New! Nextera Setup & Installation Guide, 2018-19 School Year – Computer Based Testing

3/28/19: New appendixes added (details below).

2/20/19: New updates to the Accessibility section for Text-to-Speech (details below).

12/12/18: New details published by Questar (details below).

10/11/18: This manual has been updated for the 2018-19 School Year.

The Nextera Setup & Installation Guide for the 2018-19 school year has been released by Questar and is available for download from this article. This guide provides instructions for schools to assist with downloading, installing, and testing the Questar Secure Browser on student testing devices, including Chromebooks, Windows machines, Mac computers, and iPads.

Schools can wait until January each school year to update existing Secure Browsers. The NYSED CBT Team will release information in January when the Questar Secure Browser versions are final for the spring CBT administration.

New updates to the guide or changes for the Questar Secure Browser installation for this year include the following:

At this time, Google Chromebooks do not support use of an alternate language keyboard in conjunction with the Questar Secure Browser (relevant for CBT math).
Devices with Touchscreens, such as Chromebooks and Windows machines, are supported this year by Questar (in addition to iPads, which have always been supported for CBT).
Chromebooks that are 2017 and newer will not work in single app kiosk mode in conjunction with the Secure Browser due to a change Google made for security.
- For Chromebooks that are 2017 or newer, the Secure Browser cannot be deployed in single app kiosk mode unless managed through the administrator’s console.
There are new steps for setting up and selecting voicepacks on supported devices for Text-to-Speech (TTS).
- TTS will work if internet connectivity is lost or the network connection is poor this spring.
There are new steps for disabling Siri on Mac computers.
We have updated the system requirements in Appendix B and are providing updated FAQs to assist with common inquiries when installing the Secure Browsers.

New Updates in the Setup & Installation Guide: 3/28/19

Page 45: Questar has added steps to disable Sticky Keys and Filter Keys for Windows devices.
Page 47: Questar has added screen shots and steps to disable Handoff and Siri for Mac devices.
Page 58: Questar has added Appendix E, a table that includes examples of pop-up messages students may encounter during testing, including the potential causes and action steps to take to help resolve the issue.

New Updates in the Setup & Installation Guide: 2/20/19

Page 30: Questar has added the recommended Text-to-Speech (TTS) voicepacks for each testing device type:
- The list represents the voicepacks that may provide the best pronunciation TTS experience to students
Pages 35-37: Questar has added screen shots to show how to adjust Chromebook voice settings for TTS.
Page 51, Appendix B: Questar has added the indication that iOS 12.1.1 support is provided for iPads this spring.

New Updates in Setup & Installation Guide: 12/12/18

Windows Installation: Details about a new Windows installer file (.mst file) for performing silent bulk installations via a GPO; the new download file is available on the Nextera Admin>Downloads page (page 16).
Mac Installation: Details about a new installer file for granting accessibility permissions during installation (page 19).
Mac Installation: Siri must be disabled prior to testing; disabling Siri steps are included as well as an example of the error pop-up that will appear on a student's screen if launching the Secure Browser with Siri enabled; students will not be able to proceed into the online test (page 43).
MacOS is now supported by Questar through version 10.14 (noted in table on page 48).

If you have any questions about installing the Questar Secure Browser or about steps noted in the manual, please contact Questar Customer Support via email or call 866-997-0695.

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