Surpass 12.21 Pre-Release Webinar & Podcast

Join Tom and Adam from the Product Communications and Training Team as they guide you through the exciting new features and workflow enhancing updates coming soon to Surpass.

This webinar is also available as a podcast. This is a perfect accompaniment to the recording, or great as an info-blast for those who need information on-the-go.

Topics Covered

Bulk update in Item Search and Lists (2:45)

Bulk update is a great time-saver for updating the same piece of information on multiple items at once, but until now, it was only available at Subject level. We’ve introduced the ability to bulk update certain data from item lists, meaning you can search for all items that meet specific criteria across multiple subjects, and update them all at the same time.

Unit Conversions (7:03)

If you’re delivering tests across multiple territories it’s quick and easy to convert units of measurement in your items (e.g. miles to kilometres, fluid oz. to ml). You can now upload conversion profiles to bulk update items, which is as simple as creating a spreadsheet with the conversion formulas in it. This ensures accuracy and consistency, and means that units don’t have to be calculated and updated manually on every item.

Advanced Numerical Entry Enhancements (10:25)

This question type is further enhanced with the ability to input answers to a table, creating a more real-world test of data input. There’s also the introduction of answer collections, so the system can recognise a correct combination of values, regardless of the order the candidate inputs them.

Documents and Spreadsheets as Source Material (16:15)

In a paper examination, candidates often have the opportunity to jot down rough notes, but until now, this wasn’t available on-screen (at least without allowing separate items to be brought into the exam). The introduction of a word processor and spreadsheet workbook attached as source material gives candidates the comfort of being able to do rough workings and notes on-screen before writing their answer. These source material types are not submitted as part of an answer, so there is no risk of confusion to the candidate or your markers. If you do want candidates to have access to word processors and spreadsheets as part of their submitted test, these can already be included as ‘file attach’ question types.

Enhancements to Web Navigation Source Material (18:25)

Web navigation source material could be added to your exams in previous versions of Surpass, and with the guidance of the Surpass Community this feature has been enhanced to allow navigation functionality similar to that of a typical web browser, however it still features the security and control of Surpass thanks to customisable options by the test author. Uploading your whitelist is as simple as creating a spreadsheet with a list of URLs, as demonstrated in the webinar.

HTML Packages as Source Material (22:00)

There’s no end to the possibilities of this new functionality, meaning you can create truly engaging and authentic assessments for any subject area. By uploading zip files as source material, provide your candidates with innovative and interactive resources, such as 3D models, through uploading a HTML package containing custom content to Surpass.