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TESTING POLICIES
Select from the following topics to jump to that section:
- CCRA Policy
- Test Interruptions
- Credits and Refunds
- Accommodations: SWD and LEP
- FAQ: General Questions | Student Registration Related | Administering the Test
California is no longer a member of CTECS. However, CTECS manages partnerships with localities who use our online curriculum and our customized California Career Ready Assessment (CCRA). The following policies address the use of the CCRA.
CCRA proctors and test site administrators are asked to follow every step of the process to ensure a positive assessment experience. Depending on locality, CTECS offers a CCRA Pre-Test and the CCRA Post-Test (also called the CCRA Test), and up to two CCRA Retakes per student per school year or until the student passes the test. The following policies govern most of the testing experience.
CCRA Pre-Test Policy
Pre-Tests are only a practice exam and carry no certificate of passing or passing score. Pre-Tests must be taken at least 10 calendar days before taking the CCRA Post-Test.
CCRA Post-Test Policy
The CCRA Post-Test may be taken by a student once per school year. Once the student passes, he/she should NOT be registered to take the test again. If the student fails the assessment, he/she may be registered to take up to two CCRA Retakes.
CCRA Retakes Policy
CTECS allows students who do not pass the CCRA Test to take the CCRA Retake up to two times within any school year, which includes the summer testing period. The first CCRA Retake must be taken at least 14 calendar days after taking the CCRA Test. The second CCRA Retake must be taken at least 14 calendar days after taking the first CCRA Retake. If the student passes the first CCRA Retake, he/she may not take another.
Test Interruptions
All forms of the assessment must be completed in one, 60-minute session, unless a school emergency interrupts the testing period. If there is a test interruption and a student needs to complete the test on another day, the student must log in and finish the test within TWO (2) school days of the initial start date. Notify CTECS about the interruption on the day it occurs so that time can be added to the affected assessments. See the list below for examples of school and personal emergencies that may qualify as an interruption.
- Fire alarms
- Power outage
- Safety evacuation due to inclement weather
- Sudden illness of student
Credits and Refunds
Credits and refunds are NOT available regardless of reason.
Accommodations
Students with a Disability (SWD)
See Student Registration. It is the responsibility of the school and test site administrator to provide adequate time and space to allow for extended test time for SWD. Test times cannot be split over multiple sittings or periods, as this would jeopardize the validity of the test.
CTECS will continue to offer accommodations for students who have been identified as Students with a Disability (SWD). The universal accessibility feature and accommodations are listed below:
- An extended-time accommodation of 90 additional minutes is added to the standard testing session for a total of 150 minutes. The test session may not be split up into multiple test sessions or given over a multi-day period.
- A text-to-speech (audio) accommodation may be provided to allow the option of listening to the questions. Questions are pre-recorded and read by a professional reader, not by a computerized voice. To minimize distractions for other students testing, headphones must be provided by the school. When beginning the test, the student must click on the speaker icon to hear the audio. Using the audio feature requires additional bandwidth, so there may be slower response times during testing. CTECS recommends using wired computer Internet connections to minimize the effects. In addition, the selected media player needs to be up to date. For visually-impaired students who rely completely on the audio narration of the test, an image-free, alternative form of the assessment can be provided, as needed. Please arrange for this directly with CTECS staff.
- A read-aloud accommodation may be provided by an aide or test proctor who will read the entire test aloud to the test taker (the accommodation of extended time may also be required). Note: Items on the assessment are randomized so more than one reader may be required if several students are using the read-aloud accommodation during the same testing session. This is arranged at the test site by the test site administrator or test proctor.
- A test-item enlargement, universal accessibility feature is permitted, however, the test site administrator will need to check for computer compatibility. This is arranged at the test site by the test site administrator or test proctor and is typically handled by manual enlargement features provided by the computer and display.
CTECS defers to school and state policy when identifying SWD. However, in order for SWD to receive the accommodations, they must be identified on the student registration form submitted prior to the testing session. The use of any of the above accommodations must be based on the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. The test site administrator should ensure test proctors know which accommodations each student will be using and how to administer them. Further, the universal accessibility feature and accommodations should not be introduced to the student for the first time during the administration of the CTECS Workplace Readiness Skills Assessment©.
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
See Student Registration. It is the responsibility of the school and test site administrator to provide adequate time and space to allow for extended test time for LEP. Test times cannot be split over multiple sittings or periods, as this would jeopardize the validity of the test.
CTECS offers accommodations for students identified as Limited English Proficient (LEP). The universal accessibility feature and accommodations are listed below:
- An extended-time accommodation of 90 additional minutes is added to the standard testing session for a total of 150 minutes. The test session may not be split up into multiple test sessions, or given over a multi-day period.
- A text-to-speech (audio) accommodation may be provided to allow the option of listening to the questions. Questions are pre-recorded and read by a professional reader, not by a computerized voice. To minimize distractions for other students testing, headphones must be provided by the school. When beginning the test, the student must click on the speaker icon to hear the audio. Using the audio feature requires additional bandwidth, so there may be slower response times during testing. CTECS recommends using wired computer Internet connections to minimize the effects. In addition, the selected media player needs to be up to date.
- A read-aloud accommodation may be provided by an aide or test proctor who will read the entire test aloud to the test taker (the accommodation of extended time may also be required). Note: Items on the assessment are randomized so more than one reader may be required if several students are using the read-aloud accommodation during the same testing session. This is arranged at the test site by the test site administrator or test proctor.
- A test-item enlargement, universal accessibility feature is permitted, however, the test site administrator will need to check for computer compatibility. This is arranged at the test site by the test site administrator or test proctor and is typically handled by manual enlargement features provided by the computer and display.
CTECS does not allow any instructional resources, which includes but is not limited to:
- Dictionaries of any kind, including bi-lingual dictionaries
- Translation devices or applications (i.e., software or browser-enabled)
- Student devices or smart phones
CTECS defers to school and state policy when identifying LEP students. However, in order for LEP students to receive the accommodations, they must be identified on the student registration form submitted prior to the testing session. The use of any of the above accommodations must be based on the LEP Student Assessment Participation Plan. The test site administrator should ensure test proctors know which accommodations each student will be using and how to administer them. Further, the universal accessibility feature and accommodations should not be introduced to the student for the first time during the administration of the CTECS Workplace Readiness Skills Assessment©.
FAQ
General Questions
1. What is the cut score or standard for mastery?
75%
2. May teachers proctor their own students?
No, this could jeopardize test security. You agree to these terms when signing the Test Site Administrator Registration and Agreement form.
3. Must test proctors sign a Test Site Administrator Registration and Agreement form?
No, only the test site administrators sign agreement forms. A test site administrator can identify and use several proctors.
4. Can teachers take the exam?
No. This could jeopardize test security. You agree to these terms when signing the Test Site Administrator Registration and Agreement form.
5. Does this test satisfy the career ready indicator on the California Dashboard?
Yes. The CTECS CCRA meets the criteria established by the career ready indicator on the California Dashboard.
6. Is there a practice test (pre-test) for this exam?
Yes. A different set of items appears on a CCRA Pre-Test, administered in exactly the same manner as the CCRA Post-Test, but offers no cut score and is not considered to be the “official” test.
7. Will the student receive a certificate for passing this exam?
Yes. Test site administrators can print a CTECS CCRA certificate for all passing students directly from their E-SESS accounts. See also the CTECS CCRA Assessment Digital Badge.
8. Do you offer refunds or credits for this assessment?
No.
9. Do you offer paper/pencil tests?
No. The CCRA is online only.
10. Are there resources available to aid in studying for this exam?
See Teaching Resources.
11. What testing accommodations are allowed for students with a disability (SWD) or limited English proficiency (LEP) students?
Refer to the Accommodations section above.
Student Registration Related
12. How much time is required between registering students and the actual testing dates?
Test tickets may be provided immediately after registration, provided there were no problems or errors with registration, provided there were no problems with the student registration information. If you intend to submit forms for CTECS staff review and upload, six (6) business days is a standard wait time.
13. What is the CTECS assessment policy? May a student take the assessment more than one time?
Important! A student may NOT take the CCRA Pre-Test MORE THAN ONCE during a school year. Depending on location, a student may take ONLY one CCRA Test and up to two CCRA Retakes, if he/she has not passed. Remediation periods are mandatory between administrations of different forms of the test to the same student.
There are NO exceptions to this policy.
14. What if I need to make changes to the student information after the students are enrolled in E-SESS?
Refer to end of the Student Registration section in the Using Your E-SESS Administrator Account publication.
15. How long do I have to test students once they are enrolled in E-SESS?
Students may take any form of the test through July. If you intend to use the summer testing period, please let us know.
16. If I register students for the CCRA Pre-Test, are they automatically enrolled in the CCRA Post-Test?
No. Students must be registered separately for each form of the test.
17. How can I ensure that I receive e-mail messages regarding E-SESS login information and student enrollment?
When your students are enrolled or your administrator account is initially set up in E-SESS, an automatic email message is sent. Make sure that you can receive email from [email protected] (our online test provider). Add this address to the “safe sender/never block list” in your email program or ask the IT staff to make sure that messages from this sender are not blocked.
Administering the Test
18. Must students click the “Save Answer” button then the “Next” button when taking the assessment?
Answers are automatically saved every three to five clicked answers, so once the answer is selected, students can click the Next button to view the next question.
19. May students begin the test, stop, then finish the test later?
No, testing time cannot be chunked unless a school emergency interrupts the testing period. See qualifying events.
20. May students use calculators when taking the exam?
Yes, they may use the calculator provided on the assessment screen.
21. How does the text-to-speech (audio) feature work?
The audio feature is only available for use by Students With a Disability (SWD) or Limited English Proficient (LEP) and will not be available on the test unless the student was registered as SWD or LEP on the Student Registration form. Headphones should be provided by the proctor. The student must click on the speaker icon next to any item to hear the audio. Using the audio feature requires additional bandwidth, so slower response times may occur during testing. CTECS recommends using hard-wired Internet connections. The selected media player may also need to be updated.