Verification Step 1 – Latency Test
As a first verification check, schools must complete a latency test on one of their school’s devices. The latency test provides an approximate value of the school’s internet loading speed for the sole purpose of TIMSS administration; it is not a test of the school’s overall internet performance. Because TIMSS is an international test based in Hamburg, Germany, the latency test value is derived from the closest server based in Frankfurt.
Unless students will be using devices which connect to the internet via an ethernet cable, the device used to perform the latency test should be connected to the internet via wifi and not an ethernet cable. Otherwise, the latency test value would not be an accurate representation of the school’s wifi loading speed. Please aim to run the latency test during the school’s peak times (i.e., when the internet is most heavily used).
Please use the following link to launch the latency test:
The AWS Ping Test (latency) screen will appear, as shown in the following screenshot.
Let the system run until it reaches at least Test 5, and then read the number in the cell for the EU (Frankfurt) row of the Median column (as outlined in purple in the screenshot above).
Record the value on the School Information Form.