Configure Slots And Sittings

For written components a slot defines the total working hours of the exam. There would typically only be one slot per written component*.

For the speaking component, a sitting defines the total working hours of the session, within which slots for each individual speaking test are calculated. There is no limit to the length of a sitting; however, care must be taken to ensure working hours do not exceed those to which Speaking Examiners are limited.

NB: Slots/sittings must be configured before entries can be allocated. Venues must be configured before progressing to the below steps.

Written components:

1. Select the component from the ‘Components & Venues’ section on the left of the timetabling dashboard
2. Click Manage Slots/Sittings. The ‘[component] Slot Configuration’ window will open.
3. Click Add new slot. A new slot (Slot 1) will be added.
4. Enter the component start time in the format hh:mm (24 hr clock) in the ‘*From’ field
5. Click on the Expand Node (right arrow ) to the left of the slot label. The box will expand to display the ‘Slot venues & rooms’ drop-down menu*.
6. Choose a venue-room combination from the drop-down menu (for venues with no rooms configured, the venue name will be written twice, e.g. ‘Venue 1 – Venue 1’.
7. Click Add venue.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for each venue-room combination you wish to configure to this particular slot.
9. Repeats steps 3 to 8 if you wish to configure multiple slots**
10. Click Save & allocate entries to progress to entry allocation, Save & allocate staff to progress to staff allocation or Save to save your configurations and return to the timetabling dashboard.

If you wish to remove a slot or venue-room combination, click the red cross button that is in line with that particular slot/venue-room combination.

*The venue-room combinations available were configured during venue configuration.

**Multiple slots may be required if you are running your Listening exam back to back due to room capacity restrictions. You may also choose to have slightly different start times if you are running written components over separate venues.

Speaking component:

Once the venues and rooms have been allocated to a speaking date:

1. Select the radio button for the chosen date from the ‘Components & Venues’ box on the left-hand side of the timetabling dashboard.
2. Click on Manage slots/sittings button, which will open up a ‘Speaking – Slot Configuration’ window.
3. Within the ‘Speaking – Slot Configuration’ window, click on Add new sitting button, which will add your first sitting to the selected exam date.
4. In the ‘Sitting x’ window, enter the total working hours in the following format hh:mm (24h clock).

By default, the slot duration displays the maximum amount of time for a Speaking test including the two minute turnaround time. It is possible to increase the time, but you cannot decrease it. The number of candidates per slot is also set to a default value. It is not currently possible to amend this however we are looking to make this field editable in the near future.

5. Click on Add/update slots button – this will automatically calculate and generate a list of available slots and will allow you to see available venues/rooms.
6. From the drop-down list of venues (on the right-hand side), select the venue/room which that you would like to assign to the specified working hours.
7. Click on Add venue button – this will populate the list of ‘Venues & rooms’ on the left-hand side.
8. Set up the breaks. There are several ways of managing breaks:
• You can set a break to reoccur every x number of slots – enter the number in the field furthest to the left, which can be found in line with the ’Slots & breaks’ heading and click on the green Add button
• You can set each break individually – from the drop-down list select the slot after which you would like to add a break and click on the green Add button.
• You can amend breaks times manually – once you have a break listed (by using one of the options above), you can amend the end time in the ‘To’ field. In order to recalculate the slot times, click on Update slot timings button.

Each time a break is added/amended the system will recalculate the slots and inform about removing the necessary slots to ensure that the sitting is taking place within the specified working hours.

9. Repeat steps 3 – 8 in order to create additional sittings.

10. Click one of the following:
• Save & allocate entries button to save created sittings/slots and timetable candidates to one of the created sittings.
• Save & allocate staff button to save created sittings/slots and timetable exam day staff to one of the created sittings.
• Save button to save created sittings/slots and return to the timetabling dashboard.
• Cancel button to abandon all the changes

NB: Multiple venues can be configured to a sitting; however we do not encourage doing so as it will complicate the timetabling process. Please create a single sitting per room or per venue, if the working hours are exactly the same for all rooms in the specified venues. This will allow you to timetable to all rooms/venues in the created sitting.

Add/update slots button generate all the slots that can fit during the specified working hours removing previously created breaks (if any).
Breaks are 15 min long by default.