Coordinating | Admin | Exams | Electronic | Operational | Practice window
E-exams
Practice window
The practice window is an opportunity for schools to use the e-exam system before end-of-year exams.
| Availability of practice window | |
|---|---|
| SA/NT and Southern Hemisphere cycle | Monday 26 August – Friday 20 September |
| Northern Hemisphere cycle | TBA |
While students can access past and sample e-exams at any time, during this window the system will be locked-down and provide a closer experience to what they will have during their final exams, all while being fully supported by us.
It's specifically designed to assess your school's technical readiness and exam day preparedness and familiarise students with the e-exam system.
Details about nominations and training (e.g. for exam invigilators) and other information will be provided as the year progresses.
FAQs
Is participation in the practice window compulsory?
Participation in the practice window is not compulsory. However, our experience has demonstrated that schools found the opportunity to test their technical and operational readiness invaluable in their preparations for the final examinations.
Will training be provided prior to the practice window?
Yes, all three phases of training will be available before the practice window begins. Training is delivered in PLATO, the SACE Board’s learning management system. It is essential all exam day staff participate in the training prior to the practice window.
How do I access the practice window?
Schools can determine when they will use the practice window (between the practice window dates identified above) and how this will be used by their students. Instructions will be provided to schools on how to access the system, generate student labels and access codes. Schools will be able to do so as soon as the practice window opens.
Students are only able to access the practice window if and when their school chooses to utilise the practice window.
Will the SACE Board provide more practice windows later in the year?
There will only be one practice window available. See the practice window dates in the table above.
Can we run multiple practice exams during the window?
Yes, the number of exams and the duration of the exam you conduct during the window is up to you.
It is recommended that schools don’t wait until the end of the window to run their practice window exam(s). Having enough time to undertake a second run will allow for ironing out any issues that might come up during the initial exam undertaken in the practice window.
Student login
Schools are encouraged to get enrolments in these subjects recorded early in Schools Online. For those enrolments that are in Schools Online by the date of the practice window, these students will be able to log in using their SACE student registration number. A limited number of ‘guest learner’ accounts will be provided to allow for changes in enrolments.
Can student responses and results be obtained from the practice window?
Yes, student responses will be available for Exam School Administrators to download once a student has completed their Practice Window examination.
Can we access the practice examinations outside of the practice window?
No, the access window for the practice window exam is fixed, however a range of familiarisation activities, with questions based on past exams are available on the SACE website.
Can teachers create their own exams for students to use during the practice window?
No, the current licensing and commercial arrangements the SACE Board has with the provider of the e-exam system do not allow for use of the system by anyone other than the SACE Board for the purposes of delivering examinations. Online assessment tools are being used by some teachers and we encourage you to connect with your colleagues to see how they are incorporating electronic assessments into their teaching.
Will the SACE Board provide exam materials (e.g. attendance slips) for the practice window?
No, the SACE Board will not provide exam materials for the practice window. All materials required by students to participate in the practice exam will be made available through the e-exam system.
Are the e-exams available in the practice window similar to what students can expect in the end of year final exams?
The practice window exam will have content derived from past or sample papers for each subject so that students can practice undertaking an e-exam. The content of the practice window exam includes all the features and functionality that students might see in their end of year e-exam for the relevant subject. For subjects with multimedia content in the practice window exam, it is important that students have access to headphones that work with their device
What support will the SACE Board provide during the practice window?
The askSACE team will be on hand to provide support during the practice window and can be contacted on (08) 8115 4700 or askSACE@sa.gov.au (between 9 am and 5 pm (ACDT), Monday to Friday).