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GED Testing Update for Educators

Testing During the Pandemic/ Introduction of the Online Proctored

GED®Test Pilot- PART 1-

CT TurnerV.P. Global Operations

& Government Relations

Agenda Topics

• Introduction• Testing During the Pandemic

• The Situation• Online Proctored GED® Test Pilot Option

• Why, When, What & Who• Considerations, Student Eligibility, Timing/Schedule of Pilot, After the Pilot• Important Policy Differences to know O.P. compared to CBT• How to ready your students & GED Ready promotion

• Reminders, Announcements, Resources• COVID-19 Educator Resource Page• Tuesdays for Teachers• Webinar Part 2

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The Situation

• Sever lack of testing opportunities• It may take time to provide access to traditional CBT test center• Students are feeling the pain•More adults will reengage or engage for the first time with

AE/GED prep due to the new economic circumstances•We have been/continue communicating regularly with state adult

ed directors, GED administrators and OCTAE to find new solutions and plan for new realities•One stream of work is the introduction of the Online Proctored

GED® Test pilot/option• Another stream of work is tracking availability of test

centers/testing seats, and planning for continuing mismatch between availability, number of testers and appetite to test in person for several months

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Online Proctored (OP) GED® Tests Pilot –The Basics

• Why? To create a pressure relief valve and provide more access to those ready to test or have had cancelled appointments.

• We are not abandoning the traditional in-person test center model• What is it? It is the same GED test content delivered online, continually

monitored by a third-party, trained proctor.• Who is administering the test? GED Testing Service is contracting with

OnVUE to deliver the Online Proctored GED exams.• When? The Pilot is anticipated to launch later in the week of May 18 or

week of May 25 timeframe. It will be multi-phased, and expected to wrap up near the end of July.

• How? Students who are eligible (more about that later) will be sent a message and instructions on how to register/schedule an O.P. GED test.

• How much/fees? The cost of the test during the O.P. pilot will mirror current fees. Fees for test center compensation will support O.P.

• Note that there may be some differences in states with little or no test center compensation build in (e.g. New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Wyoming)

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Online Proctored Testing Considerations

We are using a pilot approach because:•Of timeliness - intense pressure to have an option available as

soon as possible•We do not know the appetite for participation & how students will

react to O.P.•Requires a laptop or computer with a camera/microphone and

stable internet connection•Requires a closed, private/quiet room•We believe that it could be a very valuable tool during these

unprecedented times. • See results from the student computer & internet survey conducted in

April – in the Resource section of the presentation slides

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What Students Will Be Eligible

• States will determine if their residents may participate in the pilot, but so far there has been wide agreement that this option is necessary to help students during this difficult time.

• Eligibility will be determined by Phase. Priorities/first invitations will to out to students in four categories:

• Cancelled appointments• 3 of 4 tests passed • GED Ready Green within the past 60 days• State’s essential cases

• Students in all residency-required states will sign off on language affirming residency

• However; OnVUE ID checks process will require some states to implement manual residency checks before approving students for invitation

• A GED Ready ”Green” score is required to schedule an O.P. exam• Other policies for the pilot will differ from current/traditional CBT

policies (more detail about that later)

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Online Proctored GED® Test Pilot –Timing/Schedule• Phase 1– feedback [duration ~7-10 days]

• 5 states (CA, GA, OR, TX, WI)• Only students with cancelled appointments who also have a GED Ready “Green” score

within 60 days• Final system tests and gathering data and information from system and students

• Phase 2 – invite eligible students in participating states with no residency queue

• Cancelled appointments • 3 of 4 tests passed • GED Ready Green • State’s essential cases

• Phase 3 – invite newly eligible students• New GEDR Green students in non-queue states invited regularly (GEDR

Green within 60 days required)• Phase 4 – invite newly eligible students in manual residency

approval queue required states• Queue is estimated to be built and ready for use between June 9-18

End of Pilot

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What Happens After the Pilot?

• End of Pilot Evaluation • Gather and discuss results with state AE/testing policymakers (utilization,

psychometrics, etc.) • Discuss next steps/roadmap for OP program (Esp. forms, additional

accommodations, policies, etc.)• Expected to live beyond pilot, depending on state approval. Some

anticipated use cases include:• Use to alleviate any testing shortages or obstacles

• Shut down orders extended or reenacted• Test centers (TCs) slower to open• Surge in testing with fewer TCs or TC seats due to social distancing

• Use for students with special accommodations where a special set-up is set up at home

• Use in rural areas where TCs aren’t nearby• TBD

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Online Proctored GED® Tests – Important Policy Differences to Know

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• Policies are different for the O.P. Pilot for several reason, including:

• Timeliness to get pilot off the ground• Several things we would have liked to have included were not possible in the

given timeframe• It has required thousands of hours in technology, test development, publishing/

Q.A., support materials, conversations with state policymakers, preparing communications with educators and students.

• Technology and system differences O.P. vs. CBT in a test center• Test Security – new and different delivery channel for GED tests• Costs, etc.

• Third-party greeters and proctors

Policy Highlights – Age, Scheduling, System Check

ØDuring the pilot only those 18+ will be eligible• Additional on-camera parental/guardian consent required for 16-17 due

to recording of test session, and requires additional programming work• We anticipate accommodating approved 16-17 year old's after the pilot

ØStudents may schedule one subject test at a time

ØStudents must complete a computer system check to confirm their system is compatible with the OnVUE system before they can take their test

• Link to the system check can be found in the resources slides

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Policy Highlights – Calculator, White Board, Unscheduled Breaks

ØOnly the on-screen calculator may be used with O.P. tests• Handheld calculators are not allowed for security purposes.• The on-screen calculator is the same as that on GED Ready, and on

the computer-basest testing tutorial (link provided on resource slides)

ØOnly the on-screen ”white board” can be used with O.P. tests• Students cannot use physical scratch paper or dry erase boards

ØStudents may not take unscheduled breaks during the exam• Doing so will result in test invalidation• Scheduled breaks, as outlined in GED testing policies, continue to be

allowed

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Policy Highlights – Check-in ID Requirements

ØStudents, when checking in, must provide a picture (captured at the time of check-in), a picture of their photo ID, and pictures of their workspace used for testing

• IDs must be government issued, non-expired (currently expired IDs are accepted through May 31).

• They must include name, DOB, signature and photograph• Primary forms of ID accepted include:

• Passport• Driver’s license• Learner’s permit• National/State/Country identification card

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Policy Highlights – Rescheduling, Cancelling, No-Shows

ØCandidates may cancel or reschedule, with a full refund of test fees up until 30 minutes before their scheduled testing time

• Cancellations can be done via their GED.com account or by calling the Call Center

ØNo-shows. Students who do not start their exam check-in/exam within the 15 minute grace period after their appointment time will be deemed a no-show and will forfeit any exam fees.

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Policy Highlights – Retakes, Discounted Retakes

ØStudents will not be allowed to retake exams on O.P.• Retakes, after taking an O.P. test, must be done in a physical T.C.• Students cannot retake exams on O.P. if they have passed that test

subject, or if they have previously earned a GED credential/diploma

ØStudents taking a retake on O.P. after testing in a physical TC will not receive a discounted retake.

ØStudents who wish to retake an exam at a physical test center after failing an O.P. test will not receive an automatic discounted retake

• Students will be notified on GED.com that they qualify for a discounted retake and will learn how to request a voucher for the discounted retake

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GED Ready Help & Preparing Your Students

• Educators can help ensure students who need O.P. testing be prepared by having a GED Ready “Green”• Students invited in the first phases who do not have a GEDR

“Green” have some additional help:• Cancelled appointments (free GED Ready voucher)• 3 of 4 tests passed (emailed promo code for 50% discount)• GED Ready Green (no voucher or discount needed if valid at less than 60 days)• State’s essential cases (emailed promo code for 50% discount)

• A GED Ready promo for all students (whether they test CBT or OP) is being planned for mid June through the end of July

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Next Steps

•Review slides – Especially the Resources & Additional Information section

• Includes links to resources, calculator tutorial, white board images, system checks

•Watch for Part 2 of this webinar series – in approx. 1.5 weeks• It will include a demonstration/review of the student notification, sign-

up, and O.P. experience• Key messaging and “asks” to better prepare students for the O.P. pilot

• Send questions about your state’s participation and pilot timing to your GED Administrator/ State Adult Ed Director

• Other questions can be directed to your SRM or communications@GED.com

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RESOURCES & ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION

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Educator & Admin. Resources Page

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Student Survey Results – Computer and Internet Resources

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Conducted in mid to late April, 2020• 6,000 responses (~20% response rate)

• 86% have access to a desktop or laptop at home• ~99% report having reliable internet access• 1% with computers 10 year+, 4% do not know age• 81% have a camera on computer, 6% did not know• 84% have a speaker/microphone, 13% did not know• 99% report having access to a quite space at home to test

• Age of Respondents:• Under 18 = 7% • 19 - 29 = 40% • 30 – 49 = 45% • 50 - 69 = 7%• 70+ = <1%

Virtual Calculator Link – Same Calculator Built into GED Ready & Tutorial

https://ged.com/calculator_tutorial

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Link to System Checks

Full Check-in Process: https://service.proctorcam.com/system_tests/launch_test?app_locale=en_US&session_id=2533385&template_name=onvue_system_test - top

Simplified system check: https://systemcheck.proctorcam.com/systemcheck

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