Surpass 12.23 Release Information (November 2020)
We've introduced some exciting new features and performance enhancements in the 12.23 release of Surpass. Read a brief description of each feature below.
Watch the Surpass 12.23 Release Playlist on the Learning Portal for a demonstration of some of the key features.
Notice: This is the last Surpass Release Notes article to be hosted on this Knowledge Base. Surpass Release Notes have been replaced by the Surpass Changelog on the Surpass Help Site, where you can find information for all releases both prior to and following 12.23.
New and Improved Features
NEW: Surpass Help Site implementation
Description: All contextual help links in Surpass now point to the relevant content on the new Surpass Help Site.
Purpose: The new Surpass Help Site features all-new content that has been redesigned and restructured to increase readability and usability compared to the previous documentation.
Video: https://youtu.be/eIZHJukHOxg
HTML Support
Description: The ‘Invigilate’ screen now has a toggle to switch between 'Flash' and the new 'HTML' view. The following functionality is not yet available on the 'HTML' screen:
- Change Associated Centre
- Candidate Resume Code
- Customisation of columns in 'Site Settings'
- Modify Break Duration
- Modify Duration
- Modify Submission Date
- Pause/resume/void for offline tests
- Print Invigilation Pack via the Wizard
- Re-assign User Associations
- The option to ‘Take on Paper’ and ‘Upload Responses’
NEW: HTML ‘Results’ screen
Description: The ‘Results’ screen now has a toggle to switch between 'Flash' and the new 'HTML' view. The following functionality is not yet available on the 'HTML' screen:
Description: The ‘Results’ screen now has a toggle to switch between 'Flash' and the new 'HTML' view. The following functionality is not yet available on the 'HTML' screen:
- Customisation of columns in 'Site Settings'
- Show to centre functionality (includes Package test and View Responses)
NEW: HTML Feedback button
Description: There is a new 'Feedback' button on all of the new HTML Test Administration screens. This link opens a survey for you to provide BTL with feedback on these screens.
Purpose: We would really appreciate your feedback on the new HTML Test Administration screens to help us prioritise their continued development.
Description: There is a new 'Feedback' button on all of the new HTML Test Administration screens. This link opens a survey for you to provide BTL with feedback on these screens.
Purpose: We would really appreciate your feedback on the new HTML Test Administration screens to help us prioritise their continued development.
IMPROVED: HTML 'Mark' Screen
Description: The HTML ‘Mark’ screen is now out of Beta and is part of the ‘Mark’ screen with a new toggle to switch between 'Flash' and the new 'HTML' view. The ‘HTML’ screen does not currently support annotations in marking.
Purpose: The ‘Mark’ screen now allows you to view results in Flash and HTML tests in Surpass, including the ability to mark all Flash items from the HTML screen. This is part of the ongoing conversion from Flash to HTML.
Description: The HTML ‘Mark’ screen is now out of Beta and is part of the ‘Mark’ screen with a new toggle to switch between 'Flash' and the new 'HTML' view. The ‘HTML’ screen does not currently support annotations in marking.
Purpose: The ‘Mark’ screen now allows you to view results in Flash and HTML tests in Surpass, including the ability to mark all Flash items from the HTML screen. This is part of the ongoing conversion from Flash to HTML.
IMPROVED: HTML default subject type upon creation
Description: When creating a subject, the default content type is now HTML instead of Mixed. Users can still create Mixed subjects by changing the content type.
Purpose: HTML subjects being the default subject type is part of the ongoing transition from Flash to HTML.
Description: When creating a subject, the default content type is now HTML instead of Mixed. Users can still create Mixed subjects by changing the content type.
Purpose: HTML subjects being the default subject type is part of the ongoing transition from Flash to HTML.
Video: https://youtu.be/8ob5velD3JU
IMPROVED: HTML responses display additional files
Description: A new table detailing additional files uploaded by markers is now available in the ‘View Responses’ dialog for HTML File Attach responses. This is available on the 'Moderate', 'Re-mark', 'Audit', and 'Results' screen.
Purpose: This allows markers to upload additional files to File Attach questions in the 'View Responses' dialog on the Flash 'Mark' screen for HTML responses and view them on the other 'Test Administration' screens.
Description: A new table detailing additional files uploaded by markers is now available in the ‘View Responses’ dialog for HTML File Attach responses. This is available on the 'Moderate', 'Re-mark', 'Audit', and 'Results' screen.
Purpose: This allows markers to upload additional files to File Attach questions in the 'View Responses' dialog on the Flash 'Mark' screen for HTML responses and view them on the other 'Test Administration' screens.
Delivery
Description: The Surpass audio player is now accessible for candidates using keyboard tabbing. Item authors can configure the audio waveform for delivery.
Purpose: This feature allows candidates to use keyboard tabbing with the audio player in delivery.
Affected Delivery method: HTML web delivery, HTML SecureClient
WCAG Conformance: Conformant with WCAG 2.0 level AA
Tasks
NEW: Standard Setting task with Angoff ratings
Description: You can now create ‘Standard Setting’ tasks. Assignees can give items an initial rating and a revised rating according to the Angoff standard setting rating method.
Purpose: This feature lets you perform standard setting on an item list to help determine cut scores for your tests.
Video: https://youtu.be/TIOeZ0tB9yM
NEW: Tag collections in Standard Setting tasks
Description: You can now assign tag collections to ‘Standard Setting’ tasks.
Purpose: This feature lets you view and compare multiple tag collections in a ‘Standard Setting’ task. If revised Angoff ratings are enabled, assignees can view tag collections after they have given their initial Angoff rating.
NEW: Standard Setting task CSV export
Description: The ‘Download a summary’ function for task managers and lead assignees now includes assignees’ ratings for ‘Standard Setting’ tasks.
Purpose: This feature lets you view and compare Angoff ratings from multiple assignees.
NEW: Tag collections in Standard Setting tasks
Description: You can now assign tag collections to ‘Standard Setting’ tasks.
Purpose: This feature lets you view and compare multiple tag collections in a ‘Standard Setting’ task. If revised Angoff ratings are enabled, assignees can view tag collections after they have given their initial Angoff rating.
NEW: Standard Setting task CSV export
Description: The ‘Download a summary’ function for task managers and lead assignees now includes assignees’ ratings for ‘Standard Setting’ tasks.
Purpose: This feature lets you view and compare Angoff ratings from multiple assignees.
Item Authoring
Description: You can now create item lists in the Item Lists screen using a spreadsheet import. When editing an existing item list, you can also import additional items, replace existing items, or update the order of your items using a spreadsheet.
Purpose: This allows you to import items to new and existing item lists in a specific order.
Video: https://youtu.be/Nz12xI16ntc
NEW: Enlarging images
Description: You can now enlarge images when editing items in 'Item Authoring' and 'Tasks'.
Purpose: This feature allows you to easily view images added to items without having to preview the item.
NEW: Item Set Media
Description: You can now add media to item sets.
Purpose: This allows you to share media with all items in an item set. The shared media can appear above or below the item set’s shared question stem, which always appears above the question stem of each individual item within the set.
Description: You can now enlarge images when editing items in 'Item Authoring' and 'Tasks'.
Purpose: This feature allows you to easily view images added to items without having to preview the item.
NEW: Item Set Media
Description: You can now add media to item sets.
Purpose: This allows you to share media with all items in an item set. The shared media can appear above or below the item set’s shared question stem, which always appears above the question stem of each individual item within the set.
Video: https://youtu.be/lKRgl7-XVC4
IMPROVED: Essay word count and character limit redesign (HTML delivery)
Description: The word count and character limit features have been redesigned for Essay items in HTML delivery.
Purpose: This feature makes the word count and character limit clearer for the candidate.
Description: The word count and character limit features have been redesigned for Essay items in HTML delivery.
Purpose: This feature makes the word count and character limit clearer for the candidate.
IMPROVED: Bulk Update ‘Tags’ user interface
Description: The tags interface in 'Bulk Update' has been redesigned to improve performance and usability.
Purpose: This feature allows you to bulk update tags more quickly.
Description: The tags interface in 'Bulk Update' has been redesigned to improve performance and usability.
Purpose: This feature allows you to bulk update tags more quickly.
IMPROVED: Special Characters
Description: The special characters available to use in text boxes now include more characters.
Purpose: This gives item authors more options when using special characters.
IMPROVED: Extended Boolean logic in ‘Item Search’
Description: This feature adds additional functionality to ‘Item Search’, including 'NOT' Boolean logic.
Purpose: The improved Boolean logic allows for more varied search combinations.
Description: This feature adds additional functionality to ‘Item Search’, including 'NOT' Boolean logic.
Purpose: The improved Boolean logic allows for more varied search combinations.
Video: https://youtu.be/AZ3VUeHS6W8
IMPROVED: Add images to Extended Matching answer options
Description: Item authors can now add images to answer options for Extended Matching questions.
Purpose: This allows candidates to match answers with a visual representation as well as text.
Description: Item authors can now add images to answer options for Extended Matching questions.
Purpose: This allows candidates to match answers with a visual representation as well as text.
Video: https://youtu.be/nS0QCxvPgns
IMPROVED: Answer options as a table improvements
Description: Additional functionality is now available in the formatting toolbar when setting answer options as a table in Multiple Choice and Multiple Response items, and Multiple Choice and Multiple Response survey items.
Purpose: This feature improves the editing options when creating tables for answer options. This includes the option to clear formatting.
IMPROVED: Multiple Unit Conversions Glossaries
Description: You can now upload glossaries when uploading a profile in the Unit Conversions screen so that each profile is associated with its own glossary.
Purpose: This allows you to use different glossaries across multiple subjects.
Test Creation
IMPROVED: Test form sections improvements
Description: Test form sections are now expanded by default. If test forms contain more than 12 sections or 50 items/rules, you must still 'Select to show test form content'.
Purpose: This ensures you can see items and rules within sections without having to manually expand them. The 'Select to show test form content' button improves the performance of the screen where there is a large amount of data.
Description: Test form sections are now expanded by default. If test forms contain more than 12 sections or 50 items/rules, you must still 'Select to show test form content'.
Purpose: This ensures you can see items and rules within sections without having to manually expand them. The 'Select to show test form content' button improves the performance of the screen where there is a large amount of data.
Setup
IMPROVED: Site administrators can control publication of tags in 'Test Creation'
Description: Site administrators can control which tags are published from 'Item Authoring' to 'Test Creation'.
Purpose: This improves performance as tags that are not required in 'Test Creation' are not published.
IMPROVED: Validation to prevent the duplication of tag values
Description: This feature adds validation when users add a double space between words when creating a tag value if a tag value with that name containing a single space already exists.
Purpose: This helps prevent tag values being duplicated due to misspelling.
---
Performance Improvements
There have been a number of improvements and updates to the performance of Surpass, including:
- Subjects containing items with lots of tags now load quicker.
- Subjects containing items with lots of tools now publish in less time.
- Multiple users creating subjects simultaneously can now do so in less time.
- Items now perform more reliably when being previewed by lots of 'Tasks' assignees simultaneously.
- Items in the same subject being updated simultaneously now update quicker in higher volumes.
- Bulk updating tags updates quicker and emails the user the relevant information in the attached report.
---
Integration: API v2
There will be a number of improvements and updates to v2 of the Surpass API, including:
- A defined ordering for POST and PUT calls for tag collections and subcollections.
- Users can perform bulk POST and PUT calls for tag collections using the OAPI.
- The OAPI and API includes a new publishable property on tag groups for POST, GET, and PUT.
---
A Note on HTML Delivery
Adobe have announced that they will stop supporting Flash by the end of 2020. In response to this, we are accelerating the move to convert Surpass from Flash to HTML5 based technology.
Over the course of the conversion there will be a notable increase in the number of features that are only available in HTML delivery as we stop producing any new development in Flash. For more information about the features that are not currently supported in HTML, please see this article.
If you would like help understanding how to convert your items and exam content to HTML, please contact your account manager to arrange a consultation.
---
Resolved Issues
ID: DE39395
Issue: Images in answer options were displaying as blank when you previewed them in HTML.
Resolution: Images in answer options are now displayed when you preview them in HTML.
ID: DE42687
Issue: Test forms were not validating when they included Drag and Drop items with answer options containing ampersands.
Resolution: Test forms validate when they include Drag and Drop items with answer options containing ampersands.
ID: DE39402
Issue: Text in the header rows of tables was not aligning correctly.
Resolution: Text in the header rows of tables now aligns correctly.
ID: DE39849
Issue: Changing the order of items in subjects was intermittently not saving.
Resolution: The order of items in subjects now saves as expected.
ID: DE40664
Issue: Changing a computer-based project to a computer-based test kept the test duration in days rather than minutes.
Description: The duration of computer-based tests now shows in minutes rather than days when changed from a computer-based project.
ID: DE42891
Issue: Dynamic rules were ignoring the maximum number of required items when ranges were used, unless the maximum number was the only possible outcome.
Description: Dynamic rules are now working as expected.
Issue: Images in answer options were displaying as blank when you previewed them in HTML.
Resolution: Images in answer options are now displayed when you preview them in HTML.
ID: DE42687
Issue: Test forms were not validating when they included Drag and Drop items with answer options containing ampersands.
Resolution: Test forms validate when they include Drag and Drop items with answer options containing ampersands.
ID: DE39402
Issue: Text in the header rows of tables was not aligning correctly.
Resolution: Text in the header rows of tables now aligns correctly.
ID: DE39849
Issue: Changing the order of items in subjects was intermittently not saving.
Resolution: The order of items in subjects now saves as expected.
ID: DE40664
Issue: Changing a computer-based project to a computer-based test kept the test duration in days rather than minutes.
Description: The duration of computer-based tests now shows in minutes rather than days when changed from a computer-based project.
ID: DE42891
Issue: Dynamic rules were ignoring the maximum number of required items when ranges were used, unless the maximum number was the only possible outcome.
Description: Dynamic rules are now working as expected.