Frequently Asked Questions about EOC Exam Administration and Results
When and where will the students take the EOC exams?
EOC exams may be administered at any time during school hours within the applicable testing window(s). Students can be tested in any room that provides a quiet environment where other students are not participating in learning activities and where there are enough computers for a group of students, plus one computer for the Test Administrator. Some schools will use computer labs, and others will use mobile computer carts brought into classrooms.
Students enrolled in E-School courses that have corresponding EOC exams must be administered the exam in a secure environment. In most situations, this will be at the student’s school of record. E-School teachers are to communicate with each E-School student’s school of record Test Coordinator to ensure that the E-School student is administered the EOC exam. E-School teachers may administer the EOC exams face-to-face with E-School students in a secure testing environment.
How much time is required to administer an EOC exam?
The administration of most EOC exams will require approximately 90 minutes. Students may be given as much time as needed to complete an exam and a student may pause his or her exam and complete it on a later date that is still within a particular EOC exam testing window.
Must all students be tested online?
With the exception of students who need to take the paper/pencil version of each EOC exam at an off-campus site that does not have Internet access, all students must be tested on a computer with an Internet connection. Ultimately, all student responses must be entered into the online system. The use of a scribe to record responses online is allowed for students with a documented need. The scribe designated support should be set in TIDE and the scribe needs to follow the Scribing Protocol which can be found on alohahsap.org. Refer to the Hawai’i State Science (NGSS) Assessments and End-of-Course Exams Test Administration Manual and Crosswalk of Accessibility Features Across State Assessments in Hawai’i for details on accommodations.
How many times will a student be able to take an EOC exam?
Students will be given one opportunity during the last two to four weeks of the course to take an EOC exam within a particular testing window.
What happens if a student is unable to test during the scheduled testing session?
Students who are absent during their school’s scheduled test session(s) can be tested at any time during the testing window. Make-up testing should occur during the normal testing window.
Will text-to-speech and Braille be available for the EOC exams?
The Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Biology 1 (NGSS) EOC Exams will have text-to-speech versions available for testing during 2023-2024 for students approved to use the text-to-speech embedded designated support. The text-to-speech feature, if required for a student, must be enabled in TIDE or the TA Live Site for each student before they are approved for testing.
An online Braille version will be available for the Biology 1 (NGSS) EOC Exam. There are no Braille versions of the Algebra EOCs.
Will schools be responsible for the online administration of EOC exams to students who are receiving educational services off campus at alternative sites, at home, or at a hospital?
Yes, if the following criteria are met:
- Students are enrolled in a Biology 1 course.
- Students are enrolled in an Algebra 1 or Algebra 2 course at a school that requires students to take the optional EOC exam for each course in which they are enrolled.
- Students must be able to cope with the EOC exam administration requirements based on their documented physical, mental, or emotional needs.
Refer to the Student Participation section in the Hawai’i State Science (NGSS) Assessments and End-of-Course Exams Test Administration Manual for details.
What if students transfer during the testing window?
If students transfer from school to school during any EOC exam testing window, the system will keep a record of any complete or incomplete EOC exams. After students transfer, they can resume where they left off, including finishing any incomplete EOC exam before the end of the appropriate testing window. From the Plan and Manage Testing section available in the TIDE system, Test Coordinators will be able to see which students have or have not completed an EOC exam for a course in which they are currently enrolled. However, a transferring student’s enrollment information must be updated in Infinite Campus by the receiving school’s registrar before it can be included in the Department’s nightly upload to the TIDE system.
How will I know which students need to take one or more of the online EOC exams before the testing window ends?
The online EOC Exam System automatically keeps track of which students have and have not completed their EOC exams for the courses in which they are currently enrolled. Test Coordinators will have access to this information through the Plan and Manage Testing section in the TIDE system. The Plan and Manage Testing section will show which students have completed one or more of the EOC exams for the course(s) in which they are currently enrolled. The HSAP TIDE User Guide, which explains how to access and read these reports, is available on the EOC Exams Resources page at alohahsap.org.
Will I be able to print a master list of all students who did not finish the EOC exams so that I can schedule make-ups or completion sessions?
Yes, the Plan and Manage section in the TIDE system will show which students have not completed one or more of the EOC exams for the course(s) in which they are currently enrolled. The HSAP TIDE User Guide, explains how to access, read, and print these reports. The HSAP TIDE User Guide is also available on the EOC Exams Resources page at alohahsap.org.
If a student logs in and realizes an error in his/her information (e.g., misspelled name), does the student have to wait 2–3 days to get that corrected, or should he/she go ahead and take the EOC exam?
If any of the student’s information in the student testing site is incorrect, the student should not proceed with testing. The student should log out, and the Test Coordinator should be notified. The student’s record must be updated in Infinite Campus before he or she can begin testing. The Department of Education uploads student information from Infinite Campus and eCSSS to the online TIDE system on a nightly basis. Student records should be updated within 48–72 hours. After a student’s record has been updated, he or she can begin testing.
How do students log into the HSAP Secure Browser to take an exam?
Students must use their legal first name (as it appears in Infinite Campus and TIDE), their 10-digit State Student ID Number (SSID), and the test session ID that will be generated by the Test Administrator in the TA Live Site. Student information will be pre-loaded from Infinite Campus and eCSSS into the online TIDE System. If inaccurate student information exists in the online TIDE system, it must be corrected by the school’s registrar in Infinite Campus. Information from Infinite Campus and eCSSS will be automatically updated each night into the online TIDE system. Test Administrators will be able to look up a 10-digit SSID number using a search feature.
Where do I find the 10-digit State Student ID Number (SSID) for a student? Can Infinite Campus export students’ 10-digit ID numbers?
The 10-digit SSID is available to schools through Infinite Campus. Your clerk or registrar should be able to provide a roster of 10-digit SSIDs and student names.
Can Test Administrators help students log in?
Students need to log into the system using their legal first name and 10-digit SSID number. Test Administrators may assist students with this if necessary. This information can also be provided to students on a card, or a test ticket generated in TIDE, before the test session begins to help them type the information in accurately. Please remember that 10-digit SSIDs are confidential information, and cards/test tickets must be collected and stored in a secure location or shredded after all testing for 2023-2024 has been completed.
Can a Test Coordinator create the EOC exam sessions for Test Administrators using their passwords prior to the day and time of an EOC exam?
No. Test Coordinators cannot create EOC exam sessions ahead of time for Test Administrators. Exam sessions can only be created on the day of an EOC Exam. As a reminder, Test Administrators should NOT give their passwords to anyone (even Test Coordinators). Test Administrators can create their exam session on the day of an EOC exam before the actual exam session if they wish. However, the Test Administrator must remain logged in to keep the EOC Exam session active. Once Test Administrators log out of the TA Live Site, the exam session will end and cannot be resumed.
What if I cannot see the whole session ID?
In the web browser toolbar, there is an option to change the text display size. For example, in Chrome, you would click “View” and “Text Size” and then select “Smaller” or “Smallest.” Once the text display size has been reduced, you may need to restart your browser and navigate to the TA Live Site before the change takes effect. This change should allow you to see the whole session ID.
If a student needs more time for an EOC exam and has to continue later, can a different Test Administrator administer the rest of the exam?
The student can be assessed by anyone who is certified to administer the online EOC exams. The student can complete an exam that was begun in one session in a later session. The online EOC Exam System keeps track of which EOC exams students have started and completed and allows students to access an incomplete exam in a later session. The EOC exam belongs to the student, not to a session. The Test Administrator should start a new exam session and include the incomplete EOC exam (e.g., Algebra 1), and the student should enter the new exam session. If the student has already started an EOC exam, he or she will be able to resume it (provided it is being resumed within the testing window for that exam).
Should the same test session ID be used by two Test Administrators administering the same EOC exam to two separate groups of students from the same class?
Students from the same class who take EOC exams at different times or with different Test Administrators do not need to use the same test session ID. For example, if a group of students from one class require certain accommodations during testing, but the rest of the class does not, the person managing the accommodations group can create a different test session with his or her login and administer the EOC exam to students that way. If each Test Administrator is in a different computer lab or setting, each needs to create his or her own test session. When the test session is created, a session ID is provided by the system, and that session ID is required as part of the student login process.
What if students are absent during an EOC exam administration?
Students can take an EOC exam any time during the appropriate testing window. Because of the adaptive nature of the online EOC Exam System, different students may see different items in a different order, making test security less of a concern and, therefore, making it easier to test students at different times.
Why do the online Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 EOC Exams have two segments?
The online Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 EOC Exams are divided into two segments. The first segment provides students with access to an online pop-up scientific calculator and the second segment provides students with access to an online pop-up combined scientific/graphing/regression calculator. Students will not be allowed to review items in the first segment after advancing to the second segment.
What tools may students use during the EOC exams?
For the online Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 EOC Exams:
- Pop-up scientific and combined scientific/graphing/regression calculators will be available to students in the online EOC Exam System. Only the online scientific and combined scientific/graphing/regression calculators may be used by students for the online Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 EOC Exams. Handheld calculators may not be used for the online Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 EOC Exams.
- Students may also use a Mathematics Reference Sheet during the Algebra 2 EOC Exam. A pop-up Mathematics Reference Sheet will be available to students in the online EOC Exam System; this sheet may also be copied and handed out to students. A Mathematics Reference Sheet for Algebra 2 is available on the EOC Exams Resources page at alohahsap.org. Keep in mind that all paper copies must be collected at the end of the exam session. Any paper copy with a student’s writing on it must be shredded immediately after each exam session.
- Students may use scratch paper and printed copies of keyboard shortcuts during any of the exams. Students taking the Algebra 1 and/or Algebra 2 EOC Exams may use graph paper for scratch paper. Sample graph paper is available at alohahsap.org. Again, all paper copies must be collected at the end of the exam session. Any paper copy with student writing on it must be shredded immediately.
- A table listing numbers from 1-100 is a non-embedded designated supported for mathematics items. The 100s number table is to be used only for students with documented visual processing or spatial perception needs. This table may be printed only for students approved for this designated support. This table may be printed from the EOC Exams Resources page at alohahsap.org. Please see the Hawai’i State Science (NGSS) Assessments and End-of-Course Exams Test Administration Manual and Crosswalk of Accessibility Features Across State Assessments in Hawai’i.
- A single-digit (1–9) multiplication table is a non-embedded designated support for mathematics items. The multiplication table is to be used only for students with a documented and persistent calculation disability. This table may be printed only for students approved for this designated support. This table may be printed from the EOC Exams Resources page at alohahsap.org. Please see the Hawai’i State Science (NGSS) Assessments and End-of-Course Exams Test Administration Manual and Crosswalk of Accessibility Features Across State Assessments in Hawai’i.
Electronic dictionaries cannot be used for any online EOC exams. Word to word bilingual dictionaries are allowed. Further information can be found in the Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations section of the Hawai’i State Science (NGSS) Assessments and End-of-Course Exams Test Administration Manual and Crosswalk of Accessibility Features Across State Assessments in Hawai’i.
Can a poster of the keyboard shortcuts be displayed during an EOC exam?
Yes, posters of keyboard shortcuts may be displayed.
What Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations are available for ELL, IDEA-eligible, and Section 504 students?
The full list of available Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations for the online EOC exams can be found in the Hawai’i State Science (NGSS) Assessments and End-of-Course Exams Test Administration Manual and Crosswalk of Accessibility Features Across State Assessments in Hawai’i.
What if students cannot use a mouse?
Students can navigate the online EOC exams using a mouse or the keyboard. A list of keyboard shortcuts is provided for students within the online EOC Exam System.
Can Test Administrators help students with the constructed-response items? For example, if students have difficulty placing objects on a grid or typing their response, can the Test Administrator assist them?
Test Administrators need to have students pause their exams if they cannot use the online tools independently to answer constructed-response items, so they can receive more practice using these tools while answering the Training Test or Practice Test items for each EOC exam. If a student still cannot use the online tools independently, even after additional practice, he or she must be tested in an individual setting. A Test Administrator must serve as a scribe in an individual setting where the student can answer each constructed-response item verbally so the Test Administrator can enter it online. The Test Administrator must read and follow the Scribing Protocols found on alohahsap.org.
What if it takes students more than 30 minutes to answer one test item? Will they be timed out?
If it has been 30 minutes since a student last answered a test item, the following message window will appear on the student’s screen: “Are you still there? Click OK to continue or you will be logged out in 30 seconds.” In order to keep the student’s test session active and enable the student to review items answered earlier in the session, the student must click “OK” and answer the item on which he or she is currently working. If the student does not respond, the student will be logged out in order to protect test security and privacy. If the student is logged out, he or she will not be allowed to go back and review his or her answers. You can also instruct students to raise their hands and ask for help if they see a message on the screen that they are not sure how to handle.
Can a Test Administrator be logged out of a session after 30 minutes of inactivity? What must a Test Administrator do to prevent being logged out?
Yes, as a security measure, TAs are automatically logged out after 30 minutes of user inactivity and student inactivity in the session, which results in closing the test session. To prevent being logged out of the system the TA, or any student who is testing in the active Session ID, must click on their screen at least once every 30 minutes.
If a TA is automatically logged out, the status of the test session will change to “closed” and all in-progress tests in the session will be paused. The TA will need to log back into the TA Site, start a new session, and provide the new Session ID to students who need to resume testing.
What should a student do if an item or graphic fails to load properly during an online EOC exam? For example, if the item’s graphics or multiple-choice response options do not entirely or correctly display on the student’s screen?
If an item or graphic does not load, the student will need to pause the EOC exam and log back in. If the item or graphic still fails to load, the Test Administrator will need to contact the HSAP Help Desk (hsaphelpdesk@cambiumassessment.com or 1-866-648-3712) and provide the agent with the following information: the student’s 10-digit SSID number and grade level, the name of the EOC exam, the opportunity number, and the corresponding item number in that student’s exam. Additionally, it is important that the student NOT click on an answer option for this partially loaded item or graphic in order to complete the test and submit it for scoring before this item can be correctly displayed or replaced with another online item. It is recommended that additional computers be available for testing in case a student’s computer freezes or shuts down unexpectedly.
How does a Test Coordinator request a grace period extension (GPE) or an EOC exam reset for a student whose test session was affected by a testing incident?
If a student’s exam has been paused for more than 20 minutes due to a major disruption, such as a fire drill, a school-wide power or Internet outage, or a natural disaster, the student will not be allowed to review his or her answers to the items answered before the disruption. The Test Coordinator may submit a request in TIDE to allow a student to revisit a paused exam (Grace Period Extension [GPE]), which will allow the student to review his or her answers. However, the student’s exam should be immediately paused, and he or she should NOT be allowed to continue answering any additional items.
School Test Coordinators or Principals are required to submit the Test Security Response Form to the Assessment Section by logging in to the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) (https://www.hitide.org/) and under Preparing for Testing, select Submit Test Administration Forms > Submit a Form > Test Security Response Form.
Use this form to report Test Improprieties, Irregularities and/or Breaches to the Assessment Section. Breaches should be addressed to the extent possible at the school site, reported to the appropriate school personnel right away, and the Assessment Section be contacted by telephone. A more complete report of the concern should then be submitted to the Assessment Section using this Test Security Response Form by the end of the school day, during which the incident occurs.
When submitting the Test Security Response Form the following information is required:
- Name and role of the person submitting the form
- Test Administrator Name
- Severity Level
- Assessment Name
- Date/Time of Test Security Concern
- Grade Level
- Test Session ID
- Name and Assessment Role of adults of involved
- SSID(s) of students involved.
- Description of incident, involvement, and actions taken.
Please check the accuracy of all required information to avoid delays in processing.
Note: When an incident occurs within the test, and results in the need to reset, reopen, invalidate, or restore individual student assessments these testing incidents must be submitted into the “Testing Incident” in TIDE. The School’s Test Coordinator or Principal can submit the Testing Incident into TIDE under Administering Tests> Testing Incidents > Create Testing Incident. Once submitted, the Assessment Section will review the submission and notify the school via TIDE whether or not the request has been approved.
Requests to reset an EOC exam will be granted only in extreme circumstances. The Test Coordinator may submit a reset request using the Testing Incident Tab in TIDE. The Assessment Section will review and approve or disapprove the request in TIDE. Then the Test Coordinator will receive an email response regarding the decision. The student should not continue to be tested until the Test Coordinator has received a decision from the Assessment Section.
What should I do if a student starts one of the EOC exams by mistake?
A student who has been approved by the Test Administrator to start the wrong EOC exam cannot be the basis for resetting an exam. The exam should be treated as an incomplete exam opportunity and the student must complete the exam by the end of the appropriate testing window if he or she is currently enrolled in the course that is related to the wrong exam. If the student is not enrolled in the course, the Test Coordinator needs to enter a request to invalidate the exam in the Testing Incident tab in TIDE.
How can we ensure that students do not cheat when they are taking an EOC exam on a computer?
The Hawai’i State Science (NGSS) Assessments and End-of-Course Exams Test Administration Manual describes the online assessment security procedures in detail.
- A Test Administrator will be responsible for administering a test session and ensuring that the students taking an EOC exam are who they say they are.
- Students will take an EOC exam using a special browser that prevents them from doing anything on the computer except taking the exam. This browser will not allow students to copy items or look up answers online.
- While taking an EOC exam, students will see different items in different sequences, so copying from one another will not help them.
- If a student ends an EOC exam session before answering all the items, the student will not be able to review previously answered items when finishing this exam during a subsequent session, if more than 20 minutes have elapsed.
What should I do if something goes wrong during an EOC exam?
Test security concerns should be reported to your Test Coordinator, who will then report the test security concern to the Department’s Assessment Section at 808-307-3636. In addition, the Test Administrator or Test Coordinator must complete the Test Security Response Form under Preparing for Testing, select Submit Test Administration Forms > Submit a Form > in TIDE. Refer to Appendix P and Appendix AA in the Hawai’i State Science (NGSS) Assessments and End-of-Course Exams Test Administration Manual.
How will students and teachers get EOC Exam results?
Student results are available in the Centralized Reporting system (CRS). Users with the appropriate roles will be able to view results for their schools, classes, and students. If Teachers are entered in TIDE with their employee ID number, their class rosters that have been entered in Infinite Campus by their school clerk or registrar will be available in CRS. Results will be available immediately for the Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 EOC Exams after each EOC exam has been submitted for electronic scoring. Results for the Biology 1 (NGSS) EOC Exam will be available in summer 2024 after the required standard setting meeting has been held. Teachers can log on to CRS to see how their students performed. Students taking the Algebra 1and Algebra 2 EOC Exam(s) will also receive their three-digit scale score on the computer screen immediately after they complete and submit their exam (the TA Live Site does not display students’ scores).
For E-School teachers only, the E-School testing coordinator will assist CAI in distributing student scores to all E-School teachers after the close of each testing window. E-School teachers will receive from the E-School testing coordinator a list with their students’ scale scores, performance levels, and reporting categories, within seven days of the closing of the testing window. For more immediate access to their students’ scores, E-School teachers will need to be added as a Teacher (TE) in TIDE by the Test Coordinator at each student’s home school. Once their Teacher role has been activated in TIDE, school Test Coordinators need to create a custom roster in TIDE in order to grant E-School teachers access to their students’ scores at each home school in the Online Reporting System. To request access to CRS, E-School teachers should contact the E-School test coordinator, who will then contact the Test Coordinator at each student’s home school to request that the E-School teacher be added to TIDE.
Note: E-School teachers who have been granted access must use the “Search Students” feature in CRS to immediately access students’ scores. They can search students’ scores using their names or SSIDs. E-School teachers can access students’ scores from the home page 24 hours after they have been granted access to CRS.
Parents will receive a family score report that displays their child’s score for each EOC exam taken at the beginning of the next school year.
An ACCESS Code will be sent home in a letter or via email from the school for parents to access their child’s score online through the Family Portal.
What types of results will be available?
EOC exam scale scores and related performance levels, i.e., well below, approaches, meets, and exceeds proficiency, are available for students in the Centralized Reporting system (CRS).
Scores are also available for each of the three EOC exams within a school in CRS.
For details, please refer to the Centralized Reporting User Guide, available on the EOC Exams Resources page at alohahsap.org.