This document provides technical information relative to computer setup for remotely proctored testing of Avant assessments. You are responsible for ensuring the readiness of the computer you will be using for the test and that the following requirements are met. If you have any questions, please seek support from the school/organization that is sponsoring the test.
Sample Test
Take a Sample Test for the language you are testing to confirm that:
- you can record and playback your Speaking response.
- you can type your Writing response in the language you are testing. Refer to our Writing Input Guide to see which languages require special keyboards.
- your equipment is configured properly and all technology preparation steps are completed before registering for a remote proctored test.
Please review the information in this guide to confirm that your equipment is configured properly before you begin a test.
Networking Requirements
Client Bandwidth
10 Mbps (upload/download speed) of available bandwidth per test taker is recommended.
Testing Equipment Preparation
The following information pertains to setup of the computers that will be used for testing.
Equipment
Ensure that computers are not affected by power saving, screen saver, or shutdown processes that may affect test taking:
- Computer with internet connection and supported browser
- One monitor, keyboard, and mouse
- Web Camera (internal or external) 640×640 resolution (minimum)
- Headset with microphone (See the Headset Guide)
IMPORTANT: Tablets or iPads are not supported by AvantProctor.
We do not recommend tablets or iPads for testing and remote proctoring at the same time. While it is possible to take an Avant assessment on an iPad, if the test taker is being remotely proctored on the same device, the Avant application can not access the microphone to record for the Speaking section.
Computer Requirements
Operating System
- PC Computers with Windows 10 or higher
- Mac Computers with OSX 10.14.6 Mojave or higher
- Chromebooks 89.0 or higher
Processor/RAM
- PC: Dual-core 2.4 Ghz CPU, 4 GB RAM or better
- Mac: Intel / AMD Processor, 4 GB RAM or better
- Chromebooks 4GB RAM
Supported Browsers
- Windows: Chrome 87+
- Mac: Chrome 87+
- ChromeOS: Chrome 89.0+
Browser Requirements
- The browser must be set to allow cookies AND JavaScript.
- The browser must be given permission to use the microphone.
- The browser cannot be set to incognito or private mode.
- Remove or stop all browser extensions except for “Google Input Tools” which can be used to let you type in the language of your choice.
- Chrome must be allowed to share the user’s screen.
Keyboard Character Activation
The test includes a writing section where a virtual keyboard will be needed for typing in the following languages:
Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Cantonese, Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified & Traditional, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Marathi, Russian, Tamil, Telugu, Vietnamese, Urdu.
For more information on loading virtual keyboards for these languages see the Writing Input Guide.
Headset Guidelines
For information on audio settings and troubleshooting recording issues see the Headset Guide.
Security Preparation
Virus Check
Before completing an Avant assessment on a personal device, we suggest completing a virus check on the operating system on that device. This is to ensure that there is no malware present on the device that could compromise the testing data.
If on your testing date, you try to login to an Avant test and you are unable to enter the test, you will have to reschedule your test and complete a virus check or use a different device altogether.
Browser Extensions
We recommend disabling the Grammarly browser extension during testing as it interferes with virtual keyboards. There may also be other extensions which could cause interference and disabling all extensions may be helpful.
Troubleshooting Recording Issues
If you are not able to listen back to your recording inside the speaking section of the test we recommend trying the following steps inside the Sample Test for troubleshooting recording problems.
- Ensure the headset is plugged in.
- Check that the microphone is not muted – many headsets have a mute button on the set itself, or on the wire that is connected to it.
- Check that the volume on the microphone is not turned all the way down or off.
- Be sure to use a supported browser (Chrome).
- Try refreshing the page.
- Try a different supported browser
- Try unplugging the headset and plugging it back in during the test (for USB headsets).
- Ensure that “Allow” is selected in the browser site settings allowing the use of the microphone in the test.
- Check to see if you can record sound in a different application on the computer.
- Make sure that security settings and configurations are not blocking access to Avant’s servers.
Security settings and configurations are probably the most difficult setup issues to troubleshoot.
Your network, hardware and software may have come with presets that you are unaware of and have no experience with. The voice-capturing technology we use inside the Speaking section of the test is a streaming service that is known to be blocked by firewalls and network settings at most business and school locations.
If you are testing from your home this shouldn’t affect your ability to record. If you have tried the above steps and are still unable to listen to your recording you can try:
- A different computer.
- Your computer on a different network.
- A different computer on a different network.
If, after trying these things, you are still unable to record please reach out to someone that can help you with these settings, or your testing coordinator at your school/organization, or Avant’s Support Team.