We have the following
disciplines available online:
Agriculture, Art, Biology,
Communication, Criminal Justice, General
Business, History, Political
Science, Psychology, and Social
Work. (top)
Is this a web-based testing product?
It is a hybrid; running
partially on the local computer
and partially through a secure
internet connection. We have
found this to be more reliable
and much more tolerant of low
bandwidth conditions that occur
from time to time. (top)
How does the electronic version
of the test compare with the
pencil and paper version?
It will be the same test. If you
are already an ACAT user, the
same content areas will appear
on your online test as on your
print version. If you are not
yet an ACAT user, you will go
through the same curriculum and
content selection process as if
ordering a paper version for the
first time. (top)
How do we order the tests for
online administration?
Orders are placed in exactly the
same manner as for the pencil
and paper test. You will find
the prices for online testing to
be slightly less than for the
pencil and paper tests. Once
ordered, you will receive a list
of access codes to distribute to
your students. Each access code
can be used only once. Access
codes will have the same
expiration date as the pencil
and paper versions.
Orders may be placed at any time
and will be billed when the
authentication codes have been
generated and sent to the
institution. Orders placed
through our online order form
can be paid for by institutional
purchase card. (top)
When will we
receive our
authentication
codes and
administration
instructions?
If you haven't already done
so, you will need to
register a technical point
of contact before we can
release your codes.
The point of contact should
be prepared to install and
set up the software on the
local machines. This
will be the only individual
authorized to contact PACAT
for technical support.
If you have an individual
registered as a point of
contact, we will release
your codes, administration
instructions, and other
forms within 48 hours of
receipt of your order or 10
working days before your
scheduled administration
date (whichever is the
shorter period). You
have a choice of receiving
your materials by email (a
combination or text and PDF
files) or by UPS (printed
labels with authentication
codes and paper copies of
the instructions and forms).
There are no shipping and
handling charges for codes
sent by email. A
minimum shipping and
handling charge of $5 will
be added to materials
shipped by UPS. (top)
Will there be a rush processing
fee for ordering online tests
within 10 days of administration?
If orders are received by fax or
using the online order form
prior to 5 p.m. (central time)
the day before they are needed
(M-F only), access codes will be
sent directly to an institution
by email without incurring a
rush fee. A $35 rush processing
fee will apply to orders that
require that the codes be sent
within 2 (two) hours of
administration (10 a.m. to 5
p.m. central time, M-F only). No
codes will be released to an
institution until the
institution has a registered
technical point of contact and
has set up its computers and
performed the installation check
on them. (top)
What if we order more
authentication codes than we
need?
Authentication codes are valid
for the same testing year as the
paper booklets (June 1 to May
31). Unlike the paper version,
the authentication codes can be
renewed. The cost of renewal
will be the difference between
the amount originally paid for
the code and the current year
pricing. For example, your
department purchases 50
authentication codes at $15.00
each for use before May 31,
2008. Only 38 students actually
take the ACAT Online. The cost
for the same discipline in the
2008-09 testing year is $15.75.
Your remaining 12 authentication
codes can be reactivated through
May 31, 2009 following payment
of the $9 (12 x 0.75) renewal
fee. The codes will be
deactivated at midnight on May
31 and will not be reactivated
until the fee has been either
been paid or an order has been
received providing a payment
method. (top)
How will we receive score
reports following administration
of the ACAT Online?
ACAT Online scores and reports
will be generated and
distributed in exactly the same
manner as are those for the
pencil and paper version. If
both versions are administered
for the same discipline on the
same campus, the results will be
combined into a single report
unless other arrangements are
made ahead of time. The same
scoring calendar applies to both
versions as do special services
such as expedited scoring,
individual score reports, and
data on digital media. (top)
Is a test proctor required to be
in the room while the ACAT is
being taken?
The electronic version of the
ACAT should be administered
using the same security
precautions that are in effect
during a pencil and paper
administration. This includes
verifying the identity of
examinees, maintaining an
environment appropriate for this
purpose, and insuring that
students do not engage in
behaviors that compromise the
integrity of the process. (top)
Can students take the test at
home on their own computers?
At this time, the ACAT
Online must be taken in a
supervised setting comparable to
that which would be the case for
the administration of any
nationally standardized test. We
are currently reviewing security
requirements and models to
determine whether or not this
will become feasible in the
future. Of utmost importance is
maintaining the integrity of the
test results and that means
preserving the integrity of the
tests and the reference groups
used for constructing scores. In
a campus setting, we ask that
proctors require photo
identification from examinees
and that they actively observe examinee conduct through the session. At a minimum, we require
that off-campus administration
insures the correct identity of
the examinee and that no
attempts are made to copy, save,
or duplicate the testing
materials. If you believe that
your campus can certify its
compliance with these
requirements in an off-campus
setting, please contact us. We will not provide technical support directly to individuals taking the ACAT Online using their personal computers. We will provide assistance to the registered technical contact only. The institution must determine what level of support it will provide for student owned computers. (top)
Is there any way to make the
online version adaptive so
students can finish faster?
The ACAT is intended to assess
curricular content and is not
appropriate for an adaptive
testing paradigm which is
focused on assessing individual
achievement. A department
wishing to assess the breadth of
its curriculum should be able to
count on the entire test being
taken by every examinee. (top)
Can the time limit be adjusted
to accommodate students who need
additional time?
Yes. PACAT should be notified at
least 24 hours in advance and
will need to know the
authentication code to be used
by the student and the amount of
extra time needed as a multiple
(ie., time and a half). When the
student takes the ACAT Online,
the clock will automatically be
adjusted to include the extra
time. (top)
What happens if a student
finishes the test before time is
up?
The student has the option to
end the test at any time after
it begins. If the student
attempts to exit, a confirmation
statement will appear giving the
student the option to resume or
to exit. Once a student
voluntarily exits the ACAT
Online, the session cannot be
restarted by our technical
support. (top)
Can an interrupted session be
restarted?
A method can be
employed by the registered
technical contact to restart
the test. A restart will
restore the student's
answers and reset the clock
to the last save point,
typically within 60-240
seconds of the interruption.
If necessary, a session can
be restarted on a machine
other than the one that was
in use at the time of the
interruption. In order to
initiate a session restart,
the registered technical
contact must call PACAT
technical support
(866-680-2228 x 219).
(top)
How much "lead time" do we need
to get our computers set up for
administration?
We recommend testing the
software component 2 weeks prior
to administration. Our
experience has indicated that,
if a machine meets all of the
minimum requirements listed
below, setup can be accomplished
in just a few minutes. (top)
What do we have to install on
our computers?
The program that will run on
your local computers is less
than .75 mb in size and will
download quickly. If the
software is installed on the
local machine, it will check for
updates every time it is started
and will install them before
beginning the actual testing
session. This typically takes
less than 30 seconds. If run
directly from our servers, the
most recent version is
automatically sent to the
machine and runs as a temporary
program. The type of
installation will depend on the
requirements of the local campus
network and is part of what must
be determined during the initial
setup phase. Once the setup has
been conducted, it should not
need to be changed unless the
local network security
requirements for student access
change. We recommend testing
several machines prior to a test
administration if it has been
more than 90 days since the last
test administration.
What are the minimum system
requirements for running this
program?
Windows XP (SP2)
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
Screen resolution 1024 x 768 or
higher
Continuous internet connection
At this time, there are no plans
for a version of this software
for the Mac OS. (top)
How do we get technical support?
PACAT Inc. / NOMESys will
provide telephone-based
technical support for its online
testing product. Campuses must
designate an individual who will
serve as their technical
contact. Only that individual
will be able to obtain telephone
support. PACAT Inc. / NOMESys
will work with the designated
technical contact to insure that
the software has been properly
installed and is operational in
advance of the initial testing
date. The designated individual
must register using our secure
online registration page. Tech support (866-680-2228 x 219) can be
reached M-F (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
central time). If PACAT is
notified in advance of your ACAT
Online testing schedule and your
group consists of 5 or more
students, telephone technical
support will be made available
from 30 minutes prior to your
administration through its
completion. Notification instructions are included in the materials that will be sent to you when you place your order. (top)
