How To Attend Formative & Summative Assessment Online

Today, the article deals with how students can attend formative and summative assessments online to answer this query.

Online Assessment Software, as we know, occurs in two forms: formative and summative. Thus, before proceeding further with how students can attend these two assessment forms, let us first understand the difference between summative and formative assessment.

Formative Assessment VS Summative Assessment

Formative assessment is the form of the evaluation in which educational institutions evaluate a student’s level of understanding several times during the academic year in various core areas, skills, and their learning progress in specific domains. This can occur by using the same assessment format or multiple assessment formats.

On the other hand, summative assessment assesses the end product. It gives the educational institutes a holistic view of whether the students have achieved the specific learning outcome as the faculty had desired. A typical final exam consisting of questions from the entire course or final paper submission is how students are assessed in summative assessments.

How To Attend Formative & Summative Assessment Online

In the era of CoVID, formative and summative assessments play a more crucial role than ever. That’s because the only way educational institutes can gather as to whether the students have understood whatever was taught in the academic year or not is through assessing them. When everything has been switched to online, it becomes imperative for the students to know how to attend formative and summative assessments online.

Below are the steps mentioned by which candidates can take any assessment easily on Pesoft’s online exam software:

Step 1: For Both Formative & Summative Form Of Assessments, The Very First Step Is Candidate Login

To enable the students to log in to the online exam software offered by Pesofts, the candidates must access the link (For Example, https://yourinstitutename.com) provided by the exam conducting body. After they log in, the next step is to fill in the credentials (username and password) given by the educational institutions to log in.

While the candidates opt for the device (be it mobile phone or desktop) with which they wish to take an online exam, they should ensure a working camera and microphone. Preferably exams should be taken on browsers such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Another thing which they should remember is that the credentials offered by the educational institutes are unique to the test takers and can only be used for logging in once and not multiple times.

Step 2: Choose “Relevant Test” from “My Package Option”

According to Login with the given credentials, the next step is choosing the relevant test students have to provide from “My Package Option” and clicking on Details. Once the students click on the details, the next thing that they have to do is select “Start Test.” After selecting the Start Test, a new window will open. In that window, students will land at a new page where in students will be able to read the test instructions laid down by the university.

Step 3: Choose “Next” To Start Exam Verification Process

After students read the instructions as notified by the exam conducting agency, they’ll have to click on Next for beginning the process of pre-exam verification. One thing that must be kept in mind while starting with the verification process is that closing the exam window would deprive the students of retaking the exam. Thus as a precautionary step, they should never complete the window or select cancel until they have a valid and justifiable reason for doing that.

Once they click on “Next,” they will see a dialog box that says, “Do not close the window. Your activity is being monitored.”

Step 4: Choose The Preferable Language

During this time only, the candidate must choose the language they prefer to take the test. Another aspect to be noted here is that all the questions appear when the students choose a particular language. However, you can change the language later on during the exam.

Further, the candidates also have to tick the box consisting of the DECLARATION, which says, “I have read and understood the instructions. All computer hardwares allotted to me is in proper working condition. I agree that I am not carrying any prohibited gadget like mobile phone etc/ any prohibited material with me into the exam hall. I agree that in case I do not adhere to the instructions, I will be disqualified during the exam.”

Step 5: Allow The Proctor To Access Candidate’s Camera & Microphone

The online proctoring feature incorporated with online exam software through its inception allows the candidates to access the exam when they give the proctor permission to access the device’s camera and microphone. After the proctor receives access to the camera to check the student’s identity and ensure no impersonation, the proctor clicks the candidate’s picture.

Students get access to the exam only after the proctor verifies that the student’s identity matches with the applicant who had filled the examination form. However, before starting the exam, candidates are also required to select, “I AM READY TO BEGIN.”

Step 6: Take The Formative Or Summative Assessment Hasslefree

After completing the verification process, students can conveniently attempt the questions, ranging from MCQs to image-based to formula-based to long answer questions. While they take the exam, there is a clock running visible to them within which the students are required to complete the exam. The number of questions they have attempted and the ones they still have to try, a question pallet is available in different colors that give them an idea of the same. If they wish to revisit the question in which they have some doubt, they can opt for “To Be Reviewed.”

During the exam, the proctor acts as an invigilator, and thus students cannot undertake any unfair activity which the examiner prohibits during the exam. If the candidate attempts to navigate to the windows other than the one in which they are taking the exam, the proctor would firstly give them warnings. However, if they still don’t agree, the test would get submitted automatically, restraining the candidate from further attempting any further questions.

Learn Factors To Consider Before Buying An Online Proctoring Software

The Last Word
Educational institutes have always expressed their eagerness to utilize the new teaching and learning. They, however, had never tried to opt for the same until CoVID resulted in the closure of educational institutions, and online exams through online assessment software were the only way of assessing students. In this situation, the online exam software by Pesofts played a crucial role in the methodology for conducting formative and summative assessments online and has been doing a great job throughout the pandemic.