Setting the Sparx Reading Test
Setting the Sparx Reading Test
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Students do not need to complete the Sparx Reading Test to start reading.
It’s still useful to set a test: this is the best way to measure progress, and it will mean their first books are slightly closer to their level.
Setting the SRT
You can set up a test by following these steps:
Go to More > Reading Test
Select your class
Untick any students who are absent, or who you don't want to sit the test
Click Create Test
Choose which test you would like students to sit: either Form 1 or Form 2
Choose to start the test immediately or schedule it
Choose how long you want the test to be live for
Click Create Test
This video shows the steps listed above:
How long does it take?
The SRT should take between 20-30 minutes.
What type of questions does it ask, and how many?
It is made up of vocabulary and comprehension-style questions.
The test is adaptive, so students will see different questions, and a different number of questions.
What if they don’t finish it in time?
Incomplete tests can be resumed for up to 3 weeks (See Resuming a reading test).
How do I prevent students completing the test at home?
The test expires after 2 hours by default (though you can extend to 9 hours), to prevent students completing the test outside school.
If they haven’t finished by then, a result will not be generated and you will need to re-set them the test for them to complete it.
Can I set the test as homework?
We strongly recommend that the test is completed in school under test conditions.
Is there audio; will I need headphones?
There is no audio during the SRT so students will not need headphones to complete the test.
Are there multiple different tests?
We have two forms of the test, which are similar in design but have different questions.
We recommend sitting Form 1 at the start of the year and then Form 2 at the end of the year.
Resuming a Reading test
If a student runs out of time and doesn’t complete the test within the time you set, they will show as having Partial progress.
You can re-open the test for these students by going to the Resume tests tab and setting a new expiry time.
This will allow them to continue partway through the test instead of having to start again from the beginning.
If you would rather them start the test again, you can follow the original steps above to set them a new test.
Setting the Sparx Reading Test again
You can re-set the SRT at any point if you wish to see a new set of results for your students. You can see all SRT results for a student on the Sparx Reading Test Report.
NB: If a student's reading age result from the SRT has changed, this will not affect their Sparx Level or the books that they are offered.
However, if you notice a big discrepancy you can always manually override a student's Sparx Level (more information here: Changing a student's Sparx Level.
If you think you may have set the wrong Form of the Sparx Reading Test please see the article: What happens if I have set the wrong form of the SRT?
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