Step 1: Complete School Information Form

Complete the School Information Form and return it to your provincial contact. It is imperative that this form be completed accurately.

Sample completed School Information Form→

What is the purpose of the School Information Form?

CMEC will use this form to randomly select at least one Grade 8/Secondary II class in the school to participate in PCAP. All Grade 8/Secondary II students in the selected class(es) will participate in PCAP.

A. School Identification
Form field What to enter
PCAP School ID Four-digit ID provided by your ministry/department of education
Provincial School ID Provincial School ID is different from the PCAP School ID.
School Name School name in full
B. School Contact

This person receives all PCAP communications and materials (may be different from the test administrator).

Enter the school contact’s:

  • Name
  • Title
  • Phone number, including area code and extension
  • Email address

Optional secondary contact
If possible, provide an additional school contact who should be copied on future electronic communications.

Need to change the contact later?
Email pcap-ppce@cmec.ca

C. Mailing Address

CMEC uses this address to deliver the Assessment Script and any required equipment.

  • Type in the school’s full mailing address. Do not include a P.O. Box, as all materials will be delivered directly to the school.
  • Indicate whether Purolator serves your school's area.  If not, identify an alternative carrier (e.g., Canada Post, private courier service) 
D. Device and Internet Verification

1. Run the System Check

cmec.ca/pcap-v1 →

  • Test the devices students will use for PCAP.
  • Use the same internet conditions that will be used on assessment day.
  • Record the results on the School Information Form.

Have several identical devices?
If the devices were purchased at the same time and have the same specifications, you may choose to test only a few devices. 

2. Check device compatibility

If there are no compatible devices at the school, CMEC will send up to 25 laptops for the school to administer the assessment.

Compatible devices

Electronic Device Type

        

Microsoft PC

Macintosh (Mac)

Chromebook

iPad
Keyboard mandatory

Android (tablet)
Keyboard mandatory

Operating System

Windows 7, 8.1, 10, and 11

OSX 10.13.6 High Sierra or higher

ChromeOS 62+

iOS 7+

Android 6.0+

Minimum Screen Size

11.6-inch diagonal

10.9-inch diagonal

10-inch diagonal

Supported Browsers

Google Chrome–
version 62.0 to latest

Firefox–version 78.0 to latest
Microsoft Edge–version 80.0 to latest

Safari–version 10.1 to latest

Google Chrome–
version 62.0 to latest

Firefox–version 78.0 to latest

Google Chrome–
version 62.0 to latest

Safari–
version 10.1 to latest

Google Chrome–
version 62.0 to latest

Can students use their own device?
Students may use their own Microsoft PC or Mac if permitted by your school board/district. The LockDown Environment must be installed before assessment day.

3. Whitelist domains

Ask your school's or school board/district's IT staff to whitelist the following domains and all associated subdomains.

  • pcap-ppce.vretta.com
  • https://multiplex-api.vretta.com/
  • https://fonts.googleapis.com
  • https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com
  • https://d3f6c695rnoy7r.cloudfront.net
  • https://d3azfb2wuqle4e.cloudfront.net
  • https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com
  • https://fonts.gstatic.com
  • https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com
  • wss://mqvurtmevc.execute-api.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com
  • https://www.wiris.net
  • https://svc.webspellchecker.net/spellcheck31/api
E. IT Contact Info

We recommend including contact information for an IT specialist from the school or school board/district to be copied on IT-related electronic communications.

Information requested:

  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Email address
F. Assessment Dates

The PCAP administration can take place between April 12 and May 28, 2027.

Enter:

  • Assessment first session date
    Enter the date on which students will complete PCAP. You may need to schedule more than one assessment session if you do not have enough devices to assess all students in one session. Where possible, schedule sessions on consecutive school days. See, Administer PCAP for day-of schedule
  • Makeup session date
    Schedule a makeup session in case student participation is below 85%. Whenever possible, schedule it for the school day following your final planned assessment session.
  • School closure dates
    Identify dates when no staff will be at the school so that PCAP materials are not delivered while the school is closed.
G. List of Classes
Does this section apply to my school?

Schools in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick-Francophone do not need to complete this section.

List all Grade 8/Secondary II language arts classes. If students are not assigned to language arts classes, follow the class-selection criteria established by your ministry/department.

Form field What to enter
1 Class Name Class identifier for your school (e.g., 8A, Room 7)
2 Split Class Select X if the class includes students from more than one grade.
3 Grade This field is populated automatically.
4 Number of Students Number of Grade 8/Secondary II students in each class only
5 Class Exemption Code Leave blank unless the entire class qualifies for an exemption.  
When would I have a class exemption?

A class exemption applies only when both of the following conditions are met:

  • A qualified staff member has assessed each student in the class and determined that every student has a special education needs (SEN) code.
  • It has been determined that all students in the class should not participate because appropriate accommodations cannot be provided.

If both conditions are met, enter the code that best applies:

  • Code 1: Functional disability
  • Code 2: Intellectual disability and/or socio-emotional condition
  • Code 3: Limited assessment-language experience
6 Language This field is populated automatically.
7 Instruction Mode L = Online, P = In-person, H = Hybrid

Notes from the Ministry/Department:
Please leave the section entitled “Notes from the Ministry/Department” blank. This section is designated for ministry/department use only.