AP® Digital Audio Submission Portal Application Help
for AP Music Theory
Table of Contents
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Accessing the AP Digital Audio Submission (DAS) Portal
Requirements
Setting Up Access – AP Coordinator
Setting Up Access – School Staff
Selecting the Exam and Form
Uploading and Managing Files
Submitting Files
Reviewing Files and Files Released for Scoring
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Accessing the AP Digital Audio Submission (DAS) Portal
Gain direct access to the DAS portal here:
https://apaudio.ets.org
Hardware/Software Requirements
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A computer (MAC or PC) with access to the Internet
Computer access to the student sight-singing response files recorded for the AP Music Theory
Exam
Supported Web browser:
o Internet Explorer (11.0)
o Firefox 41
o Safari 8.0 or below
o Google Chrome 45
File Type Requirements
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File format: MP3
File size: 1 to 15 MB
File naming convention: The student’s unique eight-digit AP number, an underscore, the exam
form (O, A, or Z), and the file extension .mp3 (e.g., 87654321_O.mp3). The exam form can be
found on the front cover of the Section II sight-singing booklet in the lower right-hand corner.
IMPORTANT: All files should be uploaded and submitted immediately following the Music Theory
Exam, if possible. Submission MUST be no later than the close of the next business day after your
school’s last scheduled exam of a particular AP Exam administration period (e.g., regular or late).
Setting Up Access – AP Coordinator
Setting up access to the DAS portal for a participating school begins with the AP Coordinator.
AP Coordinator account setup requires the six-digit school code and the AP Exam Ordering access
code.
1. With this information handy, AP Coordinators must visit https://apaudio.ets.org and click “Request
Access” to begin the process.
2. On the Select Your Access Type page, click the AP Coordinator button.
This takes you to the Access Setup page.
3. Complete all required fields on the Access Setup page, then click the Submit button to create your
account.
The application will display a confirmation screen.
4. Click Return to Login to return to the Login page.
5. Sign in with the user name and password that you designated during the setup process.
As part of the AP Coordinator account creation process, you will receive a confirmation email that
contains your Coordinator Key. This is a unique alphanumeric code required for staff at your school
to access the DAS portal to upload and/or submit student audio MP3 files for scoring.
You will need to share your Coordinator Key and your six-digit school code with anyone who will be
uploading and/or submitting the MP3 files on your behalf. The AP Coordinator must set up access
and obtain the Coordinator Key before any other school staff can set up access.
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Setting Up Access – School Staff
Access to the DAS portal must first be set up by your school’s AP Coordinator. Account setup for school
staff requires the six-digit school code and a school-specific Coordinator Key (contact your AP
Coordinator to receive this code).
6. With this information handy, school staff must visit https://apaudio.ets.org and click “Request Access” to
begin the process.
7. On the Select Your Access Type page, click the School Staff button:
This takes you to the Access Setup page.
8. Complete all required fields on the Access Setup page, then click the Submit button to create your
account.
The application will display a confirmation screen.
9. Click Return to Login to return to the Login page.
10. Sign in with the user name and password that you designated during the setup process.
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Selecting the Exam and Form
After signing in with your user name and password, you will be taken to the Home page.
11. Click the Upload Files button for AP Music Theory to upload audio files.
12. Click the Upload Files button to begin the upload and submission process. If your DAS participation
includes more than one form (e.g., the regular and the late forms), repeat the upload step for each form
during the designated session for that form.
Exam information (i.e., Test date, Exams ordered, and Exams uploaded) for each form is
displayed in its respective frame.
The Exams ordered field is for informational purposes only and may not reflect the exact number
of exams you ordered. However, the field will continue to be updated as orders are uploaded. If
your order data has not been loaded into the application, Exams ordered will display 0. This is
okay and you should continue to upload your files.
13. Navigate to your file location and select your files in the browser window.
You may select one or more files to upload at a time. You may need to navigate to more than one
location to upload your files, depending on their location on your computer.
You can upload additional files by navigating back to the Home page and clicking the Upload Files
button again.
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Uploading and Managing Files
The AP Music Theory status page displays the following information for previously uploaded and/or
submitted MP3 audio files for your institution: File Name, Status, Status Date, and Student Permission.
As files are uploading, the status column will show the progress.
IMPORTANT: For file submission through the DAS portal to work, each student’s audio
response file MUST be named as the student’s unique eight-digit AP number, an underscore,
the exam form (O, A, or Z), and the file extension .mp3 (e.g., 87654321_O.mp3).
Error Messages
If an error occurs during upload, a message will display in
the right pane of the AP Music Theory status page. Follow
the instructions in the error message to correct the problem.
Note that the error log in the right pane is available only
when you are on the status page and during your current
session. Click Export Report to save your error log in Excel
format.
When the upload is complete, the Status column will display Uploaded but not submitted.
Once all files are uploaded, a reminder message will appear with instructions to submit the files for
scoring. Before submitting the files for scoring, the AP Coordinator or school staff person must
identify any students who did not grant permission to the College Board to use their recorded
responses for research purposes (that is, the student wrote "No" on their orange booklet).
14. Select the Denied option for any students who did not grant permission.
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Submitting Files
15. On the status page, check the box(es) of the uploaded file(s) you would like to submit and click the
Submit for Scoring button at the top of the table.
Note the following:
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Select All allows you to select all uploaded files at one time.
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Delete allows you to delete selected uploaded and/or submitted files.
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File Name, Status, Status Date, and Student Permission allow you to sort or filter files.
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Search allows you to search for an individual file. The Search field has wildcards built in so
if you enter a string of numbers, such as 123, it will display every file that contains that
string starting in any position.
16. You will now see a submission confirmation screen confirming the number of files you have selected for
submission. Click the Submit button to submit the selected file(s) for scoring.
The Status field for the file(s) you submitted for scoring will update from Uploaded but not
submitted to Submitted for scoring, confirming that submission was successful. The Status Date
field always displays the date of the last completed action.
Any files with boxes that were not checked will not be submitted.
If you delete files, you will receive a message to confirm the deletion. Files can be deleted in both
the Uploaded but not submitted and Submitted for scoring status.
If you choose to log out without submitting files, you will receive a message to confirm that you want
to log out without submitting the files.
If you have logged out without submitting files, you will be able to log back in and resume the
submission process. After the initial login, the Home screen will display the total number of files
across all forms and the number of files in an Uploaded but not submitted status. You can
continue to upload and submit files until submission is complete.
IMPORTANT: All files should be uploaded and submitted immediately following the Music
Theory Exam, if possible. Submission must be no later than the close of the next business
day after your school’s last scheduled exam of a particular AP Exam administration period
(e.g., regular or late).
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Reviewing Files and Files Released for Scoring
At any time you may log back into the DAS portal to review the files you submitted. Please be aware that
on a date sometime after the administration of the exam form, the AP Program will transfer your submitted
files into a scoring application. When this step is taken, your files will be updated by the AP Program to a
Released for scoring status. Once in this status, you can no longer delete these files or change student
permissions.
If you need to make any changes on a file that is in Released for scoring status, please contact AP
Services for Educators for additional instructions.
If you have any questions about the DAS portal access, upload, or submission process, contact AP
Services for Educators at 877-274-6474 during working hours or [email protected].
If you need technical assistance, contact ETS Technical Support:
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Email: [email protected]
Phone: 609-406-5677
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1.
What if I forget my user name or password?
If you have forgotten your user name or password, visit https://apaudio.ets.org, select the Forgot “User
Name” or Forgot “Password” link on the Login screen, complete the form with your email address, user
name, and/or answer to your security question, and your user name and/or password will be emailed
to you.
2.
I am the AP Coordinator at my school. How do I gain access to the AP Digital Audio
Submission (DAS) portal application?
Visit https://apaudio.ets.org, click the Request Access link, select the AP Coordinator button in the
Select Your Access Type screen, and complete all required fields. For step-by-step instructions, see
Setting Up Access – AP Coordinator.
A confirmation email will be sent to you. The email will contain a Coordinator Key (a unique
alphanumeric code) that you must share with any school staff you assign to upload and/or submit MP3
files on your behalf. School staff follow a similar process to gain access but will require the Coordinator
Key.
3.
I am a school or district staff person. How do I gain access to the AP Digital Audio Submission
(DAS) portal?
Visit https://apaudio.ets.org, click the Request Access link, select the School Staff button in the Select
Your Access Type screen, and complete all required fields. For step-by-step instructions, see Setting
Up Access – School Staff.
Access to the DAS portal must first be set up by your school’s AP Coordinator. Upon access setup,
the AP Coordinator will be sent a confirmation email containing a Coordinator Key (a unique
alphanumeric code) that they must share with you and any other school staff they assign to upload
and/or submit the MP3 files on their behalf.
4.
I have a user name and password for other College Board websites (AP Exam Ordering [APO],
AP Course Audit, Education Professionals, etc.) Can I use this login to access the AP DAS
portal?
No. The user names and passwords that allow you to access AP Exam Ordering or other College
Board websites will not work with the AP DAS portal. You need to set up a new user name and
password within the DAS Access Setup screen. For step-by-step instructions, see Setting Up Access
– AP Coordinator or Setting Up Access – School Staff.
5.
The “Exams Ordered” displayed on the Exam Form/Upload screen does not reflect the number
of exams ordered by my school. Is this OK?
Yes. The number displayed in the “Exams Ordered” field may not match the actual number of exams
you ordered. This field is updated as exam orders are loaded into the system – if you check back on
another day, you should find that the field has been updated. This field is for informational purposes
only, and will not impact your ability to upload or submit all of your files.
6.
When and how do I upload the student sight-singing files to the DAS portal?
All files must be uploaded and submitted as soon as possible, preferably directly following the AP
Music Theory Exam, but no later than the close of the next business day after your school’s last
scheduled exam of a particular AP Exam administration period (i.e., regular or late). For step-by-step
instructions, see Uploading and Managing Files.
7.
How do I submit the student sight-singing files through the DAS portal?
After uploading the files to the DAS portal, the Status column will display Uploaded but not
submitted, and you will see a reminder message with instructions to submit the files for scoring. For
step-by-step instructions, see Submitting Files.
8.
Is there a file naming convention I need to follow for naming student’s sight-singing files?
Yes. You must name each student’s file with:
The student’s eight-digit AP number (found on the student’s orange booklet, or by playing the
beginning of their recording, if necessary), followed by an underscore, followed by the exam form –
O, A, or Z (found at the bottom right-hand corner of the orange booklet), followed by the file
extension .mp3.
For example, if a student’s AP number is 87654321, and the exam form is “O,” that student’s digital file
must be named and saved as 87654321_O.mp3. The file name should include only the student’s
eight-digit AP number, an underscore, the exam form, and the file extension .mp3. See pages 212-213
of the 2015-16 AP Exam Instructions book.
9.
How do I determine the exam form (O, A, or Z) of the responses I am uploading to DAS?
The exam form is found at the bottom right-hand corner of the orange booklet cover; it will be either
Form O, Form A, or Form Z.
Also remember that for file submission through the DAS portal to work, the exam form is an important
part of each student’s file name. Each student’s sight-singing response file MUST be named as the
student’s unique eight-digit AP number, an underscore, the exam form, and the file extension .mp3
(e.g., 87654321_O.mp3). Files must be uploaded to the correct form (O, A, or Z) by clicking the
Upload Files button for that form.
10. When I try to upload files, I get an error message stating that the student AP number is
incorrect. What should I do?
Refer back to the student AP number on the orange booklet or at the beginning of the student’s
recording, correct the file name, then upload the corrected file into the DAS portal.
11. How is the student permission field used? Where do I find the student’s permission?
Students can elect to not give permission to the College Board to use their recorded responses for
educational research and instructional purposes by writing “No” on the front cover of the orange
booklet under their name. If the student has written “No” on the orange booklet, you should set the
student permission field in the DAS portal to “Denied.” Otherwise, leave the student permission field
set to “Allowed.”
12. When I try to upload files, I get an error message stating that file format is incorrect. What file
formats are accepted in the web application?
The system accepts only MP3 files. The maximum size of an MP3 file is 15 MB. Before uploading into
the DAS portal, ensure file format is MP3 and file size is not larger than 15 MB.
If your recordings are in a different format (.wav, .acc, .wma, .aiff) you must use file conversion
software to convert the file to .mp3. Please consult with your IT staff for assistance. You must not
simply rename the file name extension to .mp3.
NOTE: If you use Audacity to record the student responses, you must choose "Export audio" as an
MP3 file from Audacity; you cannot submit the Audacity .aup file.
13. Am I able to see the files I previously uploaded?
Yes. Log back in to the DAS portal and follow the step-by-step instructions. See Uploading and
Managing Files. The DAS AP Exams Status page will show all of the MP3 files you previously
uploaded and submitted so you can keep track of your progress.
14. Can I delete a file that I have uploaded into the application?
Yes. You can delete a file in both “Upload but not submitted” and “Submitted for scoring” status.
Locate the file, then click the Delete button. Once you delete a file, you cannot undo the deletion; you
will need to re-upload the file. For step-by-step instructions, see Uploading and Managing Files.
15. Do I need to submit files immediately or can I keep them in an upload status until I am ready to
submit them?
All files must be uploaded and submitted as soon as possible, preferably directly following the AP
Music Theory Exam, but no later than the close of the next business day after your school’s last
scheduled exam of a particular AP Exam administration period (i.e., regular or late). However, the
application allows you to keep files in an “Uploaded but not submitted” status. You can log out with
files not being submitted, but you would be required to log back in to the application to submit the files
for scoring.
16. Our school Internet connection is down. May we now submit our audio responses by mail
using CD?
No. All AP Music Theory digitally recorded audio files must be submitted via the DAS portal. Wait until
your Internet connection returns to submit your audio responses through the DAS portal.
17. I returned the AP Music Theory Exam booklets to ETS before naming, saving, uploading, and
submitting the sight-singing files. How do I proceed?
Since students are instructed to record their AP number prior to recording their sight-singing
responses, the AP Coordinator should listen to each student’s file to obtain their AP number, name
and save the files, then upload and submit the files through the DAS portal. Responses for the regular
exam should include "O" in the file name, responses for the late testing exam should include "A" in the
file name, and responses for the exception testing exam window should include "Z" in the file name.
18. What do I do if the file name is invalid?
Check to be sure the file is named correctly – student AP number, underscore, exam form, .mp3 file
extension. For example: 87654321_O.mp3. See page 213 of the 2015-16 AP Exam Instructions book.
19. Can AP World Language and Culture (French, German, Italian, Spanish) digitally recorded
responses be uploaded and submitted through the DAS portal?
No. For the 2016 AP Exam administration, the DAS portal is designed for upload and submission of
AP Music Theory sight-singing responses ONLY.
20. I want to discontinue using cassette tapes for recording student sight-singing responses, and
take advantage of the DAS portal. How do I proceed?
If in your AP Music Theory exam order you selected “response tapes,” follow the proctor scripts for
recording Part B: Sight Singing using one of the digital recording methods (digital language lab,
computer, or handheld digital recorder) in MP3 format. See pages 201 to 215 in the 2015-16 AP Exam
Instructions book. Then follow the step-by-step instructions for setting up access, uploading, and
submitting the files. See Accessing the DAS portal.
Note that setting up access to the DAS Portal will require your AP Exam Ordering access code. If you
need assistance with your AP Exam Ordering access code, please contact AP Services for Educators
at 877-274-6474 during working hours or [email protected]. When you complete your
packing list, be sure to indicate the number of files uploaded in the “response tapes” row.
21. I have a school-specific question. Where can I get additional assistance?
If you have any questions about the DAS portal access, upload, or submission process, contact AP
Services for Educators at 877-274-6474 during working hours or [email protected]. For
any testing irregularity or security questions or issues, contact ETS Office of Testing Integrity at
609-406-5427 or [email protected].
Copyright © 2016 The College Board.