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Online assessment (primary and secondary)

If your application is successful and is supported by two references, you will be invited to undertake an online assessment. You will be provided with a username and password to access the assessment tasks.

It is essential that you read all the information on this page before accessing the tasks. When you are ready and have read and understood all the information, click on the link below to sign in to the tasks and begin your continuous 36-hour time period.

You may wish to print this page for reference.

What is the purpose of the online assessment?
What does it involve?
How long will the online assessment take?
When will my 36-hour continuous period begin?
By when should I complete it?
What should I do to prepare?
How do I access help or guidance?
What happens next?

What is the purpose of the online assessment?

The SIP online assessment assesses some aspects of the person specification for a School Improvement Partner: your analytical ability and your view of performance and potential. It will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your ability in the use of qualitative and quantitative data.

What does it involve?

The assessment involves reading and analysing some key documentation for a case-study school in order to form some views on the school's performance, its effectiveness and its capacity to improve. More information will be provided when you log on to the assessment tasks.

The following documents will be available for you to download when you begin:

Please note that both the primary and secondary online assessments are now based on RAISEonline Full Reports.

How long will the online assessment take?

You will have a continuous period of 36 hours in which to complete the online assessment. You can save and close what you have done and revisit the task at any time within the 36-hour period.

We estimate that the tasks will take approximately three to five hours to complete. You should also allow for three to five hours' reading time, and enough time to download and print all the documents if you wish to read them in hard copy.

When will my 36-hour continuous period begin?

Your 36-hour continuous period will start once you have clicked to agree to begin the online assessment and have access to the case-study materials. This time limit will not be reset.

To make the best use of the 36-hour period available, in our experience it is advisable to start the assessment early in the day.

By when should I complete it?

Primary SIPs

The online assessment is available to you until further notice.

Secondary SIPs

The online assessment is available to you until further notice.

What should I do to prepare?

Before you begin the assessment, you should take time to read the following pre-assessment checklist. This list includes everything you need to know to ensure you are fully prepared for the assessment and utilise your 36-hour allowance efficiently. Please ensure you can answer 'yes' to the following statements:

  1. The computer I plan to use to complete the task is connected to the internet.
    Note: The assessment can be completed with a dial-up or broadband internet connection. On a dial-up connection, downloading the documents will take longer.
  2. I have Adobe Acrobat Reader on my computer.
    Note: The case-study documents are provided in Adobe pdf format. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required for viewing pdfs; this software is freely available. It is likely you will already have a copy on your computer, as it is a popular format for sharing documents. In order to test whether you already have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your system, please try opening this document /mediastore/image2/pdf-icon.gif (7kb, 1 page). If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you can download the latest version by visiting the Adobe website. Downloading the software may take around an hour, therefore we strongly recommend that you download it before logging on to the assessment.
  3. My computer is connected to a printer, I have checked my printer cartridge and I have sufficient paper available (approximately 150 sheets).
    Note: It is not essential to print the documents but you may find it easier to do so. We advise the use of a colour printer for the RAISEonline Full Report and the Fischer Family Trust documentation because parts of the data are colour-coded. Printing may take a few hours, depending on your printer. You must not photocopy or share any documents that you print and you should shred them once you have finished.
  4. My computer clock is set to the correct time and date.
    Note: The displayed time remaining for you to submit your completed tasks is calculated from your PC clock. If your PC clock is wrong, this will affect the displayed calculation of time remaining. To avoid any confusion, we advise you to check and correctly set the time and date on your PC.
  5. I know my username and password.
    Note: If you have successfully completed the application process, you should have received an email giving you your username and password. If you have not received this, or have lost your details, please contact the NCSL help desk on 0845 609 0009.
  6. I know whom to contact if I have any technical difficulties.
    Note: The  NCSL help desk on 0845 609 0009 is open between 8am and 9pm, Monday to Friday. We will use this website to publicise any change to the opening hours. If you decide to undertake the assessment over a weekend, please be advised that there will not be technical support available from NCSL.
  7. I understand that I shall have a continuous period of 36 hours to complete the assessment from the moment I log in to the tasks.
    Note: Your remaining time allowance will be displayed at the top of the screen once you are logged in to the tasks. You can save and close what you have done and revisit the tasks at any time within the 36-hour period.
  8. I understand that if I have a disability that requires special arrangements to be made for me, I should contact the NCSL help desk on 0845 609 0009 before I begin.

How do I access help or guidance?

Further information and guidance will be displayed once you have logged on to the assessment tool and have agreed to begin the tasks. In addition, help desk staff will be available on 0845 609 0009 to assist with any technical queries or problems during the completion of the online assessment. The help desk is open between 8am and 9pm, Monday to Friday. Please check this page before you start the assessment, as we shall use this space to publicise any change to the help desk opening hours. Please note that the help desk staff cannot answer questions about any aspect of the tasks or provide guidance on how to answer questions. They are available for technical assistance only.

If you have a disability which requires special arrangements to be made for you, please contact the help desk on 0845 609 0009 in the first instance.

What happens next?

You will be informed of the result of your online assessment within 25 working days from submission of your tasks. If you are successful in the online assessment you will then be invited to attend a two-day development and assessment programme.

If you are unsuccessful in the online assessment, you will receive brief written feedback within 15 working days of notification of your results to help you understand any points for development.

Candidates for SIP accreditation who do not meet the standards in the online assessment will have the opportunity to resit this element of the assessment programme. If they do not meet the standards at the second attempt, a third and final opportunity may be available no sooner than 12 months from receiving notification of the results of the second assessment.

Please note that each attempt at the online assessment will be based on materials for a different case-study school.