Contents

• Overview of the Test Site
• Test Rules
• About Text-to-Speech

Overview of the Test Site

All tests have navigation and test tools. Some tools are available only for specific tests or questions.

Sample Test Page

There are two types of test tools available:

• Menu Tools: These tools appear at the top of the test page.
• Question Tools: These tools are for passages and questions.

Menu Tools

Menu Tools	Instructions
Help (?) button	To view the on-screen Instructions and Help window, select the question mark button in the upper-right corner.
Questions drop-down list	To quickly navigate to a specific test page, select a question number from the drop-down list in the upper-left corner. Questions that were marked for review display "(marked)" in this list.
Calculator	To use the on-screen calculator, select Calculator in the tools menu. The calculator is available for the following tests: Grades 6-8 Mathematics; Secondary Mathematics I, II, and III; grades 4-8 Science; Biology; Chemistry; Earth Science; and Physics.
Dictionary	To search the Merriam-Webster dictionary or thesaurus, select Dictionary in the tools menu.
Masking	The Masking tool temporarily covers a distracting area of the test page. To use this tool: Select the Masking button in the tools menu. 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.
Notes	To enter notes in an on-screen notepad, select Notes in the tools menu. (Notes appear only for the test opportunity you are taking.)
Scoring Guide	To view the on-screen scoring guide, select Scoring Guide in the tools menu. Note: The Scoring Guide is available for Writing tests.
System Settings	To adjust audio volume during the test, select the cog wheel icon in the upper-right corner.
Zoom buttons	To enlarge the text and images on a test page, select Zoom In. Multiple zoom levels are available. To undo zooming, select Zoom Out.

Question Tools

These tools require you to select the context menu button for a stimulus (passage) or question. When you select the context menu, a list of available options appears. You can also right-click anywhere in a stimulus or question area to view the context menu.

Question Tools	Instructions
American Sign Language	You can watch videos that translate test content into American Sign Language (ASL). To view ASL videos: From the context menu, select American Sign Language. If only one ASL video is available, the video opens automatically. If multiple ASL videos are available, sign language icons 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	To expand the passage section, select the double arrow icon in the upper-right corner of that section. The passage section will overlap the question section for easier readability. To collapse the expanded section, select the double arrow icon again.
Highlighter	To highlight text, select the text on the screen and then select Highlight Selection from the question menu. To remove highlighting, select Reset Highlighting from the context menu. You cannot highlight text in images.
Mark for Review	To mark a question for review, select Mark for Review from the question menu. The marked question number displays a flap in the upper-right corner and a flag icon appears next to the number on the test page. The Questions drop-down list displays for the selected question.
Select Previous Version	To view and restore responses previously entered for a Text Response question, select the Select Previous Version option from the question menu. A list of saved responses appears. Choose the appropriate response and click Select.
Speech-to-Text (STT)	If the Speech-to-Text tool is enabled, you can respond to text response items by speaking your answer. To use this tool, select the microphone icon in the toolbar above the text box and begin speaking. Your spoken response will be written as text in the answer area. Note: This tool is available for ELA and Writing tests.
Strikethrough	For multiple choice and multi-select 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: To activate Strikethrough mode, open the context menu and select Strikethrough. Select the answer options you wish to strike out. To deactivate Strikethrough mode, press the Esc key or click outside the response area. Option B: Right-click an answer option and select Strikethrough.
Tutorial	To view a short video demonstrating how to respond to a particular question type, select Tutorial from the question menu.
Word Prediction	When this tool is enabled, suggested words will pop up in a menu as you type a written response. You can select a word in the pop-up menu instead of typing it out manually. Note: This tool is available for ELA and Writing tests.

Test Rules

Navigation Rules

• You cannot skip questions. You must answer all the questions on a page before you can go to the next page. You can mark a question for review and go back to it later to change the answer, if necessary.
  • Some pages contain multiple questions grouped together. You may need to use the grouped question navigation buttons in the upper-right corner to view all the questions.
• You can navigate to test pages by selecting the Back and Next buttons or by selecting an option from the Questions drop-down list in the upper-left corner.
• You must submit the test after you finish answering all questions.

Pause (Log Out) Rules

• You can pause the test at any time. Pausing your test logs you out.
• When you resume the test, the first page with unanswered questions appears.
• If you are idle for 20 minutes, the test automatically pauses and logs you out.
• All answers are saved immediately. You do not lose them when the test is paused.

For Math, Science, and ELA: Reading and Listening:

• If your test is paused for less than 20 minutes, you can review questions you already answered.
• If your test is paused for more than 20 minutes, you cannot review questions you already answered. The only exception is if you pause on a page that has at least one unanswered question.

For ELA: Writing:

Writing is divided into two essay sections, each with one written response required. You can pause the Writing sections at any time.

• For the first essay: You can review and edit your response until you move on to the next section. Once you move on, you cannot go back.
• For the second essay: You can review and edit your response until you are done and submit the test.

About Text-to-Speech

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:

• To listen to a passage, open the passage context menu and select a Speak option. You can also select a portion of text to listen to, such as a word or phrase. To do this, select the text, open the passage context menu, and select Speak Selection.
• To listen to a question or answer options, open the question context menu and select one of the following Speak options:
  • To listen only to the question, select Speak Question.
  • To listen only to an answer option, select Speak Option from the context menu and then select the answer option. You can also right-click on the answer option and select Speak Option.
• To listen to Text-to-Speech read aloud from anywhere in a passage or question to the end of that passage or question, right-click where you want Text-to-Speech to begin reading and select Start Speaking From Here.