Frequently Asked Questions

General Procedures/Questions

1. When does the testing have to begin?
It is district policy that all testing begin by 9 a.m. If your campus has special circumstances and wants to request a different starting time, please contact the district testing director for permission. Each campus must have a plan and procedure in place to accommodate any students who arrive after the test has begun. A student is allowed to test as long as there is enough time for the test to be completed by the end of the school day. If you are unsure whether to test a student who arrives late, please call the Testing Office immediately. Please refer to Administrative Procedure E11.

2. Never pace the test. Students must be allowed to work at their own pace and if they finish in a very short time, test administrators are not allowed to direct the students to continue working in order to do better. The student decides when he/she is finished with the test. At no time may the test administrator say to the students that tests will not be accepted before a designated time.

3. Always use a #2 pencil during testing. Do not issue anything else unless specifically directed to do so in the test directions.

4. Always verify testing materials according to packing slip and report any discrepancies immediately to the Testing Office.

5. Never bubble in anything under “For PEM Use Only.”

6. Never erase any stray marks. Students are directed to erase any stray marks during the directions of the test.

7. I received a booklet with no security number. Do I issue it to a student during testing?
No, call your district testing coordinator immediately and report the discrepancy. Do not issue a booklet without a security number.

8. Is it permissible to reward students who are diligently working and/or using strategies we want them to use during testing?
No, you cannot reward or punish students during testing. Just actively monitor to make sure they are putting answers in the correct subject area section on their answer sheets.

9. Are students permitted to take TAKS in some academic areas and the TAKS-M in others?
Yes, each assessed subject area (reading and/or mathematics and/or writing) must be considered separately. The ARD committee’s decision should be based on two considerations: the level(s) of the TEKS curriculum at which the student is receiving the majority of his or her instruction and the accommodations and/or modifications needed by the student.

10. What’s the difference between scorable and nonscorable materials?
Scorable materials that are put under a gold header sheet and purple id sheet and counted to be scored must have a score code marked. Any score code marked is included in the count i.e. A - absent, X – exempt, L – LEP exempt, O – other, S – score. Voided 3rd grade test booklets or any voided 4-11 answer sheets placed under a void header sheet are also considered scorable materials. Nonscorable materials are the test booklets for grades 4-11 and any unused id sheets or answer sheets. They are still secure and must be kept in locked storage. You must return all of them.

11. Do I have to return the coordinator and non secure test administrator manuals?
For the field test, you must return all issued materials, secure and non secure; however, for the live test you will keep the coordinator manuals for 1 year. All other nonsecure test administrator manuals and math charts and science rulers may be kept or discarded.

TAKS
Oral Administration

1. I may have some students who need an oral administration for math, science, or social studies. What do I need to do to prepare for these students?
First, only special education students or 504 students with reading disabilities are allowed to receive an oral administration. You must look at the ARD decision or 504 decision as to whether an oral administration is to be used. Since there are many different forms of the TAKS test, you need to order the same form for all of the students and one for the teacher. It is imperative that you fill out an additional materials order form early to ensure that you receive your materials by the day of testing.

Since the test administrator has to break the seal of a test booklet in order to administer the test, write on the outside of test booklet “Used for oral administration.” You do not void the test booklet if it is a nonscorable booklet. (grades 4-11) Only mark void if it is a 3rd grade booklet and put it under a void header sheet.

TAKS Accommodations

1. Can any students receive reading assistance on the math test?
No, only 3rd graders who ask for help may receive reading assistance on the math test and only a word, phrase, or sentence in the question. None of the answer choices may be read. Special education students may also receive reading assistance, and it does not have to be documented in their IEP.

2. Can I test a disruptive student by himself? He is routinely removed from his class and often does work by himself separate from the other classmates.
Yes, this is an allowable accommodation. Refer to your coordinator’s manual.

3. Can the test administrator translate portions of the test?
No. Only the directions may be translated. The test questions or answers can never be translated.

4. Can a special education student use a highlighter if it is not documented in his/her IEP?
Yes, it is no longer required that this accommodation be documented in a special education student’s IEP since it is an allowable accommodation for any student in grades 4-11. Students in grade 3 are not allowed to use highlighter since they answer in a scorable test booklet.

Transcribing

1. A student answered all of his answers in his test booklet, and as he is turning in his test the test administrator notices that there are no answers on his answer sheet. What can I do or say?
If the student has not left the room, you can say, ”Only answers marked on your answer document will be scored,” as many times as it takes for the student to realize what he has done. Then after he turns in his completed answer sheet, mark it score.

2. Can I transcribe the answers from his test booklet onto his answer sheet? A student answered all of his answers in his test booklet, but no one discovered it until after the test was completed.
No, you will have to mark the answer sheet “other”, call the testing office and report what happened, and contact the parent explaining what happened.

3. Can I transcribe the answers from his test booklet onto his answer sheet? A student answered all of his answers in his test booklet, and as he is turning in his test the test administrator notices that there are no answers on his answer sheet. The test administrator says, “Only answers marked on your answer sheet will be scored.” The student says he doesn't care and turns in a blank answer sheet anyway.
No, you must mark the score code “S” for score because it was the student’s decision to leave it blank.

4. A student answered all of his answers in the wrong part of his answer sheet, and as he is turning in his test the test administrator notices that there are no answers on his answer sheet for the subject being tested that day. What can I say or do?
The test administrator may tell the student to put the answers in the right section. If the student has already left the room, then the test administrator must contact the coordinator who in turn contacts the testing office. The answers cannot be transcribed. Call the Testing Office immediately and they will direct you as to what score code to use. It will be handled on an individual case basis

Labels/Answer Documents

1. Can I just throw these away? I received many TAKS labels for students who have withdrawn from my school.
No, you must void the labels and return them to you coordinator with the rest of your testing materials.

2. Can I put it on either an English or Spanish test booklet? I only received one 3rd grade label for each of my 3rd graders.
Yes, it can be placed on either the English or Spanish test booklet. If you have any students who will take one test in English and one in Spanish, you must hand grid a document for the one without the precoded label.

3. What documents should be placed under the voided answer document identification sheet?
Place only answer documents (answer sheets or scorable booklets – not nonscorable booklets) that have been voided under the voided answer document ID sheet. Use a separate void header sheet for voided scorable booklets and voided answer sheets. Reports and labels will not be generated for any answer documents placed under the voided answer document ID sheet.

4. What is the order of header sheets?
For TAKS the gold header sheet is the campus id sheet and goes on top, then the purple id sheet which is the class id sheet. The gold header sheet is the total of all of the purple id sheets for the school. The voids are placed under the green void header sheet.

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Useful links: TAKS/TAAS Out of School Registration | TEA Assessment Division | eTest Online Testing | Adobe Reader