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Technical Requirements

What are the system requirements for the Texas Assessment Management System?

The website may not be compatible with all browsers on all operating systems. For best results, make sure your browsers and operating systems match the requirements outlined in the Minimum System Requirements.

Contact us at 800-627-0225 or email if you have questions about your browser or operating system.

Last updated March 26, 2013.

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What are the infrastructure and technology requirements necessary for participating in an online administration?

For complete information regarding the hardware and infrastructure requirements necessary to participate in an online administration, refer to these sections of the TestNav 7 Combined Technical Guide:

  • Section 2.1 - Hardware, Operating System, and Web Browser Recommendations
  • Section 2.2 - Additional Software Considerations
  • Section 2.3 - Firewall
  • Section 2.4 - Proxy Servers/Content Filtering
  • Section 2.5 - Email Domain Names

For online testing requirements, refer to these sections of the TestNav 7 Combined Technical Guide:

  • Section 3.1 - Network Setup
  • Section 3.8 - Deployment
  • Section 3.8 - Launching TestNav

See also the Minimum System Requirements for the minimum requirements necessary for a successful online testing administration.

Last updated March 21, 2013.

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How do I start preparing the district technology infrastructure for online testing?

For information on preparing the district technology infrastructure, see the TestNav 7 Combined Technical Guide on the Information page at Resources > Information > Technology Information.

Last updated August 27, 2012.

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Is proctor caching required?

Proctor caching is required for online test delivery. For more information about proctor caching, refer to the TestNav 7 Combined Technical Guide at Resources > Information > Technology Information.

Last updated August 27, 2012.

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How much bandwidth is required to successfully participate in online testing?

In general, the amount of bandwidth required for a given environment will depend on the

  • number of students testing simultaneously,
  • size of test being administered,
  • Internet caching, and
  • WAN topology.

Generally, testing will require a minimum of 6 kilobits/second of network bandwidth end-to-end for each user.

This is the minimum bandwidth; additional bandwidth will speed up the test delivery process. Note that this bandwidth requirement assumes linear (not adaptive) test delivery with traditional test items. Delivery of media files, for example, significantly increases bandwidth consumption and requires greater network bandwidth.

The System Check utility for TestNav helps technology personnel identify whether infrastructure is ready for online testing. For more information on the System Check utility, see the TestNav 7 Combined Technical Guide at Resources > Information > Technology Information.

For more information about the appropriate amount of bandwidth for successfully administering an online test, contact Pearson's Austin Operations Center at 800-627-0225.

Last updated March 26, 2013.

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How are the online tests accessed?

The online tests are administered through a secure browser-based test delivery system called TestNav. Each test administrator will need a computer to administer and monitor each test session.

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What do I need to know about TestNav 7, the newest version of the TestNav test delivery system?

TestNav 7 is browser-based. While you will no longer need to download TestNav software, you must remove previous versions of TestNav prior to using TestNav 7. In addition, you should review the system requirements for TestNav 7 and make any necessary adjustments to your local network infrastructure prior to any online test administrations. For more information, see the see the Minimum System Requirements and the TestNav 7 Combined Technical Guide which can be found on the Information page at Resources > Information > Technology Information.

Last updated March 26, 2013.

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I cannot access the Texas Assessment Management System and/or the TestNav websites; what do I do?

Contact your network administrator and have them ensure that the URLs for the Texas Assessment Management System and TestNav are allowed through firewalls and are not blocked by proxy servers or any software used for Internet content filtering. For information about allowing these URLs, refer to the TestNav 7 Combined Technical Guide at Resources > Information > Technology Information.

Last updated August 27, 2012.

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Will my district need to perform a reinstall of TestNav before online testing administrations?

No. The new TestNav test delivery system is browser-based and does not require a software download. However, previous versions of TestNav must be uninstalled prior to launching the new version of TestNav. For more information, refer to the TestNav 7 Combined Technical Guide at Resources > Information > Technology Information.

Last updated August 27, 2012.

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What are the Adobe Flash Player requirements for using TestNav?

Adobe Flash Player 10.0 or higher is required to use TestNav.

Download Adobe Flash Player.

Check if you have Adobe Flash Player 10.0 (or higher) installed.

Last updated March 26, 2013.

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Are mini-computers (such as netbooks) compatible with the Texas online tests?

Mini-computers (such as netbooks) are compatible if they are capable of maintaining the required screen resolution and meet other system requirements as defined in the Minimum System Requirements document.

Last updated March 26, 2013.

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Whom do I contact for additional assistance?

For additional information about online testing, contact Pearson's Austin Operations Center at 800-627-0225.

Last updated March 26, 2013.

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