Online Assessments

Introduction

In this episode, we explain how Online Assessments (OAs) are created and initiated. The input required at this stage comes directly from your OA Strategy and its key phases. Understanding this process ensures that your assessments align with your objectives, are properly structured, and effectively gather the necessary data for evaluation.

Strategy

Your strategy definition phase should provide the input you need to create online assessments. At this stage, you should have configured modules, user accounts, questionnaires and customised fields to record your results.

The table below shows a typical OA strategy:

We recommend you create one dummy OA per strategy item (row on the table above) to fully test:

• The formatting of your questionnaire in the OA Portal
• Tracking results of OA
• Tracking the associated modules tracking of feedback

Start/Stop

An Online Assessment (OA) can be in one of two states:

• Available for Feedback (“Start”) – The OA is open, and participants can access it to provide responses.
• Disabled (“Stop”) – The OA is closed for feedback, and only the Assessor can access it to review responses.

OAs will automatically start and stop based on the dates defined during creation. However, you can manually override these settings at any time by selecting “Start” or “Stop” from the item menu. This flexibility allows you to control the assessment timeline as needed.

Phases & Status

When using Online Assessments (OAs) in Eramba, you’ll notice multiple labels (statuses) in the first column of your filters. These statuses are predefined in Eramba but can be reconfigured or customized to fit your needs.

The diagram below shows the phases of every OA and the associated status you will see (by default) in eramba.

• When an Online Assessment (OA) is created, it goes through the following status changes: “Stop” & “Not Submitted". The OA is created but not yet started. At this stage, your only options are to wait until the scheduled start date or manually start the OA.
• Once the OA starts (automatically or manually), participants can access and respond. The OA remains open for input until the participant submits it or the deadline is reached.
• If the participant completes and submits the OA, the status updates to “Stopped” & “Submitted.” If the deadline is reached without submission, the OA automatically stops and remains “Not Submitted.”
• At this final stage, the OA is closed for feedback, and you can proceed to review the answers and define the assessment result.

Remember that these statuses (represented as gray rectangles in the diagram above) are simply labels designed to help you track the current stage of an Online Assessment (OA).

You have full control over these statuses—you can hide, rename, or create new ones to better fit your workflow. This flexibility allows you to customize the OA process and align it with your organization’s specific needs.

Creating OA

To create Online Assessments (OAs), you have two options:

• Manual Creation: Use the Actions > Add feature to create an OA one by one through the user interface.
• Bulk Upload: If you need to create multiple OAs at once, we recommend using CSV Imports, which allows you to efficiently upload and configure multiple assessments in a single step.

Using CSV Imports is the preferred method when handling large-scale assessments, ensuring consistency and saving time.

OA URL

Each Online Assessment (OA) you create has a unique URL that allows participants to access the system and submit their feedback. This URL is typically embedded into email notifications, ensuring that recipients can easily access the assessment directly from their email.

There are two types of URLs, depending on the authentication setting of the OA:

• Authenticated URL – Requires participants to log in with their credentials before accessing the OA.
• Non-Authenticated URL – Provides direct access without requiring a login, making it simpler for participants to complete the assessment.

The appropriate URL is automatically included in notifications based on the authentication settings you configured during the OA setup.