Pearson recommends proctor caching for all online tests. A caching computer downloads and stores test data, such as multimedia files or test questions, and then serves that data to individual test computers from within the local network. This enables faster test page loading times and more efficient test taking.

The tasks on this page identify the machine or machines to be used for caching. These tasks are a prerequisite to online testing, if proctor caching is to be used.

These setup tasks must be performed before test sessions are created. These tasks only need to be done one time per test administration, unless a change is required. If that happens, the initial settings you enter now can be changed at any later date.

From Setup > Precache Test Content > Create / Edit Configurations, enter the details of any proctor caching computers that you will use to precache tests to create a named configuration and test your TestNav connection. Do this BEFORE you create any test sessions. While you are creating your test sessions, you will select the named configuration to be used for that test session.

From Testing > Sessions > Proctor Caching Test Content, view the list of sessions set up to use proctor caching. The sessions are grouped by the proctor caching computer each is configured to use. For any listed proctor caching computer, select Precache. Do this AFTER all test sessions are created, but before the first test session begins. This will ensure that you cache all of the content needed. This feature requires the use of a Java applet, so the computer from which you perform the action must have Java installed and you must allow the Java applet to run in your browser in order for this to work. To refresh cached content, use the instructions in Manage Online Test Sessions.

If you only perform the configuration step, test content is not yet downloaded and precached. Precaching is not performed automatically, but something you must perform manually.

Optionally, additional proctor caching computers can be added to the configuration. This is generally done in larger schools where testing may involve multiple grades and forms and larger numbers of concurrent testers. In cases like this, a second caching computer and the additional throughput it provides may be beneficial.