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.

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.

For 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.

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:
  • TPLS-English http://www.tpls.ca/test Note that this test measures proficiency in English.
  • TPLS-Français http://www.tpls.ca/passation Note that this test measures proficiency in French.
• 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.