Contents

Overview of the Test Site

All tests have navigation and test tools. Some test tools are available only for specific tests or questions.

Sample Test Page

There are two main types of test tools available:

• Global Tools: These tools appear in the global menu at the top of the test page.
• Context Menu Tools: These tools are for passages and questions. To use these tools, click the context menu .

Global Tools	Instructions
Help (?) button	To view the on-screen Instructions and Help window, select ? in the upper-right corner.
Calculator	To use the on-screen calculator, select Calculator in the global menu. This tool is available for the following tests: EOC Algebra 1 and 2 Smarter Balanced Mathematics grades 6, 7, 8, and 11 HSA-Alt Mathematics grades 3-8 and 11
Dictionary	To search the Merriam-Webster dictionary or thesaurus, select Dictionary in the global menu. This tool is available for the following test: ELA Performance Task
Formula	To view the on-screen formula sheet, select Formula in the global menu. This tool is available for the following test: EOC Algebra 2
Line Reader	To highlight an individual line of text in a passage or question, select Line Reader in the global menu.
Masking	The Masking tool temporarily covers a distracting area of the test page. To use this tool: Select the Masking button in the global menu. Click and drag across the distracting area. To close the Masking tool, select the Masking button again. To remove a masked area, select X in the upper-right corner of that area.
Global Notes	To enter notes in an on-screen notepad, select Notes in the global menu. This tool is available for the following test: ELA Performance Task
Periodic Table	To view the on-screen periodic table, select Periodic Table in the global menu. This tool is available for the following tests: HSA Science Biology EOC Exam
System Settings	To change audio volume or color settings, click the cog wheel icon in the upper right corner.
Language Toggle	This tool is available for the following tests for students testing in the Spanish language: Smarter Balanced Mathematics HSA Science Biology EOC Exam
Zoom buttons	To enlarge the text and images on a test page, select Zoom In. Multiple zoom levels are available. To undo zooming, select Zoom Out.

 

Context Menu Tools	Instructions
American Sign Language	You can watch videos that translate test content into American Sign Language (ASL). To view ASL videos: From the context menu, select American Sign Language. If only one ASL video is available, the video opens automatically. If multiple ASL videos are available, sign language icons appear next to the test content for each video. Select the icon for the test content you wish to translate into ASL. This tool is available for the following tests for students using the ASL accommodation: Smarter Balanced ELA Math CAT
Glossary (Word List)	To open the glossary, click a word or phrase that has a border around it. This tool is only available for certain words.
Highlighter	To highlight text, select the text on the screen and then select Highlight Selection from the context menu. To remove highlighting, select Reset Highlighting from the context menu. You cannot highlight text in images. This tool cannot be used while the Line Reader tool is in use.
Mark for Review	To mark a question for review, select Mark for Review from the context menu. The marked question number displays a flap in the upper-right corner and a flag icon appears next to the number. The Items drop-down list displays for the selected question.
Notepad	To enter notes or comments for a question, select Notepad from the context menu. After you enter a note, a pencil icon appears next to the question number on the test page. You can only access your notes for a question on that question’s test page.
Select Previous Version	To view and restore responses previously entered for a Text Response question, select the Select Previous Version option from the context menu. A list of saved responses appears. Choose the appropriate response and click Select.
Strikethrough	For multiple choice and multi-select questions, you can cross out an answer option to focus on the options you think might be correct. There are two options for using this tool: Option A: To activate Strikethrough mode, open the context menu and select Strikethrough. Select the answer options you wish to strike out. To deactivate Strikethrough mode, press the Esc key or click outside the response area. Option B: Right-click an answer option and select Strikethrough.
Tutorial	To view a short video demonstrating how to respond to a particular question type, select Tutorial from the context menu.

 

In addition to the global tools and context menu tools, there are some additional tools that may be available to you based on your test settings.

Other Tools	Description
Word Prediction	When this tool is enabled, suggested words pop up in a menu as you type a written response. You can select a word in the pop-up menu instead of typing it out manually.

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Test Rules

• You cannot skip questions. You must answer all the questions on a page before you can go to the next page. You can mark a question for review and go back to it later to change the answer, if necessary. Some pages contain multiple questions grouped together. You may need to use the scroll bar to view all the questions.
• You can navigate to any available test page by clicking the Back or Next buttons or selecting options from the Questions drop-down list at the top of the page.
• You must submit the test after you finish answering all questions.

Pause Rules

For Smarter Balanced ELA and Mathematics, HSA Science, and EOC Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Biology 1 tests:

• You can pause the test at any time. You will be presented with a warning message asking you to verify that you want to pause the test.
  • If your test is paused for less than 20 minutes, you can review questions you already answered.
  • If your test is paused for more than 20 minutes, you cannot review questions you already answered. The only exception is if you pause on a page that has at least one unanswered question.
• When you resume the test, the first page with unanswered questions appears.
• If your test is idle for 30 minutes, the system will automatically pause the test and log you out.
• All answers are saved immediately. You do not lose them when the test is paused.

For ELA Performance Task tests:

• You can pause the test at any time. You will be presented with a warning message asking you to verify that you want to pause the test.
• No pause limit is in effect. You can pause the test for as long as you need to.

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Navigating the Test with Job Access With Speech (JAWS)

This section provides instructions for using JAWS to navigate a test page.

Note: The first time the test loads, JAWS may start reading everything until you stop it. However, on the next test page, the focus will be on the first question on the page.

About Test Regions and Elements

A test page has up to three landmark regions: the Banner, the Navigation region, and the Main region. To navigate between these landmarks using JAWS, press the R key.

• Banner: The banner contains the test information row. This row displays the current question numbers, test name, student name, test settings button, and help button.
• Navigation Region: This region displays the navigation and tool buttons.

• Main Region: This region consists of the Stimulus section and the Question section:

  • Stimulus: The Stimulus (passage) section contains the following elements:
    • Stimulus title
    • Stimulus context menu
    • Stimulus content
  • Question: Each question contains the following elements:
    • Question number
    • Question context menu
    • Question stem
    • Response area

JAWS Keyboard Commands

You can use the following keyboard commands to navigate within a test page.

Note: The commands in this table are based on JAWS 16. Commands may be slightly different in other versions.

Opening a Context Menu

The first question on a test page will automatically be in focus. The instructions in this section assume you want to open the context menu for the active landmark element on the page and have not yet used the Tab key to navigate anywhere.

To open the context menu for a stimulus or question:

1. Do one of the following:
   • If you are opening the context menu for a stimulus, ensure the focus is on the stimulus.
   • If you are opening the context menu for a question, ensure the focus is on the question.
2. To navigate directly to the context menu button, press Tab twice. JAWS reads aloud “Menu button.”
3. Press Enter. The context menu opens and displays the list of available menu options. JAWS reads aloud the first option in the menu.
4. To move up and down the list, press the Up and Down arrow keys. JAWS automatically reads aloud each option.
5. To select a menu option, press Enter.

To exit the menu without making a selection, press the Esc key. JAWS will return focus to the context menu button.

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Responding to Questions with JAWS

This section provides basic guidance for responding to question types that may appear on a test.

Note: The instructions in this section assume that the question does not display any question labels. If you have used a context menu tool for a question, you must press Tab an additional time for each question label that appears.

Multiple-Choice and Multi-Select Questions

The procedures for responding to Multiple-Choice and Multi-Select questions are similar.

• Multiple-Choice questions require you to select one response option from a group of options. The response area displays several response options as radio buttons.
• Multi-Select questions require you to select one or more response options from a group of options. The response area displays several response options as checkboxes.

1. After listening to the question text, press Tab twice. JAWS reads aloud the option’s text. If the option is an image, JAWS reads the text description associated with the image.
2. To navigate between each answer option, use the Tab and Shift + Tab commands (or use the Up and Down arrow keys). JAWS reads aloud the text for the option in focus.
3. To select the response option in focus as your response, press Space. The answer option is selected and JAWS reads “Space.”

Hot Text Questions

Hot text questions require you to select at least one word, phrase, or sentence.

1. After listening to the question text, press the Tab key twice. This will take you to the first selectable word, phrase, or sentence. JAWS will read aloud the text that is in focus.
2. To navigate between each selectable text area, use the Tab and Shift + Tab commands. JAWS will read aloud the selectable text.
3. To choose a selectable text area in focus as your response, press the Enter key. JAWS will announce the text is checked.

Edit Task Questions

Edit task questions require you to replace an incorrect selectable word or phrase.

• Some edit task questions require you to enter the response into a text box.
• Some edit task questions require you to select a response from a drop-down list.

Important Notes About JAWS and Edit Task Questions:

• For selectable text, JAWS will indicate whether the word or phrase is clickable and then continue reading the rest of the sentence or line.
• Some edit task questions require you to make changes that are punctuation-based (for example, you may need to replace a comma with a different punctuation mark). For these edit task questions, JAWS will need to read in character mode.

It is strongly recommended that you read through an entire question before editing text.

1. Use the Down arrow to read through each line of text. If a line of text has a selectable word or phrase, JAWS will say "clickable" after the word or phrase.
2. Navigate to each selectable text field in the question.
   • Option 1: Return to the beginning of the question.
     • Press Shift + H.
     • Press Tab to go to the first selectable text field.
   • Option 2: Move backwards through the selectable text fields in the question.
     • Press Shift + Tab.
3. When the selectable text is in focus, press space. This will open the edit menu. JAWS will read "Edit tools dialog" and provide additional instructions.
   • Text box: Type in the replacement word or phrase.
   • Drop-down list: Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between options in the list. JAWS will read aloud each option. To select an option, press Enter.
4. Press Tab to navigate to the OK button in the edit menu. Press Enter. The edit menu will close and the question will be back in focus.

Text Response Questions

Text response questions require you to enter text into a text box.

1. Read the question and then use the Tab command to move to the response area. JAWS will read "Edit, type in text."
2. When you are done entering a response, press Tab. You will leave the text box and move to the next question on the page.

Table Match Questions

Table match questions require you to mark at least one checkbox in a table. The table will have multiple rows and columns. The table row heading and column heading are not selectable. The selectable table cells have checkboxes.

1. After listening to the question text, press the Tab key twice. This will take you to the first table cell that has a checkbox. JAWS will read aloud the corresponding column name and row name for that table cell.
2. To navigate to each cell that has a checkbox, press the Tab key. JAWS will read aloud the corresponding column and row name for each cell.
3. To mark a checkbox, press space.

Equation Questions

Equation questions require you to enter a math equation or expression in a text field using an on-screen keypad.

1. To navigate between the keypad buttons, press Tab or Shift + Tab. JAWS reads aloud the character or action for each button.
2. To enter a character in the text field or perform an action from the keypad toolbar, press Enter. You can also press the corresponding key on your keyboard, if available.

3. Optional: To add special characters to the text field, press Alt + 7 with the focus on the text field. A pop-up window opens, with a drop-down list of the available characters. To move between the options in this list, use the arrow keys. JAWS reads the name of each special character. To insert the selected character, press Enter.

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Navigating the Test without JAWS

This section provides instructions for using keyboard commands to navigate a test page without JAWS.

About Test Regions and Elements

A test page has up to three regions: the Banner, the Navigation region, and theMain region.

• Banner: The banner contains the test information row. This row displays the current question numbers, test name, student name, test settings button, and help button.
• Navigation Region: This region displays the navigation and tool buttons.

• Main Region: This region consists of the Stimulus section and the Question section:

  • Stimulus: The Stimulus (passage) section contains the following elements:
    • Stimulus title
    • Stimulus context menu
    • Stimulus content
  • Question: Each question contains the following elements:
    • Question number
    • Question context menu
    • Question stem
    • Response area

Keyboard Commands

You can use the following keyboard commands to navigate within a test page.

Opening a Context Menu

To open the context menu for a stimulus or question:

1. Do one of the following:
   • If you are opening the context menu for a stimulus, ensure the focus is on the stimulus.
   • If you are opening the context menu for a question, ensure the focus is on the question.
2. To navigate directly to the context menu button, press Tab twice.
3. Press Enter. The context menu opens and displays the list of available menu options.
4. To move up and down the list, press the Up and Down arrow keys.
5. To select a menu option, press Enter.

To exit the menu without making a selection, press the Esc key.

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Responding to Questions without JAWS

This section provides basic guidance for responding to question types that may appear on a test.

Note: The instructions in this section assume that the question does not display any question labels. If you have used a context menu tool for a question, you must press Tab an additional time for each question label that appears.

Multiple-Choice and Multi-Select Questions

The procedures for responding to Multiple-Choice and Multi-Select questions are similar.

• Multiple-Choice questions require you to select one response option from a group of options. The response area displays several response options as radio buttons.
• Multi-Select questions require you to select one or more response options from a group of options. The response area displays several response options as checkboxes.

1. After listening to the question text, press Tab twice.
2. To navigate between each answer option, use the Tab and Shift + Tab commands (or use the Up and Down arrow keys).
3. To select the response option in focus as your response, press Space.

Hot Text Questions

Hot text questions require you to select at least one word, phrase, or sentence.

1. After reading the question, press the Tab key until the first selectable text area is in focus.
2. To navigate between each selectable text area, use the Tab and Shift + Tab commands.
3. To choose a selectable text area in focus as your response, press the Enter key.

Edit Task Questions

Edit task questions require you to replace an incorrect selectable word or phrase.

• Some edit task questions require you to enter the response into a text box.
• Some edit task questions require you to select a response from a drop-down list.

1. To navigate to a selectable text field in the question, press the Tab key.
2. When the selectable text is in focus, press space. This will open the edit menu.
   • Text box: Type in the replacement word or phrase.
   • Drop-down list: Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between options in the list. To select an option, press Enter.
3. Press Tab to navigate to the OK button in the edit menu. Press Enter. The edit menu will close and the question will be back in focus.

Text Response Questions

Text response questions require you to enter text into a text box.

1. Read the question and then use the Tab key to move to the response area.
2. When you are done entering a response, press Tab. You will leave the text box and move to the next question on the page.

Table Match Questions

Table match questions require you to mark at least one checkbox in a table. The table will have multiple rows and columns. The table row heading and column heading are not selectable. The selectable table cells have checkboxes.

1. After listening to the question text, press the Tab key until the first table cell with a checkbox is in focus.
2. To navigate to each cell that has a checkbox, press the Tab key.
3. To mark a checkbox, press space.

Equation Questions

Equation questions require you to enter a math equation or expression in a text field using an on-screen keypad.

1. To navigate between the keypad buttons, press Tab or Shift + Tab.
2. To enter a character in the text field or perform an action from the keypad toolbar, press Enter. You can also press the corresponding key on your keyboard, if available.

3. Optional: To add special characters to the text field, press Alt + 7 with the focus on the text field. A pop-up window opens, with a drop-down list of the available characters. To move between the options in this list, use the arrow keys. To insert the selected character, press Enter.

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