Online assessment resources

I can’t log in. What might be wrong?

• Make sure you’re using the correct email and login option (Microsoft, GNSPES, or Sign In), following the instructions in the Teacher or Administrator User Guide.
• Check that your school administrator has added you to the platform. 
• Check with your administrator to confirm your email is spelled correctly in the registration list.
• If required (MK, DSEPS, Private schools), complete the Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) process. Staff in these schools must use an authenticator app like Google or Microsoft Authenticator or a physical token connected to an authenticator to complete Multi-Factor Authentication. This is a cybersecurity requirement. 
   

I didn’t receive my Vretta invitation email. What should I do?

• Ensure you were registered. 
  • Administrators can contact plans@novascotia.ca to confirm whether they were registered. 
  • Your administrator can see the list of teachers registered for the school. 
  • Teachers and other staff like VPs who were not on the original registration list must be invited by their school administrator using instructions in the Administrator User Guide .
• Check your junk/spam folder.
• Check with your administrator to confirm your email is entered correctly in the registration list.
• If you are in a public school, you do not need the email—just log in at https://nsa.vretta.com/ using the correct button (either Login with GNSPES or Login with Microsoft). See the Teacher or Administrator User Guide for more information about logging in.
• If you are in MK/DSEPS/private schools, your invitation may need to be re-sent by your administrator. The administrator can use the Teachers and Invigilators and Manage Platform Administrators pages to: 
  • Check when the Vretta invitation email was sent;
  • Check whether login access has succeeded;     
  • Extend the invitation if it expired;
  • Copy and resend the invitation link manually.  

My invitation link expired. Do I need a new one?

• Public school staff: No—just log in directly at https://nsa.vretta.com.
• MK/DSEPS/private school staff: Yes—ask your administrator to extend or reissue the invitation (see previous question) in the platform on the Teachers and Invigilators tab.
   

I logged in but don’t see my school or classes. Why?

• You may have logged in with the wrong email address or used the wrong button: see the Teacher or Administrator User Guide for more information about logging in.
• The email address you were registered under may have a typo: check with your administrator to confirm your email is entered correctly in the registration list.
• You may not have been added to a school yet: contact your administrator to add you.
• You may not have been assigned to a grouping yet: contact your administrator to add you. 
   

I am a vice principal and cannot login (or can’t see my school), what do I do now? 

• Each school has one main administrator (usually the principal) who can invite additional administrators as well as teachers and invigilators to the platform. See the Administrator User Guide for detailed instructions. 
• If the main administrator cannot access their Vretta account, please reach out to plans@novascotia.ca.

Why is the platform asking me to download the Microsoft Authenticator app?

• Public school staff: You may have selected the wrong login option. 
  • Instead of “Sign In,” use the Login with Microsoft or Login with GNSPES buttons (See the Teacher or Administrator User Guide for more detail) and your work email. 
  • Your account should already have Multi-Factor Authentication enabled.
  • You do not need to download any new apps.
• MK/DSEPS/Private schools: Multi-Factor Authentication is required to access the system.
  • You will need to enter a 6-digit code each time you log in.
  • This code comes from the Google or Microsoft Authenticator app or a hardware token provided by your school.
  • If you need help setting this up or don’t have access to a device, contact your principal or IT support.

How do I add a teacher or substitute?

• Only administrators can add teachers. After adding them, the administrator must also assign the appropriate groupings so the teacher can see their students and schedule sessions. 
• Administrators can add a main teacher to a grouping by 
  • Adding a new teacher and select or create a grouping when added (if creating a new grouping in this way, you will have to add students to it in the groupings tab). 
  • Adding a grouping to the teacher in the Teachers and Invigilators tab 
  • Adding a teacher to a grouping in the Groupings tab. 
• Administrators should add additional invigilators to a grouping using the Groupings tab. Assigning invigilators via the Teachers/Invigilators tab will remove the main teacher from the grouping. 
• Substitute teachers can be added on the morning of the assessment if needed.

I added an invigilator to a grouping, but it removed the main teacher from the grouping. What do I do now? 

• Administrators should add additional invigilators to a grouping using the Groupings tab. Using the Teachers/Invigilators tab will remove the main teacher from the grouping. 
• Edit a grouping in the Groupings tab to fix the list of teachers and invigilators.

Why can’t I see my students anymore? 

• Another teacher may have been assigned to your grouping, which can remove access.
• Ask your administrator to reassign teachers using the Groupings tab.

Is it possible for a principal to schedule sessions?

• Yes. In order to do so, the principal must add themselves as a teacher and assign themselves to a grouping.
   

I can’t schedule the session for the exact class start time, does that matter?

• It doesn’t matter—just schedule the session earlier than your class time. 
• Do not schedule sessions later as they will not open if scheduled for a later date or time. 

I created a session by mistake or need to cancel a session. How do I delete a session?

• Simply submit the session. This removes it with no impact to students. 

I submitted a session by mistake, is this a problem?

• It is not a problem. Just start a new session; student progress will be saved. 

It says there is another session open. How do I proceed?

• Only one assessment session can be open at a time for a grouping.
• If the same class is writing different assessments (e.g., Reading/Writing and Mathematics on the same day), create separate groupings for each subject.
• If you created a session by mistake or for practice, simply submit that session before starting a new one.
• Check that you have not scheduled overlapping sessions. For example, submit a practice session before starting the main assessment.
• If changes don’t appear right away, refresh the page.

Do I need to schedule a separate session for each assessment part?

• No—each assessment needs only one session, and each part can be unlocked in turn within each session.

Can I see students’ answers after the assessment?

• No. Student responses and results are not available to teachers. 
• For sample assessments, teachers can review items with students using the provided teacher instructions or project the publicly available sample assessment on a screen.
   

How do we add a student who transferred from another school?

• Contact plans@novascotia.ca to complete the transfer. 
• Students can only be enrolled in one school at a time; the student must be unenrolled from the previous school before the new school can add them. 

How do I correct student information? 

• Teachers can update student name in the platform using the Edit Student information feature (see the Teacher User Guide). 
• To correct the date of birth, or if the change is complex or affects multiple records, PLANS support can make the update centrally—contact plans@novascotia.ca .

How do we change a student’s grouping?

• Administrators can reassign students to new groupings.
• Teachers can also pull students into their grouping in the Manage Students page. 
   

Student is enrolled but cannot log in, what should we do?

• Double-check the login information and ask someone else to type in the information from scratch. Check the following:
  • Birth month and day are in the correct places (not swapped).
  • Access code is correct (e.g. Reading and Writing vs Mathematics).
  • Student number and access code are not swapped. 
• In addition, check the following:
  • The student is enrolled in the course and grouping (administrators can manage student courses).
  • The correct assessment is selected.
  • The assessment session is active and scheduled on or before that day and time.
  • The session is unlocked for that student.
  • The correct access code for that class section/grouping is displayed.

A student logs in and sees “There are no active Assessments that are available for you at this time.” What should we check?

• This usually means the student is not connected to the correct course or the session isn’t available yet. Check the following: 
  • The student must be assigned to the correct course (assessment). Administrators can assign courses.
  • The session must be active and started.
  • The timing for the session must be correct (not in the future).
• Student login details must be entered exactly. 
  • Common errors are switching the access code and student number, or reversing month and day in the date of birth.

The assessment platform says, “You must use either SEB or Kiosk…” What now?

• This means the assessment lock software is not installed or not working. 
• For Chromebooks: 
  • Ensure that Kiosk mode is enabled:
    • Make sure the Chromebook is turned on, connected to the internet, and signed out.
    • On the Chromebook login screen, click on Apps at the bottom left corner.
    • Select Vretta e-Assessments.
    • Contact regional tech support if Kiosk mode is not enabled or Vretta e-Assessments is not available .
  • Try reloading the page and restarting the Chromebook.
  • Try swapping Chromebooks.
  • Use the Report an Issue button on the Session page of the assessment for other issues.  
  • Note: For Chromebooks that are not managed by the school or region, such as bring-your-own
    devices, contact plans@novascotia.ca for instructions. 
• For PCs, laptops, MacBooks: 
  • Check that Safe Exam Browser (SEB) and its configuration file have been installed. If not installed or configured, contact your principal or your school/region tech support.

What does it mean if student sees “session has ended?”

• The session may have been submitted for the individual student; teachers can unsubmit by using the “Show Unsubmit Session” button on the session page. 
• Note that if the student finished and just didn’t get to submit, their work will still be saved and sent for scoring.

A student can’t submit their work or gets an error saving. What should we do? 

• Don’t worry—the student’s work up to that point is saved.
• This issue is often caused by internet or device problems. Try:
  • Switching to another device
  • Moving closer to a stronger Wi‑Fi signal
  • Using a wired connection if available
• The session may have been locked or submitted by the teacher/invigilator:
  • The teacher can try unlocking or un-submitting the student’s individual session
  • If needed, the teacher can start a new session—the student’s progress will carry over

A student got kicked out of the assessment, what happened?

• The session may have been locked or submitted by the teacher/invigilator:
  • The teacher can try unlocking or un-submitting the individual student’s session
  • If needed, the teacher can start a new session—the student’s progress will carry over
• The student may also try restarting or switching to another device. 
• As a last resort, the teacher can enable a lockdown exception for the student within the platform:
• This allows the student to continue, but they will be able to navigate away from the assessment.
  • Extra supervision will be required.
  • The exception should be removed after the session if it was only used as a workaround.
     

The assessment platform says, “You must use either SEB or Kiosk…” What now?

• This means the assessment lock software is not installed or not working. 
• For Chromebooks: 
  • Ensure that Kiosk mode is enabled:
    • Make sure the Chromebook is turned on, connected to the internet, and signed out.
    • On the Chromebook login screen, click on Apps at the bottom left corner.
    • Select Vretta e-Assessments.
    • Contact regional tech support if Kiosk mode is not enabled or Vretta e-Assessments is not available .
  • Try reloading the page and restarting the Chromebook.
  • Try swapping Chromebooks.
  • Use the Report an Issue button on the Session page of the assessment for other issues.  
  • Note: For Chromebooks that are not managed by the school or region, such as bring-your-own
    devices, contact plans@novascotia.ca for instructions. 
• For PCs, laptops, MacBooks: 
  • Check that Safe Exam Browser (SEB) and its configuration file have been installed. If not installed or configured, contact your principal or your school/region tech support.

Why can my student navigate away from and return to the assessment?

• Confirm whether the student has a lockdown exception as part of an adaptation. This will enable students to navigate freely away from the assessment.
• If student navigation issues continue, please use the Report an Issue button within the assessment platform so the vendor can troubleshoot the error. Include the student information and approximate time the student was able to navigate away. 
   

Who can edit and add adaptations?

• Both teachers and administrators can edit adaptations. See the Teacher or Administrator User Guides for more details.
• Be sure to add the relevant adaptations separately for each assessment and only identify those used by the student. 

Why aren’t adaptations showing up? 

• Adaptations must be selected separately for each component of the assessment (e.g., M vs RW).  For example, if a student requires access to the read-aloud it must be enabled separately for each subject.
• Make sure they are checked for the correct language (e.g., Mathematics vs Mathématiques).

How does extra time work?

• Because the built‑in assessment timer has been removed, extra time is now simply a recorded adaptation.  This means the extra time adaptation no longer changes how the assessment runs; it simply documents that the student is entitled to additional time.

How do I disable spell‑check (red underlining) for student writing?

• This is caused by the web browser, not the assessment platform. 
• Spell-check must be disabled centrally by IT through browser settings. Contact your region/school IT help desk for support.

Does the built‑in Listen tool read everything aloud?

• Yes. It reads all passages, questions, and prompts.
• Students can pause, replay, and adjust the speed.

Where is the speech-to-text tool in the platform?

• There is no built-in speech‑to‑text tool.
• Students must have a lockdown exception to use their own assistive technology.
• Because the device is not locked down, extra supervision is required.

Can students use their own assistive technology?

• Yes, if they have a documented adaptation.
• A lockdown exception must be enabled.
• These students require closer supervision during the assessment as they will have access to the internet. 
• Students should launch their assistive technology prior to logging in/launching the assessment.

Does the translator tool read aloud?

• No. The built-in translator provides text translation only, in small segments of 3-4 words at a time.

Can students use other translation tools? 

• Yes, with the following guidelines:
  • Translation is limited to short phrases (3–4 words).
  • Students may use tools such as bilingual dictionaries, glossaries, or translation apps, even if their language is available within the assessment platform. 
  • Translations may be read aloud without explanation if needed.
  • School devices (not personal devices) may be used and must be monitored by the teacher.
  • If a lockdown exception is enabled for translation tools, extra supervision is required.
• The following are not permitted:
  • Translating large sections of the assessment.
  • Taking photos or scanning assessment content.
  • Translating student written responses.
  • Using personal devices.
  • Using math dictionaries that include definitions. 
     

Who do we contact for technical issues (devices, software, internet)?

• For problems with devices, lockdown software, or connectivity, contact your regional IT help desk.

Who do we contact for assessment or platform questions?

• For questions about the assessment, student setup, or platform use, email plans@novascotia.ca or submit a request using the Report an Issue button on the session page.