Attach reference materials directly to a Common Assessment

What it does

Reference Materials lets Common Assessment creators attach notes and documents directly to an assessment. Students access these through a persistent panel during the session — no paper, no broken links, no separate tabs to manage.

Here is what you can attach:

  • Teacher-authored notes written in a rich text editor, with support for bold, italic, tables, and math notation

  • Uploaded documents including PDFs, Google Docs, and Google Slides — all automatically converted to PDF at import

A few things worth knowing:

  • Students open the reference panel using a dedicated button in the session header, separate from the Tools dropdown

  • The panel stays available across every question in the session. On desktop, it appears as a floating, resizable window. On tablet, it opens as a bottom overlay

  • Notes lock server-side at the moment the assessment starts — no edits can be made once students are in

  • Accommodations are built in: the Notes tab supports dyslexia font, adjustable font size, and font spacing

  • All students under the Common Assessment receive the same reference materials — no IEP or 504 required

How it works

  1. While creating a Common Assessment, go to Settings and find the Reference Materials option under Universal Tools.

  2. Select the type of content you want to attach — a teacher-authored note or an uploaded document.

  3. Write your note using the rich text editor, or upload a PDF, Google Doc, or Google Slides file.

  4. Save your changes. Materials lock automatically when the Common Assessment goes live.

  5. During the session, students click the reference button in the header to open the panel at any point.

Example in action

Your district is running a Common Assessment for 7th grade math. Instead of printing a formula sheet and hoping every student keeps track of it, you attach a teacher-authored note with the relevant formulas — including math notation — directly to the Common Assessment. When students start, they see the reference button in the header, open the panel, and keep it alongside their work the entire time. Every student gets the same materials, and you go into the assessment day knowing nothing will get lost.

Student experience