Assessment definitions

An assessment definition is the structure of a reading or numeracy test: its sections, the script a monitor reads aloud, the scoring guidance, and the individual question words or items. A pupil form points at one assessment definition, so the same test can be reused across many forms.

Open the list from the Assessment Definitions link in the sidebar. This area is administrator only.

The Assessment Definition view

The header shows the definition’s name with the subtitle Assessment Definition.

• Details card: the Name and the Number of Assessments recorded with it.
• Forms Using Assessment card: the school forms that use this definition.
• Sections area: one card per section. Each shows the section’s configuration and a Questions card listing its question texts in numbered ranges, with an Edit Questions link.

Definition-level actions

• Edit: change the Name (at least three characters).
• Create Duplicate: opens a confirmation titled “Confirm duplicate assessment definition” with a Duplicate button. It makes a full copy, named after the original with ” Copy” added, including all sections and their questions.
• Delete: removes the definition. This is only possible when it has no sections and no pupil forms using it.
• Add New Section: creates a section (see below).

Adding a section

Add New Section opens a form with these fields:

• Name (at least three characters)
• Timed: whether the section runs with a timer (see How section timing works below)
• A halfway-skip threshold (a number)
• Requires External Stimulus
• Allows Monitor To End Test Early
• Can Skip At Start
• Allows External Stimulus
• Analysis brackets: an optional comma-separated list of whole numbers. Anything that is not a valid integer list is cleared.

The section’s number is assigned automatically as the next one in order.

The Assessment Section

Open a section to manage it. The header shows the section’s name with the subtitle Assessment Section. It has four cards:

• Details: the section’s settings, including Name, Number, Timed, Time Limit (seconds), Pre-Countdown (seconds), Halfway Skip Threshold, Requires External Stimulus, Allows Monitor to End Test Early and Analysis Ranges.
• Script: the steps the monitor reads aloud, in order.
• Scoring Guidance: the steps that explain how to score.
• Questions: the list of question items, each editable.

How section timing works

Three settings control the timer:

• Timed: the app runs a stopwatch during the section and records how long it takes, counting up. This is the original behaviour.
• Time Limit (seconds): only applies when Timed is on. Set it to make the timer count down from that limit instead (for example from 60 seconds), so the section ends when the time runs out. Leave it empty for an open-ended stopwatch.
• Pre-Countdown (seconds): the short 3, 2, 1 shown before a timed section starts, so the pupil is ready before the clock runs. It is three seconds unless you change it.

Section actions

• Edit: change the section’s settings (the same fields as when adding a section, plus the Number and the time-limit and pre-countdown fields that drive the timer).
• Edit Scoring And Guidance: edit the script and the scoring guidance. Each is entered as a single field where the steps are separated by a vertical bar character. If the text is not in that format, you see the message “Wrong format, please insert each step separated by a vertical bar (|)”.
• Delete: removes the section. This is only possible when the section has no answer data recorded against it.

Section questions

In the Questions card:

• New Question: adds a question item with Text, Guidance and an Invented Word toggle. Its sort order is assigned automatically.
• Edit a question: change its Text, Guidance, sort order and Invented Word setting.
• Delete a question: removes it after you confirm.

Next: Assigning teachers to forms