

 

Pete

[gerardsweeney]

So just to chime in with our experience with this software today. While it was slow we didn't have any major issues with students taking the test but we only had 11 students doing it. I created a standalone non domain image with surpass secure client and nothing else on the laptops.

 

How are your laptops connecting to the Internet if not on the domain?

 

Not being glib - genuinely interested.

[FragglePete]

Interestingly, the invigilator screen updated with the invigilator packs - and have managed to start the candidate using the HTML delivery method instead.... hopefully it'll work. 6 minutes left to get them started.

 

Pete

[JoeRogue]

Not sure if others have had a response from the helpdesk. We were basically told to keep trying as they attempted to fix the issue.

 

Hi,We are aware of some loading issues with the online exams and the invigilation screen. We are working to resolve this and provide more resources to these exams.Please bare with us while we work on the problem. All we can advise is that you keep trying.Kind regards,

 

We are a mixture of macs and chromebooks so couldn't download the Surpass client, managed to get them in on the HTML version at around 11.45am.

 

Nightmare!

[jthompson]

Just speaking to our exams officer here, and apparently Cambridge sent out an email advisory last week to centres to inform them that keycodes had been reset after some system changes, and so would need to be downloaded afresh. If you're using keycodes that were originally downloaded prior to that, they presumably wouldn't be valid for tests.

[MartinT]

We've had horrible problems since the start at 09:00 today and only really got the students re-started at around 11:50. Using the HTML delivery method, but the biggest problem was the Invigilator console, which broke and wouldn't allow us to Resume students that were Paused for a break. Surpass support have only provided boilerplate responses which haven't helped at all. Meanwhile, we're trying to get the SecureClient installed for tomorrow but we end up in a loop of update/restart/needs update again.

 

Our Invigilator console still shows one student disconnected even though she's ongoing with the exam. What a sh*tshow.

 

Very stressed students, we feel for them. Two of us in IT have been overseeing the whole thing as we dare not just leave the Exams Officer and invigilators alone as it's playing up so badly.

Edited November 3, 2021 by MartinT

[kennysarmy]

I created a standalone non domain image with surpass secure client and nothing else on the laptops.

 

Like that should be necessary!

[mavhc]

Please bare with us

 

Pretty sure that's not allowed in schools.

[RLR]

Cambridge Assessment has released a form to fill in for any issues candidates have faced for special considerations: https://cambridgeenglish.formstack.com/forms/november_session_cb_issues?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=Nov_21

[midweek]

Our exam coordinator has just got off the phone to them and they said there is no guarantee that the tests will be rescheduled. We need to prove "exceptional circumstances". What a farce.

[supportman]

Worked well for us starting at about mid day using the secure client. No issues with submission.

[synaesthesia]

Yeah, after midday things seemed smoother. Doesn't excuse the fact that the system is farcical and their support of it is even worse. Cookie cutter responses from them on social media; it's supposed to be the world's premier education setting, yet doing this to staff and prospective students is really, really taking the mick. I thought Pearson were bad...

[chris11256]

Just been round the IT Room with our exams assistant helping her download the tests in advance of tomorrow's session. Fingers crossed it a bit smoother.

[FragglePete]

Just been round the IT Room with our exams assistant helping her download the tests in advance of tomorrow's session. Fingers crossed it a bit smoother.

 

Like wise, thankfully only 2 students tomorrow but have them downloaded and ready to go. We shall see what happens this time around.

 

I feel so sorry for our candidate today, I managed to get it working with 6 minutes to spare before the windows closed. Thankfully he seemed calm and quite relaxed about it all and just got on with it - quite reassuring as he wants to be a Doctor. But, unfair to be sitting around all that time trying to get it to work for him and then expecting him to crack on at the end.

 

Hope he does well but we've submitted our forms for mitigating circumstances.

 

Pete

[HAEadmin]

Sorry about the unclear details. Inline SmoothWall so they were subject to normal filtering on a hidden "exams" SSID. I suppose technically they weren't 100% non domain devices as they were authenticated with domain accounts but they were vanilla windows with only surpass installed and computers were not members of the domain. I didn't have much faith in the software after my testing encountered numerous issues, especially with the AV software we run. With my previous experiences with exam software I wanted to have the simplest environment, as they often encounter problems. The students were under exam conditions so while this wasn't the optimal solution we concluded this would most likely be the most reliable way of running the test and we'd use the invigilators to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. These are very important to the students and school so making sure they were able to take the assessment trumped having a more secure environment. Starting the tests was a little slow but they got there after a bit of a wait so we were concerned their may have been a bandwidth issue our end but after looking at our bandwidth usage we were no where near full utilization (max of about 20%) of our 1 gbps connection so it was clearly it was a problem at their end. Here is the internet utilization over the 2 hour period of the exam.

 

 

If you want me details PM me and I can go into more detail.

[kennysarmy]

Getting the invalid keycode error again this morning.

[FragglePete]

Oh God..... I downloaded the Tests on the PCs yesterday. Just entered the keycodes to get them ready to start and all I've got is a rotating circle icon. Exams office can't get logged into the Invigilator Dashboard.

 

Really.... Again ?

 

Pete

[3s-gtech]

Just gone straight onto the dashboard here. Not holding out much hope for the client though.

[kennysarmy]

We've given up on the downloaded software - it won't accept the keycode so left exam invigilator with instructions to use the browser

[RLR]

Oh God..... I downloaded the Tests on the PCs yesterday. Just entered the keycodes to get them ready to start and all I've got is a rotating circle icon. Exams office can't get logged into the Invigilator Dashboard.

 

Really.... Again ?

 

Pete

My Dashboard is working today but seems a bit slow. Just about to get students to enter keycode. Fingers crossed!

[FragglePete]

My Dashboard is working today but seems a bit slow. Just about to get students to enter keycode. Fingers crossed!

We've got the dashboard up, but the secure client is just a spinning icon. Not sure whether to crash it out and go down the HTML route - as we did get that working right at the last minute yesterday.

 

Pete

[KK20]

our exams officer telephoned all of our candidates internal and external yesterday and arranged for an early start. I predownloaded the ones I could yesterday (internal candidates), the external ones are using their own machines so they could not. I downloaded the invigilator pack yesterday just in case there was a change to the keys or pins. We got going at 8:20 with no issues. Invigilator screen loaded in seconds, the predownloaded worked immediately - key and pin. No apple Mac today, the offsite candidates took around 3 minutes to download to secureclient but all worked. I didnt need the "web only" option today. Edited November 4, 2021 by KK20

[supportman]

Working fine here, although we did start a little early to avoid the rush.

 

Apparently the bottleneck is the check for updates procedure when you type in the keycode. There is a fix that you can disconnect the internet cable and it should skip that bit (assuming you've download the test already). Then just reconnect once they start.

[3s-gtech]

It’s downloaded and started on the one client we have here today. That’s on a separate SSID that doesn’t go via our Smoothwall, but is still filtered offsite. No performance issues so far.

[RLR]

Ours have started fine this morning. One student with extra time but the confirmation screen didn't show she had extra time. Worried the test will end at normal time.