North Carolina Online Testing Information - Instructions for BYOD only

Modified on Wed, 6 Dec, 2023 at 8:09 AM

Hello! If you're using a Windows or Apple computer for school exams this year, make sure to use the NCTest Secure Exam Browser. Unfortunately, the NCTest Chrome App won't work on regular computers anymore, but it's still okay for Chromebooks.

These instructions are for BYOD devices only.

System Requirements

NOTE: Devices running Linux or Microsoft Windows RT, XP, Vista will NOT be supported during the 2023-24 school year.

Platform	Browser Required	Type of Install and Availability	Locally Managed Requirements and Restrictions	Minimum Tech Specs
Windows 8 Windows 10 Windows 11 Mac OS X 11 +	NCTest Secure Browser	For NCTest Secure Browser:	Enforce availability of data.ncsu.edu and center.ncsu.edu. Enforce minimum number of locally running applications running at the same time as the NCTest Secure Browser. Only minimum OS, antivirus, security tools, etc. should be running on computers for the best performance. Antivirus and security software must be set to permit the NCTest Secure Browser to install and run.	Pentium 4 or newer for Windows and Intel for Macs, 1GB of RAM, 350MB of available file space 9.5" or larger screen 1024 horizontal screen resolution

Chromebook	Chrome with NCTest Chrome App version 3.8 or higher	No install necessary as Chrome browser is required for Chromebooks. NCTest Chrome App 3.8 will require set up and configuration.	NCTest Chrome App version 3.8 is available in the Chrome App Store. Updated information regarding use of the NCTest Chrome App will be posted here when available. Screen Resolution Adjustment: Chromebook models come with a pre-set single screen resolution. On some models, the resolution will be unacceptable for NCTest use. In order to "change" the resolution, local administrators/technicians must use the Settings option (from the menu in the top right hand corner), and click on 'Show Advanced Settings...'. Once the advanced settings are visible, adjust the Page Zoom lower than 100%. Some experimentation may be required to find what value works best; the width of the pre-set Chromebook model resolution divided by 1024 is a reasonable starting place. NOTE: The reverse is also true. If your resolution is correct by default, zooming in may make the resolution too low.	9.5" or larger screen Version 58 of Chrome/Chromium or higher required. Latest version is recommended. NCTest Chrome App 3.8 or higher

Platform

Browser
Required

Type of Install
and Availability

Locally Managed
Requirements and
Restrictions

Minimum
Tech Specs

Windows 8
Windows 10
Windows 11

Mac OS X 11 +

NCTest Secure Browser

For NCTest Secure Browser:

Enforce availability of data.ncsu.edu and center.ncsu.edu. Enforce minimum number of locally running applications running at the same time as the NCTest Secure Browser. Only minimum OS, antivirus, security tools, etc. should be running on computers for the best performance. Antivirus and security software must be set to permit the NCTest Secure Browser to install and run.

Pentium 4 or newer for Windows and Intel for Macs,
1GB of RAM,
350MB of available file space
9.5" or larger screen
1024 horizontal screen resolution

Chromebook

Chrome with NCTest Chrome App version 3.8 or higher

No install necessary as Chrome browser is required for Chromebooks. NCTest Chrome App 3.8 will require set up and configuration.

NCTest Chrome App version 3.8 is available in the Chrome App Store. Updated information regarding use of the NCTest Chrome App will be posted here when available.

Screen Resolution Adjustment: Chromebook models come with a pre-set single screen resolution. On some models, the resolution will be unacceptable for NCTest use. In order to "change" the resolution, local administrators/technicians must use the Settings option (from the menu in the top right hand corner), and click on 'Show Advanced Settings...'. Once the advanced settings are visible, adjust the Page Zoom lower than 100%. Some experimentation may be required to find what value works best; the width of the pre-set Chromebook model resolution divided by 1024 is a reasonable starting place. NOTE: The reverse is also true. If your resolution is correct by default, zooming in may make the resolution too low.

9.5" or larger screen
Version 58 of Chrome/Chromium or higher required. Latest version is recommended.
NCTest Chrome App 3.8 or higher

Windows BYOD Installation

Part 1

Install Safe Exam Browser

You must have full administrative rights to your computer.
Click on the link below
https://drive.google.com/u/0/uc?id=1S0X8JQE2x0gQmBhadAvMF12oTcHaMn1D&export=download
Click on "Download anyway"
Open the download to start the installation. Select "I agree to the license terms and conditions" and select Install.
Select Yes to allow the program to make changes to the device.
Once completed, you will see the following screen below. Select Close and proceed to Part 2.

Part 2

Download and install configuration file

Click on the link below to download and save the configuration file.
https://drive.google.com/u/0/uc?id=1GdMFQxNbFeIu1U9JsJEaBNN3NgnBPE8z&export=downloa
Open the configuration file to run it (NCTEST.seb). You will the message below once the configuration has been installed successfully.
Select Yes to close the installation window and proceed to the next step.

Part 3

Open your Windows start menu and navigate to your apps and look for the Safe Exam Browser application.
Right click the app, select more and select Pin to Taskbar. This will add a shortcut to your taskbar menu.
Open the app to begin using the Safe Exam Browser.

Apple BYOD Installation

Part 1

Install Safe Exam Browser

You must have full administrative rights to your computer.
Click on the link below
https://drive.google.com/u/0/uc?id=1YCaHRQEfMmmdEzvd_llZllWV3Tz-THsU&export=download
Click on "Download anyway" and "allow".
Open the downloaded .dmg file. On the window below, drag the Safe Exam Browser Icon over to the Applications folder as shown below. Leave the window open for now.

Part 2

Download and install configuration file

Click on the link below to download the configuration file.
https://drive.google.com/u/0/uc?id=1GdMFQxNbFeIu1U9JsJEaBNN3NgnBPE8z&export=download
Open the downloaded file. It will begin to self install. Once completed, the Safe Exam Browser will load and be ready to use.

Part 3

Adjust scroll bar settings

On newer devices using macOS with the secure browser, scroll bars hide until the user tries to scroll via the mouse. To enable the scroll bars to always be visible follow these steps:

Select System Preferences icon on the desktop dock.
Select General.

In the Show scroll bars area, select Always.

Chromebook BYOD Installation

Part 1

Download NCTest from the webstore

On your Chromebook, do a Google search for "NCTest Chrome App".
Click on the first search result to bring you to the webstore. You may run into issues if you try to search for NCtest directly from the webstore catalog.
Click “+ ADD TO CHROME”.
To run the app, open a new tab, click “Apps”, then “NCTest”.