Groups

The Groups menu allows the subscription manager to add, modify and delete groups and respondents, as well as track the testing groups.

In order for a respondent to take a second language proficiency test, they must be part of a group for which a password and a testing schedule have been created. The respondent connects to the TPLS platform using their unique username and the group password.

A single username cannot be added more than once in a group, unless the manager explicitly authorizes the respondent to retake the test (see Results > Individual Respondent Results > Authorize a Respondent to Retake the Test). However, the same username can be added in different groups. Because the database contains a large bank of items, a respondent could take the test more than once without necessarily encountering the same items.

List of Groups

When you access the Management module’s Groups page, all of the subscription’s groups appear in a list.

  • The default list sorting method is by ID number. It can be changed by clicking the name of the column you wish to sort in the header.
  • A list may be sorted in ascending or descending order by clicking the column name in the header to change the order.
  • Clicking on a row opens the file associated with that row.
  • Selecting one or more checkboxes allows you to choose elements in the list to delete.

If there is a large number of elements in the list, you can navigate the pages using the commands on the right of the page, above and below the list:

Display list 002

To consult the list of groups:

  • ID: System-generated identification number
  • Group: The name assigned to the group when it was created
  • Start: The date at which the group can begin taking the test
  • End: The latest date at which the group can take the test
  • Registered: The number of respondents registered in the group
  • In progress: The number of respondents currently taking the test
  • Completed: The number of respondents who completed the test
  • Status: The status of the test, Active or Blocked

Add or Modify a Group

The Group page contains the general test settings for the selected group. This is also where the manager assigns respondents to the selected group's test.

To add a group:

  1. Click Groups from the left-side menu; the Groups window appears.
  2. Click Add a group; the Group window appears.

In the General Settings section, add all obligatory information marked with a red asterisk.

To modify a group:

  1. From the main Groups page, click a Group name from the Groups page.
  2. In the General Settings area, select a new Status for the group if required: Active or Blocked.
  3. In the Group name field, type a new name for the group if required.
  4. In the Password field, type a new password for the group. You can select the Show the password check box to make the password visible.
    IMPORTANT: If you change the password, make sure you inform the group’s respondents who need the new password to take the test.
  5. If required, select a new date and time when respondents will be able to begin taking the test using the Test start drop-down lists.
  6. If required, select a new date and time when respondents will no longer be able to take the test using the Test End drop-down lists.
  7. Click Save. A banner message appears, indicating that the group was successfully saved.

To add respondents to this group:

Consult the List of Respondents page.

General Settings

On the Group page, the manager sets the parameters for each group and adds respondents.

  1. In the General Settings area, select a Status for the group: Active or Blocked. The default setting is Active. A blocked group is unable to administer a test.
  2. In the Group name field, type a representative name for the group (for example, New Students Fall 2014).
  3. In the Password field, type a password for the group. You can select the Show the password check box to make the password visible. Passwords are case-sensitive, must be at least 8 characters long, and contain at least one letter and one number.
    IMPORTANT: This is the password that the group’s respondents will have to enter to be able to take the test. They cannot take the test without providing a unique username combined with a unique group password.
  4. From the Test start drop-down lists, select the date and time when respondents will be able to begin taking the test. This is the earliest possible date that the group’s respondents can take the test. The default value is for the current day.
  5. From the Test End drop-down lists, select the date and time when respondents will no longer be able to take the test. This is the date at which the group’s status will automatically be set to Blocked. The default value is for the next day.
  6. Click Save. A banner message appears, indicating that the group was successfully saved.

List of Respondents

Below the General Settings area on the Group page, the List of respondents who did not start the test lists all respondents who are eligible to take the test for that group. It is here that the manager can add and delete respondents.

Each respondent within the same group must have a unique username assigned by the manager; this could be a permanent code, a generic code, the respondent's email address or name, or any other appropriate value chosen by the manager. In order to follow a respondent's results in more than one group, the manager should ensure that the same username is used by the respondent in each of the different groups.

  • From the Group page, in the List of respondents who did not start the test area, click Add respondents; the Add respondents window appears.

There are three ways you can add respondents to a group:

  • Using a CSV File, where the manager uploads a Comma Separated Value (CSV), .xls or .xlsx file with all the respondent usernames to the TPLS server.
  • Using Copy/Paste, where the manager adds respondent usernames manually, by copying a list of usernames from a text file and pasting them into the Add respondents window.
  • Individually, where the manager adds respondent usernames manually, one at a time.

IMPORTANT: All respondent usernames must be separated with a carriage return, whether entered manually or using a CSV file.

questionFor assistance when entering respondent usernames, click the question mark icon for additional details.

To add respondents using a CSV (or .xls or .xlsx) file

NOTE: For this procedure you must have a CSV, .xls or .xlsx file with a previously saved list of respondent usernames, each one on its own line of the file in the first column, without a header.

  1. In the Add respondents window above the text field, click Choose File, the Open file browser window appears.
  2. Browse to the location where you saved the CSV, .xls or .xlsx file and select it. The list of respondent usernames are automatically loaded into the Add respondents window.
  3. Click Add usernames to the Respondents List. A banner message appears, indicating that the respondent(s) was (were) successfully added.

To add respondents using copy/paste:

NOTE: For this procedure you must have a text file with a previously saved list of respondent usernames, each one on its own line of the file.

  1. Open your plain text file with the list of respondent usernames and select all the usernames.
  2. Copy the selected text.
  3. In the Add respondents window, click in the text field and paste the text copied from the file. The copied respondent usernames appear in the text field.
  4. Click Add usernames to the Respondents List. A banner message appears, indicating that the respondent(s) was (were) successfully added

To add respondents individually:

  1. In the text field, type the username for a respondent.
  2. Repeat step 3 for each additional respondent you want to add.
  3. Click Add usernames to the Respondents List, separating each entry by a carriage return. A banner message appears, indicating that the respondent(s) was (were) successfully added.

To remove respondents from a group:

  1. From the Group page, in the List of respondents who did not start the test, scroll through the list to find the respondent username(s) to delete and select its (their) check box(es).
  2. Click Delete.
  3. Click OK to confirm that you want to delete the selected respondent username(s). The selected username(s) is (are) removed from the List of respondents who did not start the test.

Inviting Respondents to Take the Test

Once the manager has created the group or groups that will take the test, a list of respondents should be forwarded to the department responsible for the test within the institution, so that the institution may inform respondents that they can take the test.

The message sent to each respondent by the institution should include some or all of the following information:

  • The unique username assigned to the respondent.
  • The correct web address for the test:
  • The dates and times during which the respondent can access the test.
  • The testing location (if the respondent is obliged to take the test in a supervised environment).
  • The approximate duration of the test.
  • The importance of verifying the audio before starting the test.
  • The importance of answering all the questions honestly.
  • Whether or not results will be provided to the respondent at the end of the test and how/where the respondent may access these results.
  • The contact information for the test manager at the respondent's institution.
  • The web address for the Student Guide: http://aide.ccdmd.qc.ca/tpls/passation/ that the respondent should consult before taking the test.
    NOTE: It is highly recommended that respondents be encouraged to read the Student Guide before taking the test, either in a classroom setting or on their own time. The link to the Student Guide is displayed when the respondent connects to the TPLS and on the Instructions page, but once the test begins, it is no longer accessible.

Delete a Group

The manager can delete groups from their subscription. When you delete a group, all the respondent data in the group is deleted, including the results of those who have started or finished the test and the usernames of respondents who have not yet started the test.

To delete one or more groups:

  1. From the main Groups page, select the check box for the group(s) you want to delete.
  2. Click Delete. A popup window appears asking you to confirm that you want to delete the selected group(s).
  3. Click OK. The group(s) is/are deleted.

Disable the Test for a Group

The manager is the only person who can disable the test for a specific group.

To disable the test for a group:

  1. From the main Groups page, click on the group(s) you want to disable; the Group window appears.
  2. In the General Settings area, select the Blocked option as the group Status.
  3. Click Save. A banner message appears, indicating that the group was successfully updated.

IMPORTANT: The group will not be able to take the test until the Status is returned to Active.