Spring 2016 MCAS Administration
Quiz on Test Administration Protocols
This quiz can help principals check for understanding of MCAS test administration protocols. Other
essential topics that must be covered during the Test Administrators’ Training can be found on
pages 31–33 of the spring 2016 MCAS Principal’s Administration Manual. Answers for the quiz can be
found on page 3 of this document.
1. The test coordinator prepares crates of testing materials for all the test administrators. She
counts the number of booklets twice, and matches the number to each room roster. The test
administrators pick up their crates and take them to their classrooms. Does this adhere to
MCAS test administration protocols?
A. Yes. The materials were counted twice, and quantities were matched to room rosters.
B. No. Test administrators should also have counted materials (in addition to the test coordinator).
Also, tracking forms should have been used.
2. After administering MCAS tests to a group of students, the test administrator locks the
students’ test materials in her desk until Session 2 is administered the following day. Does this
adhere to MCAS test administration protocols?
A. Yes. Materials were stored securely in the desk.
B. No. Materials were not returned to the central secure area, and they were not signed in with an
internal tracking form.
3. A high school is trying to schedule midterms. The only day that works is the day of the grade 10
MCAS ELA Composition test. The school decides to take the midterms on that day and
postpone the Composition until the following day. Does this adhere to MCAS test
administration protocols?
A. No. The grade 10 MCAS ELA Composition test must be administered on the prescribed day.
B. Yes. High schools have a flexible testing window for them to schedule MCAS tests around other
instructional needs. They can take the grade 10 Composition Make-Up instead.
4. During the English Language Arts test, a student asks how to spell a word. The test
administrator says that he cannot provide spelling assistance. Does this adhere to MCAS test
administration protocols?
A. Yes. Test administrators can only clarify general test administration directions from the scripts
they read to all the students.
B. No. Spelling does not affect the scoring of open-response questions, and test administrators
should assist students if doing so will not affect their scores.
5. During the grade 10 Composition administration, a student asks the test administrator the
meaning of a word in the prompt. The test administrator tells it to him. Does this adhere to
MCAS test administration protocols?
A. No. Test administrators may not help students respond to questions during testing. The test
administrator should have given the student a dictionary instead.
B. Yes. Test administrators may clarify the meanings of words in the prompts. Students do not have
to rely solely on their own knowledge of vocabulary during the grade 10 ELA Composition test.
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6. Grade 8 students at a school take Session 1 of the MCAS STE test in the morning. Later that
day in science class after the session is over, the teacher asks if there were any questions the
students had trouble with. Students describe questions they saw and the teacher reviews them
with the class. Does this adhere to MCAS test administration protocols?
A. Yes. The session is over, and helping the students understand Session 1 test questions may help
the students on Session 2.
B. No. MCAS test questions may not be discussed before, during, or after testing (until the test
questions have been publicly released by the Department).
7. During a test session, two students ask to go to the restroom. The test administrator allows the
students to leave the testing room to use the restroom one at a time, securing the students’
materials when they are out of the room. Does this adhere to MCAS test administration
protocols?
A. No. Students are not permitted to leave the testing room during the test session.
B. Yes. This adheres to protocols as long as staff members are monitoring the hallways (students
must be supervised between the testing room and the restroom).
8. A group of ELL students is taking the high school Biology test. The test administrator cannot
find a bilingual dictionary, so instead provides them with a standard English-language
dictionary to use. Does this adhere to MCAS test administration protocols?
A. Yes. English-language dictionaries are only forbidden on the ELA Reading Comprehension test.
B. No. Current and former ELL students are only able to use approved bilingual word-to-word
dictionaries/glossaries on the MCAS high school STE tests.
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Answer Key
1. B.
2. B.
3. A.
4. A.
5. A.
6. B.
7. B.
8. B.
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