During the Assessment

This section provides instructions on how to administer, invigilate and manage the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics. If you have not scheduled the assessment, refer to instructions in Before the Assessment to schedule your sessions.

REMINDER
Each session includes two stages. Students must complete the two stages in the session in one continuous sitting.

If the students are using a lockdown browser for the assessment, ensure you have the SEB, Respondus or Kiosk password before starting. Your school administrator will provide this password which is found in the school administrator’s Technical Readiness Checklist. You will need to enter this password on each device before completing the steps below.

IMPORTANT 
Teachers should be logged in to their Invigilation page to actively monitor the administration of the assessment and the progress of the students. 

NOTE
The sample test and operational assessment cannot be open at the same time.

Summary of steps during the assessment

• Log in to your account and access your class.
• Click Manage Students for student list, OENs, and accommodations information.
• Set up devices and logins for students. Students require their OEN and the class access code.
• Provide the alternative version of the assessment to students who have been registered and approved by EQAO to receive it.
• If students are using Direct Access, students must select Login on the EQAO website and then select Login under the Student section.
• If students are using the lockdown browser, unlock the lockdown browser on each device using the SEB, Respondus or Kiosk password. For students requiring alternative access because of non-compatible assistive software, please refer to Alternative access for specific students with accommodations.
• Have students log in to the e-assessment platform using their OEN and the access code for the class.  
• Read the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics script.
• Unlock Session A for supervised students only. If you unlock the class and a student is absent or in an unsupervised setting, lock their session.
• Instruct students to complete both stages in the session before they click Submit. A session must be completed in one continuous sitting, and if a student does not submit their responses when completed, it will be automatically submitted by the system by end of day. Refer to Autosubmission of sessions.
• If a student accidentally clicks Submit, refer to instructions about unsubmitting a session. Sessions should only be unlocked if students are in the same continuous sitting, which can include supervised breaks.
• Lock the session. All paper with rough work must be shredded and cannot be copied.
• Repeat the steps above for Session B.
• Transcribe any student responses into the e-assessment platform for those using the Alternative Version and whose responses were not entered into the e-assessment platform by the student or scribe.
• Click Report an Issue on the invigilation page and record any issues, if there were any that affect the security, validity or reliability of the assessment.
• Ask students to complete the voluntary questionnaire after they have completed all sessions of the assessment.
• Click Submit to EQAO for scoring on the invigilation page to close the assessment for all students. Student responses will now be sent for scoring.

Step 1 – Reading the script

Please read aloud the script for Session A and Session B to your class before you unlock the session and begin the assessment.

The sessions must be completed in the order in which they are presented. Each session must be completed in one continuous sitting.

Refer to the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics Framework for more information about the suggested duration of each session.

NOTE
An assessment session may include supervised breaks: water, stretch and washroom. If students must stop in the middle of a session (for example, internet issue, fire drill), supervise students during the break and then have students continue when they return.

Step 2 – Starting the assessment

1. Log in to your teacher account.
2. To open a class, click Select Class.
3. If you have a sample test session still open, click End Sample Test to allow the scheduled operational assessment to be opened.
4. Click Ready to Start.
5. In the Invigilation page, you will see the important information for invigilating the assessment.
6. Assist students in logging into the operational assessment:
   • If students are using the SEB lockdown browser to access the assessment, initialize the student devices by opening the SEB using the passcode given to you by your school administrator. Teachers using Respondus or Kiosk will need the four-digit Respondus Password or the six-digit Kiosk Password to disable the lockdown browsers upon exit.
   • Ask your students to log in using the access code and their OEN.
   • Students must enter their last name to access the assessment.

TIP
Student OENs can be found next to their names by clicking the Show OEN button.

REMINDER
If using the lockdown browser and a student with accommodations requires alternative access, they can log in through the EQAO login page. Refer to Accessing the E-Assessment Platform for more information.

Step 3 – Invigilating the assessment

In the Invigilation page, you can:

• find the access code (pink box on top right)
• view your students and their OENs
• unlock or lock sessions (individually or for all students)
• pause the session
• report an issue
• unsubmit a session
• automatically submit
• submit the responses to EQAO for scoring

TIP
Monitor the invigilation screen regularly during the administration of the assessment for system notifications indicating students are attempting to navigate away from the assessment, if using Direct or Alternative access, and for new messages that may be sent by EQAO through the Message Centre. 

Locking or unlocking a session

On the Invigilation page, you must click the lock icon associated with a specific session to begin a session. Unlock sessions only for students who are supervised and actively completing the assessment. Sessions for students who are absent must remain locked to prevent them from accessing a session without supervision. If you unlock the entire class, lock sessions for absent students.

The lock/unlock function may be used for an individual student requiring a supervised break.

Teachers must lock any unlocked assessment sessions as soon as all students who are completing each session are done. This is important as students who have not submitted may be able to re-enter that session from a different computer while unsupervised if it is not locked. 

Pausing and resuming

You can pause or resume the assessment for all student(s) for:

• a supervised break
• an unexpected event, such as a fire alarm (supervise students during an event)

When resuming the session, the student will return to the assessment.

IMPORTANT
If the student accidentally submitted the session before they were finished the session, refer to the section Unsubmitting a Session.

Reporting issues

School administrators and teachers must report issues to EQAO that may affect the security, validity or reliability of the assessment. Refer to Professional Responsibilities. The EQAO reviews and investigates reported issues. If an issue is deemed to have impacted the reliability of the student’s responses, the student’s results may be withheld. 

All issues in any category should be reported through the teacher Invigilation page using the Report an Issue button. An EQAO issues resolution team reviews reported issues. 

1. On the Invigilation page, click Report an Issue. 
2. Click OK. 
3. Select the issue category: Technical Support, Student Response Issue or Administration Anomaly or Academic Dishonesty 
4. Describe the issue in detail. 
5. Select the affected student(s). 
6. Click Report. 

Categories for reporting issues

Technical Support 

Any system issue that affects the ability of the student to continue the assessment. For example, inability to: 

• log in 
• continue
• proceed to the next question
• access assistive technology
• submit the assessment

NOTE
Any technical issue that is preventing a student from beginning or accessing the assessment that requires immediate help, please call 1-888-327-7377 to be directed to the technical support team. 

Student Response Issue  

Any issue that a student reports that may have affected their ability to answer a particular question but did not prevent them from proceeding with the assessment. The EQAO will review and students will not be penalized if a technical glitch prevented them from answering a question.  These questions will be excluded from the student’s score. 

Administration Anomaly or Academic Dishonesty 

Any issue that affects the validity and reliability of the student’s results (answers copied from others or outside sources, unsupervised setting, wrong OEN, assessment security). When reporting issues of collusion or academic dishonesty please ensure the following details are included: a description of the event, the results of the school’s investigation, and which part(s) of the assessment are believed to be compromised. Student results may be withheld. 

IMPORTANT
EQAO may investigate Student Response Issues, Administration Anomaly and Academic Dishonesty issues after the assessment window closes. 

Do NOT report  the following as an issue:

• the internet shuts down, but the invigilators are still supervising during this time and the students continue when the internet reconnects
• a student appears to be offline but is actually completing the assessment or accessing a permitted application or calculator (refer to Supports for all students)
• if a device stops working, but another device is available and the student can log on and continue
• a student uses a device that was not part of the assessment (e.g., student’s personal phone that was not permitted), but the school determines it was not used to influence student responses 
• a student is absent (Reminder: have student complete upon their return)
• a student response appears not to be saved (student responses are automatically saved at regular intervals in the system)

Note: Above video demonstrates process for OSSLT, but the process is the same for the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics.

Unsubmitting a session

REMINDER
You can unsubmit a student’s session ONLY if the student accidentally submitted a session before completing all their work in the same continuous sitting or you need to transcribe a response for a student with a recorded accommodation. If more than one hour has passed since the student last accessed the test, the invigilator automatic unsubmission will not be available.

An unsubmission request that does not meet the above criteria may be requested as Other. This unsubmission will not take effect immediately as it requires EQAO approval. Check your Message Centre for notifications.

In summary, an invigilator may unsubmit a student’s session if:

• a student accidentally submitted session and is still in the same continuous sitting sitting and it has been less than one hour since the student accessed the session; or
• needed to transcribe student response (for students with this accommodation)

NOTE
When a session is unsubmitted, questions may appear in a different order than the first time it was accessed.

A session can only be unsubmitted if the student responses have not been submitted to EQAO for scoring by the teacher.

If you have already clicked  Submit to EQAO for scoring, a new operational assessment will need to be scheduled and started  before a student’s session can be unsubmitted. 

Steps to unsubmitting a session 

IMPORTANT
You must unsubmit one session for one student at a time. 

1. The student must log out. 
2. Verify if the student is logged out reviewing the student’s status on the Invigilation page which should indicate Offline. 
3. Click the Show Unsubmit Session Button at the top of the page. 

NOTE
If a student is not logged out, a message will appear at the top of the Invigilator page which will not allow you to unsubmit the session.

4. Notice the title on the button changed to Hide Unsubmit Session Button and an unsubmit icon (a rectangle with an x) appears next to each student’s submitted session. 
5. Click the unsubmit icon for the session:
   1. Select the reason:
      • Option 1: the student is in the same continuous sitting and within 1 hour of submitting their responses.
      • Option 2: the teacher needs to transcribe a student’s responses for those with this permitted accommodation.
      • Option 3: an administration irregularity occurred that prevented the student from completing the test within one continuous sitting.
   2. Option 1 will be automatically approved as long as it is within one hour from the last time a student accessed the test. If outside of this time limit, it will not be approved. Go to Step 6.
   3. Option 2 will be automatically approved if the student has a permitted accommodation. Go to Step 6.
   4. Option 3 will require approval from EQAO and will not occur immediately. This will not be approved if the issue is related to scheduling. Check your Message Centre regularly for updates. If approved, go to Step 6.
6. For approved unsubmission requests, the lock icon now appears beside the student name. Click to unlock and allow the student to continue where they left off or transcribe the student responses.

IMPORTANT
Unsubmitting a session will not clear student responses; student responses will remain saved.  

Note: Above video demonstrates process for OSSLT, but the process is the same for the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics.

Autosubmission of sessions

Each session of the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics must be completed in one continuous sitting. A student should click Submit once they complete each stage and they must complete both stages in a session.

Any student who had started a session but did not submit their responses will have their session automatically submitted by the system by 5:00 p.m. (ET) or 4:00 p.m. (CT) to prevent student sessions from remaining open when not in use.

1. Verify if students have submitted completed sessions on the Invigilation page:
   • a green checkmark indicates the student has submitted their responses for the session. 
2. If you are actively invigilating a session at the time of autosubmission you will receive a warning message on the Invigilation page. Make a choice to:
   • extend the time to allow a student to complete;
   • proceed with the scheduled autosubmission if the student has completed the session.

Step 4 – Submitting sessions to EQAO for scoring 

1. Once all students have completed Session A, Session B and the student questionnaire, click Submit to EQAO for scoring.
2. Type Yes to confirm the submission.
3. Click OK. 

NOTE
If a student is absent and is missing one or both sessions and/or the questionnaire, you can submit student work to EQAO and if the student returns, you can schedule a new session for the student and they can complete the unfinished parts.

TIP
You MUST submit sessions to EQAO prior to requesting Individual Student Reports (ISRs). Refer to After the assessment for steps on requesting ISRs.

Administering the assessment to a student after a scheduled assessment session is completed

Scenario 1 

If you have not clicked Submit to EQAO for scoring, the assessment can still be administered and accessed by the students who have not completed it. Unlock the session the student needs to begin.  

Scenario 2  

If you have clicked Submit to EQAO for scoring, a new assessment session will need to be scheduled for the student who needs to begin.