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What to Expect
We’d recommend going through the pre-essay checklist at least one day before your student’s session.
On the day of the session, once your student joins the Zoom meeting for their Online Essay session, they’ll be placed in a waiting room. The proctor will begin letting students in exactly at the scheduled start time for the session. Don’t be alarmed if your student is running a few minutes late. The proctor will repeat the instructions.
When your student is let into the session, they’ll only be able to see the proctor and themselves. No other student will see them, and they won’t see the other students. Additionally, only the proctor will see the student’s screen.
When students are moved into the meeting, the proctor will prompt them to:
Update their name to match the student name listed on the registration
Turn on their camera
Share their screen
The student will not need to use a mic during the session. All student mics will remain on mute throughout the session. As long as they can hear the proctor, they are all set.
Should your student have a question, they can ask using the Zoom chat function.
Once the majority of students have everything set up, the proctor will begin going over the rules and instructions. If your student is running late or having technical problems, there’s no need to panic! The time for the essay does not begin until the student clicks “Start” in the Online Essay platform. They won’t lose any writing time.
Should a parent or helper need to assist their student with technical problems, they are permitted to do so. The proctor will let everyone know when it’s time for any helpers to leave the room.
The proctor will provide instructions for signing into the Online Essay platform. This is where students will type their essays. Students will need to have both the Zoom meeting and the Online Essay platform open.
Students can log in to the Online Essay platform here: https://testinnovators.com/essays.
This demo walks through how to log in to the platform. Students will need their appointment ID and the last name on their registration. This information is included in all three reminder emails.
When students log in to the Online Essay platform, they’ll notice that their prompts are locked. This is how it should look:
Once the proctor has finished going over the rules and instructions, they’ll begin unlocking the prompts. When the student sees the “Start” button, they can begin their essay. The analytical question will remain locked until the student completes their writing prompt.
There is no way for a student to end their essay early. They must wait for the timer to run out. When this happens, the essay will automatically be submitted. Once both prompts have been responded to, students will see a screen that says, “Congrats!” When they see this message, they can leave the Zoom meeting.
An email will be sent when the student’s essays have been shared with the schools listed on the registration.
Joining the Meeting
Detailed instructions including the Zoom link will be sent out 1 week before the essay, 1 day before the essay, and 1 hour before the essay.
As long as Zoom has been downloaded onto your device, you should be able to simply click on the Zoom link found in the reminder email. This will take you into the waiting room for the session. At the start time of the session, the proctor will let all students into the session.
The proctor will provide instructions and answer any questions via the chat function of Zoom.
Check out this help article for more details about joining the meeting.
Sharing Your Screen
When your student is let into the session, they’ll only be able to see the proctor and themselves. No other student will see their screen and they won’t see the other students’ screens.
Students will need to make sure that their camera is turned on, they can share their screen, and they can hear the proctor. This allows the proctor to monitor their progress throughout the session.
How To Share Your Screen
At the bottom of the Zoom window should be a menu. To share the screen, click the green “Share” button on the Zoom menu.
Then, select the option to share the full desktop screen by clicking the blue “Share” button.
If your student is using a school computer, we highly recommend changing devices. Schools often place permission limits on these computers that will prevent the student from sharing their screen, which can only be unlocked by a school network administrator.
For more troubleshooting tips check out this help article.
Video
When your student is let into the session, they’ll only be able to see the proctor and themselves. No other student will see them and they won’t see the other students.
They’ll need to make sure that their camera is turned on, they are sharing their screen, and they can hear the proctor.
Students are required to keep their camera turned on for the duration of the session.
How To Turn On Your Camera
At the bottom of the Zoom window should be a menu. The video will be off when students enter the session. Click on the camera icon that reads “Video” underneath.
For troubleshooting tips, check out this help article.
Audio
The student will not need to use a mic during the session. All student mics will remain on mute throughout the session. As long as they can hear the proctor, they are all set.
As mentioned above, should your student have a question, they can ask using the Zoom chat function.
For troubleshooting tips, check out this help article.