Introduction to SAM 2003
Skills Assessment Manager 2003 (SAM 2003) is a Web-based software application that measures your proficiency in the Microsoft Office 2003 applications suite (Access, Excel, PowerPoint and Word), Windows 2000, Windows XP and general Internet skills.

SAM 2003 Assessment & Training offers both the testing portion and the training portion of the application. SAM 2003 Assessment offers the testing portion only.

The Student Manual introduces you to the basic functions of SAM 2003 through the step-by-step instructions. Your use of SAM 2003 may vary according to how your instructor has set it up.

System Requirements
To run SAM 2003, your computer must meet the following system requirements:
• Internet Explorer 5.0 or later
• Macromedia Flash Player 7
• A live Internet connection (a T1 or ISDN connection is recommended, a 56K minimum connection is required)
• Pentium 350 MHz (or faster) processor on IBM PC compatible computer
• Minimum 128 MB RAM; 256 MB RAM recommended
• SVGA graphics (800x600/256-color or higher)
• Available hard disk space:
o SAM 2003 Assessment and Training: 1.8 GB
o SAM 2003 Assessment Only: 725 MB
o SAM 2003 Training Only: 1.5 GB

One of the following operating systems must be installed:
• Windows XP
• Windows 2000

SAM 2003 Local Installation
(Install SAM on your computer at home) (only need to install once)
The SAM 2003 Student Tutorial contains a SAM 2003 CD-ROM. A local installation means that all the SAM 2003 files necessary to launch a test or training activity are installed directly on the workstation computer. This is the most common "installation method."
1. Insert the CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive
2. Click Start.
3. Click Run.
4. Type D:\start.exe (where D is your CD-ROM drive).
5. Click OK.
6. On the Student CD screen, click Install SAM. Follow the onscreen installation instructions.
7. When the Choose Destination location dialog box appears, it is recommended that you accept the default directory for the installation of SAM 2003, but you can browse to select an alternative location if necessary.

Step 1 – Initial Login to SAM 2003
Your first login to SAM 2003 is a multi-step process that varies depending on how SAM 2003 has been set up by your institution. The following instructions will guide you through the initial login process. Please read them carefully. Subsequent logins will be very simple.
1. Launch Internet Explorer 5.0 or later.
2. Enter http://sam2003.course.com or the address provided by your instructor, in the address field to visit the SAM 2003 login web page.
3. Log in to SAM 2003:

Login for first-time users…
With no username/password: Who have a username/password:

Click the new user button. This will open the institution key screen. Enter your username and password in the appropriate fields. Click the login button.

4. Enter Institution Key. Skyline's Institution Key is S3747245
5. Once you have entered the Institution Key, click OK. An institution verification box appears; click OK to verify.
6. At this point, the keycode screen will appear.
7. Keycode screen: Enter the keyode provided in your SAM 2003 Student Edition envelope. Enter the 18-digit keycode in the fields provided and click OK.
8. User Profile screen: Enter your user profile information. Complete the following fields. (* = required field).

field label description
*first name Enter your first name.
middle init Enter your middle initial.
*last name Enter your last name.
*username It is suggested that your email address be used as the username since it is unique and is easy to remember. The username must be 6–50 characters. Keep in mind that the username cannot be changed once it is established.
*password The password must be 6–50 alphanumeric characters. Choose a password that is easily remembered, but cannot be guessed easily.
alias The alias must be 6-20 characters. An alias is a name under which your instructor can choose to post exam results. Choose an alias you recognize easily but that others cannot.
id# Enter your student ID number.
*email Enter your email address.

9. When you have entered the required data, click save.
10. At your initial login, the SAM 2003 TERMS and CONDITIONS will display. The agreement should be read fully. Click the OK button to accept the terms and conditions and continue. If the agreement is not accepted, SAM 2003 automatically exits. If you do not accept the agreement, your keycode will be invalidated and you will need to purchase an additional keycode

Modifying your user profile:
If you need to change your user information for any reason, you can do so via the modify profile screen. Keep in mind that usernames cannot be modified once they are established. All other personal information, including passwords, can be modified. To modify your profile:
1. Click profile on the left navigation bar.
2. Click modify.
3. On the modify profile screen, change your user information as necessary.
4. Click save to save your changes, or cancel to return to the profile screen.

Step 2 – Join a Section
In order to take a SAM 2003 exam or complete a training assignment you must be enrolled in a section. SAM 2003 may be set up so that your instructor assigns you to a section and/or you may be able to join a section on your own. Each section will have one or more exams.
1. Click sections on the navigation bar to open the sections screen. Any sections you have joined or been assigned to will display in the choose section box. The status field in the section summary area will display whether you have successfully joined the section or been put on the waitlist.
2. Click the join section button. This will open the join section screen. On the left of the screen, you will see a candidates box which lists all of the sections you are eligible to join.
3. To join a section, select it in the candidates box. When it is highlighted, click the > button. Your selection will appear in the sections box. Repeat this step for each section you wish to join. For this tutorial, choose the Sample Section.
4. To remove a section from your list, click the section you wish to remove in the sections box. When it is highlighted, click the < button.
5. Click the save button to save your section information, or click the cancel button to return to the sections screen without saving your section requests.
6. If your name appears in the waitlist for this section, you will need to wait until your instructor has accepted you into the section in order to launch an assignment in SAM 2003.

Step 3 – Take an Exam
Exams can be set up in a variety of ways depending on your instructors’ preference.

option description
scheduling The exam may be taken whenever you choose or it may only be available at a specified time. Exams scheduled for a future date will display in the assignments list, but will not be available for launch until the scheduled date.
exam attempts The number of times you are allowed to take the exam will be set by your instructor. An exam that can only be taken once will automatically be removed from your list of exams once you have completed the exam.
task time limit The amount of time you have to complete the tasks may vary on each exam.
task attempts The number of attempts you have to complete each task may vary on each exam.
exam password An exam password may be required by your instructor in order to take the exam.

Before taking an exam, you should have the following information from your instructor:
• Exam name
• Scheduled exam time (if applicable)
• Exam password (if applicable)

To launch an exam follow these steps:
1. Once you have logged in to SAM 2003, the assignments screen automatically appears. All available exams display on this screen.
2. Click the name of the exam in the Assignment list to launch the exam. If the exam name does not display as a hyperlink, the exam is not currently available for you to launch.
3. To practice launching an exam, choose the Sample Exam provided. It is available at all times and can be retaken as many times as you wish.
4. Launching an exam will display a screen providing General Tips, Exam Details, and Instructions relevant to the exam. Please read this screen carefully.
5. When you are ready to begin your exam, click OK.
6. Once you begin an exam, you can complete the tasks in any order, skip tasks, revisit tasks, and reattempt tasks that you have attempts remaining for. In the lower right hand portion of the exam navigation bar you will find view tasks , previous (<<), next (>>), and end exam (?) buttons.

Button description
view tasks Provides a list of all the tasks in the exam The incomplete tasks which have attempts remaining will display. Navigate to a task by double-clicking it or by clicking in the task row to select it and then clicking the Do Task button.
previous (<<) Takes you to the previous task. The back button is only visible if you have skipped a question.
next (>>) Skips ahead to the next task.
end exam (?) Exits the exam before all tasks are completed. A warning message will display. Click yes if you wish to end the exam with out completing all the tasks. Click no to return to the exam.

7. If you complete all the tasks in an exam before your time is up, SAM 2003 automatically returns to the assignments screen, unless your instructor has enabled the Exam Summary Report. If you receive an Exam Summary Report, after reading the report, click the door icon in the top left corner of the report window to return to the assignments screen.
8. If your exam is timed and you run out of time before all the tasks are completed, a Time Limit Reached window will display. Click OK to exit the exam. Any tasks you have not completed will be scored as incorrect.
Note: If the exam does not appear or is highlighted in yellow you will need to enter a valid assessment keycode for that product by clicking the add product button to launch exam.

General SAM 2003 Exam Tips
• Do not attempt to launch an exam until you are ready to take it and be graded on it. For security reasons, once you launch an exam, you must continue and you will be scored on your performance. You cannot back out and start over and you cannot pause the exam if it is timed.
• Read each task completely before attempting it. Some tasks contain multiple steps that are easy to overlook.
• Perform a task in the same way as you normally would within the application. Do not perform any steps other than the steps required to complete each task, since the number of attempts you take to complete a task may be limited. The attempts remaining counter displays on the lower right portion of the exam navigation bar. Once you have used all of the attempts you were allowed, a Sorry, Too Many Incorrect Actions message displays. You will automatically be advanced to the next task.
• Keep in mind that your instructor may limit the amount of time you are allowed to spend on each task or on the entire exam. The time remaining clock appears in the lower right portion of the exam navigation bar.

Step 4 – View Results and Create Reports
Once you have completed an exam or training activity, you can generate reports that provide details about your performance. Your instructor may delay your access to these reports until all students have completed their exams and training activities, or s/he may choose to disable them entirely.

Available reports are:

report description
Exam Study Guide Provides detailed feedback on an exam you have taken. One of the best ways SAM 2003 can benefit your performance and learning curve is through this feature. The Exam Study Guide includes the following information:

• Skill Set: Describes the overall skill set that each task is focused on.
• Activity: Describes the technique you were asked to use to accomplish the task.
• Result: Describes whether you completed the task correctly/incorrectly, skipped the task, or did not view the task in the course of the exam.
• Actions Taken: Describes each step taken in attempting the task, noting which steps were incorrect.
• CT Text: Lists the Course Technology textbook and page number where the skill is explained.
Exam Results Provides a brief summary of the results of a single exam.
Exam Results - Overall Provides a brief summary of the results of all the exams you have taken.
Exam Certificate of Completion Provides documentation of successfully passed exams for your personal records.
Training Progress Provides an overview of your progress on the training tasks your instructor has assigned.
Training Certificate of Completion Provides documentation of successfully completed training activities for your personal records.
SAM Path Results Provides an overview of your progress and results on a SAM Path your instructor has assigned.

1. To create a report, click reports on the navigation bar. This will open the reports screen.
2. At the top of the reports screen, there is a choose report type drop-down menu. Click the drop-down menu arrow and select the type of report you wish to create.
3. Choose the exam or training for which you want a report of by clicking the button next to the exam name. NOTE: If you are creating a SAM Exam Results – Overall report, you do not need to select an exam. All exams will be represented in the report.
4. Click the create report button.
5. You can print your report by clicking the print button in the upper right corner of the report.

Step 5– Logout of SAM 2003
To log out of SAM 2003, click logout on the navigation bar. You have successfully logged out of SAM 2003 when the SAM 2003 login screen appears.