Managing Appeals
In the normal flow of a test opportunity, a student takes the test in TDS and then submits it. Next, TDS forwards the test for scoring, and then the test scores are reported in CRS.
Appeals are a way of interrupting this normal flow. A student may want to retake a test or have another test opportunity. A test administrator may want to invalidate a test because of a hardware malfunction or an impropriety. This section describes how you view, create, and approve appeals.
Table 16 provides descriptions of each appeal type.
Table 16: Types of Appeals
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Grace Period Extension
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Allows the student to review previously answered questions upon resuming a test after expiration of the pause timer. For example, a student pauses a test, and a 20-minute pause timer starts running. The following scenarios are possible:
- If resuming the test within 20 minutes, student can review previously answered questions.
- Without a GPE, student resuming the test after 20 minutes cannot review previously answered questions—student can only work on unanswered questions.
- Upon receiving a GPE, student can review previously answered questions upon resuming the test. The normal pause rules apply to this opportunity.
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Invalidate a test
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Invalidations are extremely rare. An invalidation eliminates the test opportunity, and the student has no further opportunities for the test. You can submit these appeals until the end of the test window.
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Reset a test
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Allows the student to restart a test opportunity (removing all responses on the test), or allows the data entry operator to restart the data entry process. You can submit these appeals until the end of the test window.
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Re-open a test
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Reopens a test whose window expired and the student never took the test. A Grace Period Extension (GPE) is automatically applied.
This appeal is useful when a student inadvertently or accidentally leaves a test segment incomplete and starts a new test segment. Students can answer unanswered items, and can modify responses to answered items in the reopened test.
Note: When you submit an appeal to re-open a test, a GPE appeal will automatically be submitted.
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Re-open test segment
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Reopens a test segment. This appeal is useful when a student inadvertently or accidentally leaves a test segment incomplete and starts a new test segment. Students can answer unanswered items, and can modify responses to answered items in the reopened segment.
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Restore a test that was reset
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Reverses a reset, restoring the student’s responses to what they were before the reset was processed.
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Warning:
Timing of Appeals Submit appeals at least one day prior to the end of the test window so that students can complete their test opportunity.
An appeal's status can change throughout its life cycle. Table 17 lists the available statuses.
Table 17: Appeals Statuses
| Error Occurred |
An error occurred while the appeal was being processed. |
| Pending Approval |
Appeal is pending approval. |
| Processed |
Appeal was successfully processed and the test opportunity has been updated. |
| Rejected |
Appeal was rejected. |
| Rejected by System |
Test Delivery System was unable to process the appeal. |
| Requires Resubmission |
Appeal must be resubmitted. |
| Resolved |
Appeal was resolved. |
| Retracted |
Originator retracted the appeal.
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| Submitted for Processing |
Appeal submitted to Test Delivery System for processing. |
Table 18 lists the valid combinations of appeals and test statuses. For example, you can invalidate a test that is in one of the following statuses: completed, denied, expired, paused, reported, scored, or submitted.
Table 18: Available Appeals by Test Status
| Approved |
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✓ |
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✓
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| Completed |
✓ |
✓
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✓ |
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✓
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| Denied |
✓
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✓
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✓
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✓
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✓
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| Expired |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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✓
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| Invalidated |
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✓
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✓
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✓
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| Paused |
✓ |
✓ |
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✓ |
✓
|
✓ |
| Pending |
|
✓ |
|
|
✓
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| Processing |
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✓
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|
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✓
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| Reported |
✓ |
✓
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✓ |
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✓
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| Review |
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✓ |
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✓
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| Scored |
✓ |
✓
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✓ |
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✓
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| Started |
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✓ |
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✓
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| Submitted |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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✓
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| Suspended |
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✓
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✓
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