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How to Import ParScore Test Scores into BeachBoard Grades

You can upload your ParScore test scores directly into BeachBoard. This will save time by not having to manually enter the scores one at a time. There are three steps: 1) Export your ParScore test scores, 2) Copy the ParScore test scores into your downloaded BeachBoard file, and 3) import the BeachBoard file back into your BeachBoard course.

Note: You do not have to upload your ParScore test scores from the ParScore workstation. Once you have scanned your student test forms and have exported the test scores to your flash drive, you can follow these instructions from your home or office workstation.

ParScore test scores can be imported into your BeachBoard gradebook. The three steps are outlined below and are then described in detail.

  1. Export the Parscore test scores into a Microsoft Excel (5.0) XLS file.
    1. Go to Options > Score Wizard
    2. Change file format to “Microsoft Excel 5.0 (XLS)” and select Student ID, first, last and test name
    3. Export file to your flash drive or “My Documents” folder
  2. Export a BeachBoard file with roster and “Grade Item” into a Microsoft Excel CSV file.
    1. Go to “Enter Grades” and click “Export Grades”
    2. Confirm that “Org Defined ID”, “Point Grade”, “Last Name”, “First Name” are checked and then check only the “Grade Item” needed for the ParScore test scores
    3. Export the file to your flash drive or “My Documents” folder
  3. Copy the ParScore test scores into the BeachBoard file and upload this file into your BeachBoard course.
    1. Sort ParScore file by student ID and the BeachBoard file by student ID
    2. Copy ParScore student ID’s, names and test scores into the BeachBoard file
    3. Confirm that the ParScore ID’s are aligned with the BeachBoard ID’s
    4. Copy ParScore test scores to the BeachBoard gradebook “Grade Item” column
    5. Remove extraneous ParScore text from the BeachBoard file and select “Save As” to save the BeachBoard file as a CSV (Comma Delimited) file
    6. Return to your BeachBoard account and click “Import Grades” to upload the edited BeachBoard file with ParScore test scores

STEP #1: Export ParScore Test Scores into an MS Excel file.

  1. Launch Parscore.
  2. Scan your test forms.
  3. Go to Options > Export Wizard (Export your Parscore gradebook columns of interest.)
    Export Wizard screenshot
    1. In the File Type box select Microsoft Excel 5.0 (XLS).
    2. Select the Student ID, Last Name, First Name (while pressing the “control key”.
    3. Select the desired score column, i.e., Quiz1
    4. Click Export to save file to your flash drive or “My Documents” folder. Create a personal directory to manage your save files.
      Export screenshot
  4. Click “Close Course” (to close course and return to your ParScore Course List).
    Close Course screenshot
  5. Click “Exit” to log off your ParScore account.
    Exit - log off screenshot
  6. Click “Exit” (to quit the ParScore software).
    Exit - quit screenshot
  7. You have completed Step #1.

Step #2: Export BeachBoard gradebook as a Microsoft CSV file

  1. Log into your BeachBoard account and open your BeachBoard course.
  2. Click “Grades”
    BeachBoard Grades screenshot
  3. Click Manage Grade (Jump to step #16 if you already have an exam column setup.)
    BeachBoard Manage Grades screenshot
  4. Click New Item
    BeachBoard Grades New Item screenshot
  5. Click Numeric in the “Choose a Grade Item Type” window.
  6. From the Properties tab, complete the item name and point total.
    1. Enter the “Name” of the item
    2. Enter the “maximum number of points” for the item.
      New Item Properties tab screenshot
  7. From the Restrictions tab, click “Hide this grade item”. You can change this status to “Grade item is always visible” after you upload your ParScore test scores.
    New Item Restrictions tab screenshot
  8. Click “Save” returning you to the “Grades List”.
  9. Click “Enter Grades” to begin the download process.
    Enter Grades screenshot
  10. Click Export Grades.
    Export Grades screenshot
  11. Check the following:
    1. Key Field: Org Defined ID
    2. Grade Values: Points Grade
    3. User Details:Last Name and First Name
      • Under “Choose Grades to Export”, select only the grade item you wish to add ParScore test scores. This “Grade Item” should have been prepared already with the appropriate maximum point value (See steps 10-15).
    4. Grade Item: for example, Quiz1.
      Choose Grades to Export screenshot
    5. Click “Export to CSV”. BeachBoard will first generate the file.
  12. Click the file name, i.e., “Development Course” to download the file to your flash drive or "My Documents" folder. You can create a personal folder to manage your saved files.
    File name to download screenshot
  13. You have completed Step #2.

Step #3: Copy ParScore Test Scores into the BeachBoard Gradebook and Upload this file back into your BeachBoard course

  1. Launch Microsoft Excel and open the ParScore exported file.
  2. You will see four columns (A through D) with headers student_id, last_name, first_name, and, in this example, the score column labeled “quiz1”. (Your score column will be labeled with your item name.)
    Excel four columns screenshot
  3. Sort these columns by “student_id”.
    1. Select Data > Sort
    2. Check “My data has headers”
    3. Select “student_ID”
    4. Click OK
      Data Sort screenshot
  4. Check “Sort anything that looks like a number, as a number” and click OK.
    Sort anything that looks like a number screenshot
  5. Save these changes and minimize the window.
  6. Launch Microsoft Excel (a second instance).
  7. Open the BeachBoard file: Select File > Open and browse to the directory where you saved the file. You will not see the file, because of the extension “.csv”.
  8. Change “Files of type” to “All Files (*.*)” and you will see the “CSV” file. (CSV format uses comma as the delimiter.) Double-click the file to open.
  9. Text Import Wizard – Step 1 of 3.
    1. Check “Delimited”
    2. Click “Next”
      Delimited screenshot
  10. Text Import Wizard - Step 2 of 3.
    1. Check the “Comma” box.
    2. Click “Finish”.
      Comma screenshot
  11. The BeachBoard file includes five columns (A through E) with headers OrgDefinedId, Last_Name, First_Name, Quiz1 Points Grade <Numeric MaxPoints:20> and “End-of-Line Indicator. (Column “D” will be labeled with your item name.)
    1. DO NOT CHANGE any of these columns with the one exception of copying the ParScore test scores into column “D”, i.e., “Quiz1 Points Grade <Numeric MaxPoints:20>”.
    2. Note the “#” symbol preceding each nine (9) digit ID number.
      BeachBoard five columns screenshot
  12. Sort these columns by "OrgDefinedID".
    1. Select Data ' Sort
    2. Check "My data has headers"
    3. Select "OrgDefinedID"
    4. Click OK
      Sort by OrgDefinedID screenshot
  13. Copy and Paste the ParScore columns (A-D) into the BeachBoard file, starting in row 1, columns “G-J”. (Both the ParScore and BeachBoard files must be sorted by student ID.)
    1. From the ParScore file: Copy the four columns (A-D) including student_id, last_name, first_name, and, in this example, the score column labeled “quiz1”.
    2. From the BeachBoard file: Paste the ParScore columns into the BeachBoard file, using columns “G-J”. (You want to be to the right of the “End-of-Line Indicator” column.)
      Copy and paste screenshot
  14. Before pasting column “J” into column “D”, confirm the alignment of student ID’s and names.
  15. For smaller classes, you visually compare the two listings, watching for students who did not take the exam or who did not provide the correct student ID number.
  16. For larger classes, you could visually compare the two listings or a formula could be used to compare the “OrgDefinedID” column against the “student_id” column. If the two ID’s match, the difference will always equal zero (0). This will help you find the mismatches.
    1. The formula consists of subtracting column “F” from column “G”. See next page.
    2. Column A cannot be used for this formula because of the “#” symbol preceding the OrgDefinedID numbers. So, you copy column “A” into column “F” and remove the # symbol with “Find and Replace”. Remember, do not change BeachBoard columns “A” through “E” with the one exception of copying the ParScore test scores into column “D”, i.e., “Quiz1 Points Grade <Numeric MaxPoints:20>”.
    3. Using the revised OrgDefinedID column “F”, enter the formula, i.e., =F2 – G2 into column “K”. Copy the formula from the second row (K2) to the last row containing student data.
      Formula screenshot
  17. When you are confident that each student is aligned with their actual test score, copy and paste column “J” into column “D”, which is labeled as your test score column.
    1. Copy ParScore test scores (column “J”)
    2. Paste into BeachBoard gradebook (column “D”)
      Copy Score screenshot
  18. Delete all of the columns to the right of the “End-of-Line Indicator” column, including “F” through “K”.
  19. Click File > "Save As" and select file type -- CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv). The filename can be the same or not. Click “Save” and quit Microsoft Excel.
  20. Open your online BeachBoard course and select Grades > Enter Grades > “Import Grades”. Browse to the location of the edited CSV file and click “Next”.
    Import Grades screenshot
  21. If “No errors or warnings found” message appears, click “Next”.
    No errors screenshot
  22. You can review the individual scores before importing the ParScore test scores.
    Import screenshot
  23. Click "Import" to complete the upload. If you hid the test from your students (step #14), go to "Manage Grades" and open the "Grade Item". From the Restrictions tab, change the status to "Grade item is always visible". Click “Save”.
  24. You have completed Step #3.

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