Test Tools

This section provides an overview of the Test Delivery System’s available tools.

Note: Some tools are available for all tests, while others are only available for a particular test subject, accommodation, or type of question.

Table 3 lists the tools available in the global menu at the top of the page, while Table 4 lists the tools available for individual items and stimuli in the context menu. Table 5 lists any additional tools available in the Student Testing Site.

Table 3: Global Tools
Tool Name Instructions
Help To view the on-screen Help Guide window, select ? in the upper-right corner.
Calculator To use the on-screen calculator, select Calculator in the global menu.
Dictionary To search the Merriam-Webster dictionary or thesaurus, select Dictionary in the global menu.
Formula To view the on-screen formula sheet, select Formulas in the global menu.
Graph Paper To use the on-screen graph paper tool, select Graph Paper in the global menu. You can use the buttons at the top of the graph paper window to plot points and lines on the grid.

Item Summary 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.
Language Toggle

For items and stimuli on the test that have content in two languages, such as English and Spanish, you can select the language in which to display the content for easier readability. By default, the item will be presented in the language specified at the beginning of the test. To switch the language, select Language Toggle in the global menu.

For more information, review About the Language Toggle Tool.
Line Reader

To emphasize an individual line of text in a passage or question, select Line Reader in the global menu.

This tool is not available while the Highlighter tool is in use.
Masking

The Masking tool temporarily covers a distracting area of the test page. To use this tool:

  1. Select the Masking button in the global menu.
  2. 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 global menu. These notes are available globally and can be accessed from any page in the test.
Pause To pause a test, select Pause button. If you pause the test, then you will be logged out.
Periodic Table To view the on-screen periodic table, select Periodic Table in the global menu.
Permissive Mode Permissive Mode allows certified accessibility software to be used with the secure browser. For more information, review the section About Permissive Mode.
Print Page To print the entire test page, select Print Page in the global menu.
Print Passage To print a reading passage, select Print Passage in the global menu.
Protractor

To view the on-screen ruler, select Protractor in the global menu. You can move the protractor around the test page and drag the circle icon rotate ruler icon to rotate it.
Ruler

To view the on-screen ruler, select Ruler in the global menu. You can move the ruler around the test page and drag the circle icon rotate ruler icon to rotate it.
Scoring Guide To view the on-screen scoring guide, select Scoring Guide in the global menu.
System Settings

Students can select the cog wheel icon cog wheel icon in the upper-right corner to adjust the following:

  • Color contrast settings
Timer To hide the Timer, select the Timer clock icon icon in the upper-right corner. The Timer continues counting while it is hidden. To display the hidden Timer, select the Timer clock icon icon again.
Transcripts

To view a transcript of the audio content for the current test page, select Transcripts in the global menu. The text in transcripts can be read by screen readers, such as JAWS.
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.

 

Table 4: Question and Stimulus Tools
Tool Name Instructions
American Sign Language

You can watch videos that translate test content into American Sign Language (ASL). To view ASL videos:

  1. Select American Sign Language from the context menu.
    • If only one ASL video is available, the video opens automatically.
    • If multiple ASL videos are available, sign language icons American Sign Language Icon appear next to the test content for each video. Select the icon for the test content you wish to translate into ASL.
Comments To provide feedback for a question, select Comments from the context menu and select a comment option from the drop-down list that appears.
Generic Resources To view any additional resources associated with a question, select Generic Resources from the context menu.
Glossary (Word List) To open the glossary, click a word or phrase that has a border around it. This tool is only available for certain words.
Highlighter

To highlight text, select the text on the screen and then select Highlight Selection from the context menu. If multiple color options are available, select an option from the list of colors that appears.

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 context menu. The marked question number displays a flap in the upper-right corner and a flag icon flag icon appears next to the number on the test page. The Questions drop-down list displays Item Marked for Review Flag for the selected question.
Notepad

To enter notes or comments for a question, select Notepad from the context menu. After you enter a note, a pencil icon note icon appears next to the question number on the test page.

You can only access your notes for a question on that question’s test page.
Print Item To send a print request for an individual question, select Print Item from the context menu. After sending the request, a printer icon printer icon appears next to the question number on the test page.
Select Previous Version To view and restore responses previously entered for a Text Response question, select the Select Previous Version option from the context menu. A list of saved responses appears. Select the appropriate response and click Select.
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:

  1. To activate Strikethrough mode, open the context menu and select Strikethrough.
  2. Select the answer options you wish to strike out.
  3. To deactivate Strikethrough mode, press the Esc key or click outside the response area.

Option B:

  1. Right-click an answer option and select Strikethrough.

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

To listen to passages and questions, select a Speak option from the context menu. Or, right click on the passage, the question, or an option and select a Speak option.

Text-to-Speech Tracking When this tool is enabled, words and the surrounding line of text become highlighted as text-to-speech reads them aloud.
Tutorial To view a short video demonstrating how to respond to a particular question type, select Item Tutorials from the context menu.

 

Table 5: Other Tools
Tool Name Instructions
Co:Writer Word Prediction When this tool is enabled, suggested words will pop up in a menu as students type a written response. Students can select a word in the pop-up menu instead of typing it out manually. For more information, review About the Word Prediction Tool.
ECR/SCR Toolbar

Constructed response items have tools you can use to change your writing and how it looks.

the ECR/SCR toolbar

From left to right, each button does the following: 

  • the Bold button Bold text

  • the italics button Italicize text

  • the underline button Underline text

  • the remove formatting button Remove formatting

  • the insert/remove numbered list button Insert or remove a numbered list

  • the insert/remove bulleted list button Insert or remove a bulleted list

  • the decrease indent button Decrease indent

  • the increase indent button Increase indent

  • the cut button Cut text

  • the copy button Copy text

  • the paste button Paste text

  • the undo button Undo

  • the redo button Redo

  • the insert special character button Insert special character
Expand Buttons

You can expand the passage section or the question section for easier readability.

  • To expand the passage section, select the right arrow icon Right Arrow Icon below the global menu. To collapse the expanded passage section, select the left arrow icon Left Arrow Icon in the upper-right corner.
  • To expand the question section, select the left arrow icon Left Arrow Icon below the global menu. To collapse the expanded question section, select the right arrow icon Right Arrow Icon in the upper-left corner.
Reading Mode

Reading Mode opens a pop-up window that lets you view two pages of a reading passage at a time. To open Reading Mode, select the open book icon reading mode icon below a reading passage.

To exit Reading Mode, select the close icon Exit Reading Mode icon in the lower-right corner of the pop-up window.

Speech-to-Text

This tool allows students testing with the appropriate accommodations to dictate responses to constructed-response items. To use this tool, select the microphone icon Speech-to-text microphone icon in the formatting toolbar of the item response area and begin speaking. The dictated response will be transcribed in the item response area.

For more information, review About Speech-to-Text.

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

To listen to passages and questions, select a Speak option from the context menu. Or, right click on the passage, the question, or an option and select a Speak option.

To listen to a response to a constructed-response item, use the TTS button in the item response area. For constructed-response items with a notepad, to listen to your notes, select the TTS button in the notepad. For more information, see the About Text-to-Speech section.