Troubleshooting: Why can't I give or administer a benchmark test?

Benchmark tests are only available in the Deluxe version of easyCBM. The Lite account only has progress monitoring measures. The Deluxe version has both types of measures. The benchmark tests are different from the progress monitoring measures in that you do not assign benchmark assessments, the system automatically assigns them to the student by way of their grade in school. Only on-grade tests will only be available to students, and only for grades K-8 (9th grade and above cannot be benchmark tested).

The most common reason why students cannot take or have their benchmark tests recorded is the testing window is closed. Setting and opening a benchmark window is always at the discretion of the user and can be changed at any time. To access this feature, first login to your account and go to the “Admin” tab. Next locate the “Account Management” section and click on System settings. Now, scroll down to the Benchmark Window Settings. To adjust this setting, select the opening and closing dates for the testing window. The benchmark window needs to be current for testing and the remaining benchmark dates need to be staggered with only one testing window open at a time. The dates also need to be moving forward in time. After selecting the dates, please make sure to click on the “Update Benchmark Dates” button in order for the changes to take effect. An example of correct benchmark window for the 2022-2023 academic year is:

Fall Sept. 1 – Sept. 30, 2022

Winter Jan. 1- Jan. 31, 2023

Spring April 1 – April 30, 2023

When the benchmark window is open you have a choice to either download and administer a copy of the test to students (keys are provided for scoring student responses which are entered manually) or have students go online and take a test (which is scored and entered automatically).

Students go to the website address highlighted in blue in the “Measures” section. This address will be: https://app.easycbm.com/+ your username. They will then be able to choose their tests from a drop-down menu (like assessments in the Progress Monitoring section). Only on-grade tests with open benchmark windows, will be available to them. Benchmark measures will have a test name followed by a season (_Fall, _Winter, or _Spring).

If you administer the benchmark assessments in hard copy/paper and pencil format, then you can download the student copies of the tests to administer to students then score them with the answer keys, which can be downloaded from the Measures tab of your account, under the Benchmark tab. Student scores are entered under the same Benchmark tab by clicking on the Enter Scores tab.

What if you opened the testing window and still cannot administer or record benchmark test scores?

There are additional reasons a benchmark may not be assigned or available to record scores:

1.) Only on-grade tests will be available to students and only for grades K-8 (9th grade and above cannot be benchmark tested). Benchmark measures are not assigned like progress monitoring measures. Since they are only taken by students on-grade, the system already knows what tests to assign them. If you already know that a student is not performing at their grade level then the progress monitoring measures should be implemented instead.

2.) Is a student assigned and activated within a group? If you create a group, there must be students assigned or activated within them in order for you or the system to assign a test.

3.) At the beginning of the school year you will need to make sure all of your students are in the grade they need to be at the start school. The easyCBM program will not automatically advance students. When returning students are not advanced, the system will still recognize them as the grade they were in the previous school year. Many tests will likely already be recorded as taken and the system will not allow students to retake a test. Advancing the student's grade will open the new tests up for students. You can address this issue when you upload your student roster. To access this feature, login to your account and click on the Admin tab and scroll down the page to the Student Records section. If you click on the upload student roster link, you will be directed to a page with instructions for preparing and uploading a student roster into your account.

Additional help with prepping and assigning/taking tests is covered in the document: Getting Started With Your easyCBM Account