The challenge: Simulating MYP eAssessments with limited tools
Before 2018, Stonehill’s teachers tried preparing students for MYP eAssessments using a mix of Google Docs, PDFs, or other ad-hoc tools. According to Saba, these platforms simply did “not emulate the actual eAssessment experience” well enough, making it difficult for students to practice and familiarize themselves with IB’s on-screen format.
“We do not have any other platform as compatible and as close a simulator as AssessPrep... they’ve been like a simulator, an absolute simulator in terms of how e-assessment works.”
— Saba Husain, MYP Coordinator
Additionally, teachers spent significant time doing manual tasks:
Reformatting questions to fit each exam session
Struggling to integrate multimedia content (videos/audios) seamlessly
Uploading grades to different systems, including ManageBac
When COVID-19 forced classes online, Stonehill needed a fully virtual assessment platform that could replicate in-person testing conditions and preserve academic integrity. The challenge was twofold: train students for on-screen IB examinations and manage all the administrative overhead in one robust system.
The solution: AssessPrep’s seamless MYP eAssessment experience
Stonehill discovered AssessPrep in 2018 and rolled it out for MYP Grades 9 and 10. Initially, they worked closely with the AssessPrep team to align the platform to the school’s feedback. Saba recalls:
“Before implementing AssessPrep, we had numerous meetings with the team to share our requirements and feedback. Since then, there has been a huge improvement with support for varied kinds of questions and content types.”
Rapid adaptation — even for younger students
Teachers were initially concerned that Grade 9 and 10 students would struggle to adopt new technology under exam pressure. However, Saba said:
“As educators, we sometimes make assumptions that students won’t be able to adapt. But to our surprise, they picked it up pretty quickly and adapted to the online assessments in less than a month.”
Over time, Stonehill expanded AssessPrep down to Grade 6 as well:
“We now have students using AssessPrep from grade 6 onwards. They adapt extremely seamlessly... and by grade 10, AssessPrep is basically the go-to word for any assessment.”
Tailored to the MYP on-screen exam format
What set AssessPrep apart from basic tools was its ability to mimic MYP eAssessment workflows. This included subject-specific tools (such as a math equation editor) that closely resembled the official IB exam environment. Saba notes:
“Pretty much all the tabs that you see in an eAssessment are already available on AssessPrep, and they’re exactly the way it is in the eAssessment.”
This consistency in the user interface meant students could rely on muscle memory during the real IB eAssessment—less stress, more focus on content.
The impact: Streamlined grading, greater engagement & significant time savings
ManageBac integration
One of the biggest wins for Stonehill was the two-way integration with their learning management system, ManageBac. Previously, teachers wasted precious time re-entering grades. Today, as Saba emphasizes:
“Integrating ManageBac has been phenomenal. The seamless integration has saved hours of manual work for teachers... we were documenting grades in 2 or 3 different places. Now, it’s optimized admin time (during the grading phase) by about 50%.”
Teacher experience & support
Teachers found the platform increasingly easy to use—especially as new features were rolled out. The AssessPrep support team engaged Stonehill’s feedback regularly:
“I would like to congratulate the AssessPrep support team for listening to educators’ feedback and continuously adding exciting features—making our assessments more seamless and aligned with the IB curriculum.”
Student adoption & efficiency
AssessPrep rapidly became part of the school culture. In fact, older students started helping teachers learn advanced features:
“Sometimes our students were even helping teachers to understand the features,” Saba laughs. She notes that students soon equated the name AssessPrep with any formal testing in the school.
Flexible, multimedia assessments
Stonehill’s faculty welcomed AssessPrep’s ability to embed audio, video, and rich interactive content to support language acquisition, mathematics, and interdisciplinary projects. According to Saba, the platform overcame early formatting hiccups:
“I remember those days when we struggled to put up a video or had formatting compatibility issues... now everything is extremely seamless, no matter which laptop you use.”
IB alignment & student confidence
By mirroring IB question types and providing a familiar environment, students faced fewer surprises during MYP eAssessments. As a result, teachers observed increased student confidence going into final exams. The result: Stonehill now relies on AssessPrep not only for summative MYP assessments but also for other grade levels’ formative tasks.
Looking ahead: Excitement about AI and more
Saba is enthusiastic about the recently launched question banks for various subjects, as well as the next wave of innovation:
“I’m extremely excited about the upcoming AI features to further optimize our teachers’ time and improve efficiency.”
The school also intends to deepen IDU (Interdisciplinary Units) usage and sees AssessPrep as a dynamic partner in supporting complex, multi-subject assessments. Stonehill’s journey highlights how a robust digital exam tool can evolve with a school’s needs, so teachers and students always have the best possible experience.
