Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

40 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This is where we try to anticipate and answer questions you might have about the T.O.V.A. .

40.1 General Questions

How long is the T.O.V.A. test?: The T.O.V.A. test is 21.6 minutes long. A shorter 10.8-minute T.O.V.A. test is automatically administered to subjects ages 4 to 5.5 instead.
What does this term or that acronym mean?: See section 41.
Will the T.O.V.A. work on my new computer?: Previous versions of the T.O.V.A. Precision Test Environment (PTE) were not compatible with newer computers. The new software should boot the PTE and function on most old and new computers. If you have problems, please contact T.O.V.A. tech support (section 29). We can often fix or work around any issues.
If the PTE is not compatible with your computer, you should still be able to use the External A/V hardware setup (section 15.2). Please review our computer requirements (section 11.9) for more information.
Will the T.O.V.A. work on my old computer?: The T.O.V.A. no longer supports Windows XP, Vista, or earlier Windows versions, or Mac OS X 10.8.4 or earlier. Please review our computer requirements (section 11.9) for details.
My computer doesn’t have a VGA video port. How can I use the External A/V hardware setup?: See section 15.2.2.
Why can’t I connect to the PTE service?: See section 38.7.3.
Why can’t the T.O.V.A. detect my USB device?: See section 31.1.3.
I hear a little static or high-pitched noise coming from my speakers. What is that? Can I stop it?: See section 31.7.4.
What do I do if the automatic update fails?: You can try again or try manually updating the T.O.V.A. . See section 37.3 for details.
The T.O.V.A. is doing something weird. How can I send you a screenshot?: See section 29.5.
How do I add my custom fields to the main window?: You can change which fields appear from the Preferences. See section 27.3.

40.2 Testing

Where’s the calibration screen?: If you’re testing without rebooting, what we call External A/V (EAV) testing, you must connect your monitor to the ‘video out’ port of the T.O.V.A. USB device . If you haven’t done this correctly, you may first notice this when you try to calibrate your display and the calibration image doesn’t appear. Please check your connections and make sure the monitor is plugged into the correct video port. See section 15.2 for more details.
My display calibration failed. What does that error message mean?: See section 31.4.
How do I pause, go back, skip forward, turn the sound off, or skip the instructions entirely?: See section 36.
What if I can’t hear the audio?: See section 31.5.
My computer keeps booting the PTE and won’t boot back to Windows!: If the CD or flash drive has boot priority, it will keep booting until it is removed or another device is given priority. Remove your T.O.V.A. CD or flash drive, and click ’Done’ or reboot your computer.
Can I use headphones with the T.O.V.A. auditory test?: The T.O.V.A. auditory test was normed with external speakers on either side of the display. We recommend following the normative study procedures. We don’t know how the use of headphones will affect T.O.V.A. results. If you choose to use headphones, please note their use in the session’s ‘Comments’ field or on the T.O.V.A. Observation Form.

40.3 Managing T.O.V.A. data

How do I back up my T.O.V.A. data?: See section 23.
Some or all of my subjects and sessions are gone. Where did they go?: See section 37.2.
I just imported a bunch of T.O.V.A. data files. How do I find those sessions now?: See section 38.2.4.
What if I administered a test for the wrong subject?: See section 37.7.
How do I move my database?: See section 37.6.

40.4 Report

How do I add my custom fields to the report?: See section 21.1.
How do I add pages to / remove pages from the report?: See section 21.1.
How do I view a comparison report?: See section 21.2.

40.5 Ordering credits

Why do I see “Ordering test credits has been disabled on this T.O.V.A. USB Device"?: Your T.O.V.A. USB device is not enabled for ordering unless or until we have billing information for your account. If you encounter this error, you should contact T.O.V.A. customer service, and they will be happy to help you resolve the problem.