System Requirements

Here are the minimum system requirements for Summative testing through the Comprehensive Assessment Platform.

Student Technology Requirements

NWEA secure testing browsers and apps are required for Summative testing, and are highly recommended for MAP® Growth™. With proper setup, these tools prevent students from accessing other websites.

 

Device Operating System Secure Testing Tool
Windows® PC*

Windows 7, 8.1, or 10

NWEA secure browser for PC, 5.4.180.0 minimum

See Windows Setup

Mac®

MacOS® 10.12 minimum
(10.13 suggested)

NWEA secure browser for Mac, 5.0.0.0 minimum

See Mac Setup

iPad®
(not iPad mini)

iOS 9 minimum
(12 or 13 suggested)

NWEA Secure Testing App, 3.1.0 minimum—See iPad setup
Chromebook*

Google Chrome OS™ 65 minimum (78+ suggested)

NWEA Secure Testing App, 3.3 minimum —See iPad setup

See Chromebook setup

*Touch screens are not supported, and Chromebook™ tablets are only supported with an external keyboard.

Recommended: Set up computer user accounts dedicated to testing and disable digital assistants (Siri® and Cortana®), voice dictation, and unsupported screen readers (Chromevox™ and VoiceOver™). See Computer User Accounts for Testing for details.

 

Proctors, Teachers, and Staff Requirements

To administer testing, access reports, and use other administrative features:

  • Use any of these supported browsers:
    • Chrome 71 minimum (78+ suggested)
    • Safari 11 minimum (12+ suggested)
    • Firefox 64 minimum (71+ suggested)
    • Microsoft Edge 79 minimum
  • Allow cookies and pop-ups—see Staff Browser and Other Settings

  • Use iPads with caution because they are not fully supported

Hardware Specifications

Computer hardware must meet the minimum requirements specified by the manufacturers of the operating system and browser in use. Hardware that exceeds the minimum requirements is recommended for an optimal experience. For computer display, follow these specifications:

  • Screen Resolution Minimum: 1024 x 768 for students, and 1280 x 1024 for staff

  • Scaling or Zoom: 100%

  • Color Depth: 32-bit recommended (minimum 16-bit)

Headphones for students

For students using the Text-to-Speech tools (one of the accommodations available to qualified students), you should provide headphones so other students are not disturbed by the audio playback.

Network Bandwidth

The following bandwidth recommendations are based on best-estimate calculations. Test sites that do not meet these recommendations will be able to deliver assessments, but they may experience delays.

  • 3 Mbps for every 30 computers concurrently testing.
  • Look for limitation points in your internal network (such as school-to-district connections when the district has the main internet connection).
  • You may need to calculate the bandwidth requirements separately for each , depending on the number of tests planned. The requirements increase when you test more students, more subjects, or more schools.

To perform an internet speed test, use a website such as www.speedtest.net and select Portland, Oregon (the primary location of NWEA servers). For each building where testing will take place, perform the test at different times during the school day to understand the variations in bandwidth usage. Record the download speeds and use them to approximate your available bandwidth during testing.

Wireless Recommendations

Here are general guidelines for Wireless Access Points (WAPs), based on 802.11 g, n, or ac:

  • Under 25 devices per WAP = acceptable
  • Between 26 to 50 devices = check the performance
  • Over 50 devices = try to decrease the number of devices
  • WAP should be in the same room as the testing devices

In the WAP configuration, strive to limit connections to just testing devices. Also, limit devices to connect only with the closest WAP (for example, avoid overlapping channels and disable promiscuous mode on devices). During testing, monitor for interference from rogue WAPs, non-testing devices, and non-testing activities, like iOS updates. If errors occur, try disabling automatic load balancing.

Firewall Allowlist and Email Configuration

For the following URLs, you should: add to your allowlists, exclude from caching, and prioritize the traffic. Update both hardware (such as firewall, content filter, and proxy server/cache) and software (such as antivirus and anti-malware). Allow the changes to propagate before testing.

  • Sites for test and administration: 

    api.nwea.org
fonts.googleapis.com
gstatic.com
https://cdn.mapnwea.org
https://item.mapnwea.org
https://practice.mapnwea.org
https://sso.mapnwea.org
https://teach.mapnwea.org
https://test.mapnwea.org
multimeasures.mapnwea.org
newrelic.com 
nr-data.net				
uap-sso.nwea.org

    Also, if using Text-to-Speech accommodation tools:

    https://*.speechstream.net
https://speechstreamtoolbar-webservices.texthelp.com

  • Sites for training, documentation, and analytics: 

    https://nwea.force.com/nweaconnection/
https://dpdol.nwea.org
https://legal.nwea.org
https://prolearning.nwea.org
https://prolearningonline.nwea.org
https://start.nwea.org
https://www.surveygizmo.com

 

  • Allow in email spam filter (both server and clients): 

    *@nwea.org

    For example, MAP-AutoResponder@nwea.org is used to send login credentials to staff. Also check whether your filters will block bulk emails from arriving in a short period of time. Either temporarily disable that filter or add an exception for *@nwea.org.

Staff Browser and Other Settings

You can either push the following configurations to staff devices or instruct staff to make changes themselves (if they have permission).

Browser settings:

  • Enable JavaScript.

  • Enable cookies. This setting can be applied globally or directly to the staff site teach.mapnwea.org.

  • Allow pop-ups. Add the site teach.mapnwea.org to the list of allowed sites in the pop-up blocker settings, including pop-up blocker add-ons. If pop-ups remain blocked, then PDF reports will not display automatically and you must click an additional link to open it.

    For staff completing NWEA training, also allow the above list of training sites.

  • Disable saved password. Recommended for security purposes.

  • See also: Proctors, Teachers, and Staff Requirements.

Other settings:

  • Set screen resolution. Optimal screen resolution is 1280 x 1024.
  • Adjust clock if incorrect. The device clock must be within 5 minutes of the official standard time in your area. If the time does not match, then access to reports and other parts of the site might fail.
  • Allow NWEA email. If the device has a spam filter, ensure it allows email from *@nwea.org to receive the automated email with login credentials.