Are students allowed to skip a test question?
In Track My Progress it is possible for students to 'skip' test questions if they feel a question is too difficult for them.
The skip functionality provides students a method to move through test questions that are too challenging without agonizing over them or resorting to guessing. When a student skips a test question this information is recorded in the test record for the teacher to review later and the next test questions will be at a less challenging level. This makes for a more engaging and less intimidating test experience for all students.
To skip a Track My Progress test question a student can follow these steps:
While viewing a test question that is too difficult direct the student to press the green 'next' button
A pop-up window will present a dialog asking the student to confirm that she wants to skip the test question
The student selects the 'Skip' button to confirm she wants to skip the current test question. If she pressed the next button by accident without first entering her answer, she can press the 'Finish' button to return to the test question and complete it.
Suggestions for managing your students use of the skip functionality
Typically younger students are reluctant to use the skip button. If you are proctoring a test session and see a long reading passage on the screen for a beginning reader, or you see a student struggling to decipher a mathematical concept that has not been taught, you can remind the student it is ok to skip a question when they don't know the answer.
- Older students may sometimes over-use the skip functionality. You may notice a student feels pressure to complete his test at the same time as other students and tries to skip a test question. These students need to be encouraged to try there best even if the question is a little challenging.
- Some teachers will only permit students to skip a test question after they have raised their hand and the teacher has looked at the test question and agrees it is too hard or includes concepts that have not been taught. This provides students the flexibility to skip a test question when necessary but avoids students skipping moderately challenging test questions without a good reason.