ACAT Online
The ACAT Online is available as a direct
substitute for pencil and paper testing where adequate campus computing
resources and security are available. If you are registering as a campus
technical contact, please click on the button below to go directly to the
registration page. In order to complete the registration, you must fax an
image of your institutional ID card to 931-552-9167. If you
are unable to access the form using this link, please call us toll-free at
866-680-2228.
Q. Which disciplines are available?
A. We have the following disciplines available online:
Agriculture, Art,
Biology, Criminal
Justice, General Business,
History, Political Science,
Psychology, and Social Work.
Q. Is this a web-based testing product?
A. 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.
Q. How does the electronic version of the test compare with the pencil and
paper version?
A. 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.
Q. How do we order the tests for online administration?
A. 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.
Q. When can we place orders for online administration?
A. 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.
Q. Will there be a rush processing fee for ordering online tests within 10
days of administration?
A. 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.
Q. What if we order more authentication codes than we need?
A. 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, 2000 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.
Q. How will we receive score reports following
administration of the ACAT Online?
A. 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.
Q. Is a test proctor required to be in the room while
the ACAT is being taken?
A. 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.
Q. Can students take the test at home on their own computers?
A. No. 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 distribute, retrieve, and
carefully account for all test booklets and answer forms. 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.
Q. Is there any way to make the online version adaptive so students can
finish faster?
A. 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.
Q. Can the time limit be adjusted to accommodate
students who need additional time?
A. 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.
Q. What happens if a student finishes the test before
time is up?
A. 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.
Q. How much "lead time" do we need to get our computers set up for
administration?
A. 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, set takes less than 5 minutes.
Q. What do we have to install on our computers?
A. 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.
Q. 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
Q. Is there a version for the MAC operating system?
A. At this time, there are no plans for a version of this software for the Mac
OS.
Q. Can an interrupted session be restarted?
A. Yes. 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 at 866-680-2228 x 219.
Q. How do we get technical support?
A. 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 which can be reached through
this link. Tech support
can be reached M-F (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. central time) at
866-680-2228 x 219. If PACAT is
notified in advance of your ACAT Online testing schedule and your group consists
of 4 or more students, telephone technical support will be made available from
30 minutes prior to your administration through its completion.
