'NCEA_EXAM' VLAN

[Simon Wright]

So part of the config under N4Ls managed network is a 'NCEA_EXAM' VLAN.

Is this just for future use? is it going to be enabled on wifi for exams this year?

Just curious.

Regards,

Simon Wright

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[Ben - CBHS]

We're using it for the first time this year.

We have a WLAN with SSID "NZQA Exams", that's connected to VLAN "NZQA Exams", which has Palo Alto firewall rules to allow only a whitelist of sites - just enough for the NZQA website and the Assessment Master exam platform to work - and block everything else.

N4L have that whitelist defined centrally - it was a collaboration between the NZQA and N4L - but I believe it's configured/enabled per-school i.e. you need to ask for it.

NB: N4L have a freeze on firewall changes around exam season, so it is probably too late to get any changes made now.

The NZQA recommend that you take suitable measures to ensure students can't access other resources during the exam. This separate-WLAN approach is their recommended way to achieve that (but they don't require its use, at least not yet).

It also helps with e.g. Grammarly apps/extensions, as they don't work without being able to talk to home base - so you don't need to be quite so vigilant about the new-for-2025 advice in ensuring students have no Chrome extensions enabled.

The way to ensure students actually use the NZQA Exams Wi-Fi (during exams) is to have another firewall rule to block access to the Assessment Master platform for student's regular Wi-Fi network(s). It's suggested that this block could be enabled only during exam season - but we intended to leave it there permanently. We got an additional whitelist item added so that practice exams (past digital assessments) work.

Be aware that students don't know how to browse to a URL (nzqa.govt.nz) - they only know how to Google/Bing search for  it, and such search sites are not on the whitelist. You'll need to train students on how to type in a URL and/or have them bookmark it.

Oh, I joined the group again. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me back :)

[Simon Wright]

Thanks Ben,

Yeah, obviously a bit late in the game to enable anything, will look at it again next year once we have our PA box.

Regards,

Simon Wright

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[Sam McNeill]

Welcome back Ben - great to have you (and your expertise) back and sharing !

[Sue Way]

Welcome back Ben,

Will be super interested to see how it goes.

I wonder if NZQA has thought of making students hide bookmarks, we do here, during the exam. You can put an awful lot of information in the bookmarks bar and do not have to navigate away from the exam, it is way easier than writing formular on your arm. 

We get all students to remove all extensions and hide bookmarks Bar for any digital exam.

I don't worry about internet filtering as the student can't navigate away from the the exam page without being locked. When it comes to making them connect to a different SSID the supervisors would have to check every device. Pretty easy to have your phone hotspot setup with the same SSID..

BTW I never cheated in an exam in my life.

Ngā mihi nui

Sue Way | IT Services Director (she, her)

Te Kura Manawaroa o Pipitea | Wellington Girls' College

Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011