Pearson Technical Bulletin – April 2, 2014

Java 8 Release and TestNav 8 and Java 7 Critical Patch Update and TestNav 8

This bulletin addresses two key releases from Oracle regarding the Java platform.

  1. The first topic applies to TestNav 8 users who may be considering updating to Java 8.
  2. The second topic applies to TestNav 8 users who currently are running Java 7. 

These two Java releases may have implications for your online testing program.

  1. Release of Java 8 - March 18, 2014
    Oracle released the Java 8 platform on March 18, 2014. This is not a required update and at this time we recommend that TestNav 8 users do not upgrade to Java 8 during student testing windows. We currently are analyzing how Java 8 affects TestNav 8. After our evaluation is complete, we will provide further information regarding if and when to upgrade to Java 8.
  2. Critical Patch Update to Java 7 - April 15, 2014
    Oracle will release a Critical Patch Update for Java 7 On April 15, 2014. When Oracle releases Java Critical Patch Updates, Java automatically checks against the current version and it may notify a user that an update is available. In these cases, the user must accept the Java Critical Patch Update if they are running Java 7. TestNav will not run until the update is made and, depending on a district’s plan for managing Java updates during testing, the Java update notification could disrupt students currently testing. We previously provided a Technical Bulletin detailing this issue; see Effect of Java Critical Patch Updates on TestNav 8 for more information.