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Testing Incident Types

Recognize the severity of a testing incident, contain it promptly, and follow the correct reporting path for California’s statewide assessments.

Three levels of severity: A testing incident is classified as a breach, irregularity, or impropriety. The classification reflects the potential effect on test security, validity, and student performance—not how disruptive an event felt locally.

First response for any suspected incident

  1. Stop or contain the problem without discussing or exposing secure test content.
  2. Protect students, test materials, devices, and evidence needed to understand what occurred.
  3. Notify the site coordinator and LEA CAASPP or ELPAC coordinator immediately.
  4. Document facts—not assumptions—including the assessment, domain, date, location, students affected, and actions already taken.
  5. Follow the current STAIRS prompts and coordinator directions. Do not independently decide that an incident is too minor to report.
Level 3: breach, the most serious incident type

Most serious

Breach

A breach involves exposure of secure materials or an ongoing security or system risk with external implications. It threatens the validity or security of the assessment and requires immediate escalation.

Examples

  • Secure items or materials are posted or shared through social media or the media.
  • A student adds secure test content to a search engine or artificial-intelligence tool.
  • An adult retains, copies, discusses, or shares secure content.
  • An administrator, examiner, or coordinator modifies student responses or records.
  • Unauthorized assistance, materials, access, or nonprescribed accommodations may affect responses.

Act immediately: For a social-media or media-exposure breach, the LEA coordinator must immediately contact CalTAC at 800-955-2954 or the LEA’s assigned Success Agent. A STAIRS case must also be submitted in TOMS within 24 hours.

Response

  1. Contain the exposure. Ensure images are removed from social media, devices—including recently deleted folders—and cloud storage.
  2. Notify the LEA coordinator immediately.
  3. Make the required immediate support contact when social-media or media exposure is involved.
  4. Submit the STAIRS case within 24 hours and submit an Appeal if prompted.
  5. For applicable ELPAC incidents, include a prevention plan.
  6. Monitor the case and retain the response and supporting documentation.
Level 2: irregularity

Moderate severity

Irregularity

An irregularity affects one or more students and may affect student performance, test security, or test validity. The situation can generally be contained locally but still requires formal reporting.

Examples

  • A required accommodation or designated support was set incorrectly.
  • A student was assigned the wrong assessment, grade, special-education designation, or domain exemption.
  • A student tested using another student’s SSID.
  • Students cheated, exchanged answers, accessed the internet, or used an unauthorized device or application during testing.
  • An examiner made an administration or scoring error covered by the current incident definitions.

Response

  1. Take corrective action and notify the site coordinator.
  2. Contain the incident and notify the LEA coordinator.
  3. Submit a STAIRS case within 24 hours.
  4. Submit an Appeal if TOMS prompts for one.
  5. For applicable ELPAC incidents, include a prevention plan.
  6. Monitor the case and retain the official response and documentation.
Level 1: impropriety, the least serious incident type

Lowest severity

Impropriety

An impropriety has low impact on one or more students and presents a low risk of affecting performance, security, or validity. It may be corrected and contained locally, but it is still reportable.

Examples

  • A student makes distracting gestures or sounds, including talking.
  • A fire drill or other local disruption interrupts a session.
  • An internet outage disrupts testing.

Response

  1. Take corrective action and notify the site coordinator.
  2. Contain the incident and involve the LEA coordinator as needed.
  3. Submit a STAIRS case within 24 hours.

When STAIRS applies

Use STAIRS for reportable incidents involving CAASPP summative assessments and ELPAC initial or summative assessments, including the corresponding alternate assessments.

Interim-assessment incidents

STAIRS does not apply to interim assessments. Notify the site and LEA coordinators and follow the current interim-assessment security guidance, including contacting the assigned Success Agent when required.

Protect privacy in the case narrative. Enter required SSIDs through the designated STAIRS fields. Do not place student names or other personally identifiable information in the incident description or Notes field. Include specific facts and actions taken without repeating confidential information.

Official guidance

SDLA content review: September 4, 2026. Incident definitions and appeal conditions can change; use the current STAIRS prompts and official guide when handling an actual case.