Assessment Center - Vertical File Score Import

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The Vertical File Score Import feature simplifies the management of assessment data by enabling easy uploads of score files, with each row representing a unique test score. This approach, commonly used by national and third-party assessment providers, eliminates the need to reformat complex score files. By streamlining data management, effective analysis and management of assessment results become possible, greatly enhancing the educational evaluation process. It is now easier to import large, complex score files without reformatting them first.

Please see the related articles for detailed information and field descriptions for the Assessment Center.

Test Detail: Create new tests and define the necessary assessment details.
Data File Detail: Select a data file to upload.
Map Data: Map the data from the uploaded assessment data file to the database fields for import to a student's record in Infinite Campus.
Test Mapping: Test data mappings for accuracy and make changes as needed before importing.
Import Data: Import mapped data to the Campus system after all errors and warnings from the test mapping have been resolved

Horizontal vs Vertical Files

Both formats produce the same final results in the system.

Horizontal Files	Vertical Files
One row per student	Multiple rows per student
All test scores appear as separate columns	Students may appear multiple times
Entire test score structure is imported per row	Best for vendor-provided score files

When to Use Vertical Imports

Use a vertical file if:

Your test vendor delivers one score per row
A student appears multiple times in the file
Assessments are identified by a test ID, test GUID, or name

You do not need to change your file if it already matches this structure.

How Vertical Imports Work

Each row is read as a single test score.
The system identifies which assessment the row belongs to.
Scores for the same student are automatically grouped together.
Parent and child assessment scores are linked behind the scenes.

This happens automatically, no extra steps required once the file is configured correctly.

What's Different?

While the UI is the same, there are a few important differences behind the scenes:

Validation is performed per row instead of per student.
Additional checks are performed to confirm that assessments are identified correctly.
Some error and warning messages are specific to vertical files.

Setting Up a Vertical File Import

Step 1: Test Detail

Internal identifiers 'TestID' and 'TestGUID' are included in the Assessment Center user interface if you are using either as your assessment identifier in your vertical file. These fields are populated after a new test is created and saved. They are unique for each assessment in the test hierarchy (parent, child, grandchild, etc.).

Step 2: Data File Detail

Upload a File -The vertical file must include:
- A student identifier (Student number, last name, first name, birthdate, etc.)
- An assessment identifier (testID, assessment name)
- A date
- One or more score fields (for example, 'raw score')
Each row should represent one student, one assessment, and one score.
Select the File Orientation- Once a file has been uploaded, select Vertical from the File Orientation dropdown to indicate that each row contains one score.
Choose an Assessment Identifier- Because vertical files do not define assessments in column headers, each row must include a way to identify the assessment. Select which column your file uses:

Test ID
Test GUID
Assessment Name

TIP: Choose the identifier that is most consistent and reliable in your file.

Step 3: Map Data

Required Columns - Along with the date and student identifier, you are required to map the assessment identifier you selected in Step 2: Data File Detail.

Mapping Columns - When mapping columns:

Map score fields only (ex. score.rawScore, score.date, etc.)
Do not map scores to specific assessments (ex. math.rawScore, reading.rawScore, etc.)
The assessment is determined dynamically from the identifier column

This keeps the files smaller, the mapping simple, and prevents errors when multiple assessments are involved.

Steps 4 & 5: Test Mapping and Import Data

Steps 4 and 5 of the import process look and behave the same as horizontal file imports. Use the same column mapping screen and review the same import results style.

The goal is consistency. If you already know how to import horizontal files, you already know how to complete a vertical import.

Validation and Error Messages

Vertical imports follow the same validation rules as horizontal imports, with additional checks for assessment identification.

Common Validation Messages

Below are examples of validation messages you may see during a vertical import.

Error Message	Possible Cause
No assessment found using the provided identifier	The identifier value in the file does not match any assessment in the selected family.
Multiple assessments found using the provided identifier	More than one assessment matches the identifier value. Identifiers must uniquely identify a single assessment.
Assessment identifier exists, but is not part of the selected assessment family	The identifier matches an assessment in the system, but not within the family selected for this import.
Duplicate score found for student and assessment (Warning)	When multiple rows exist for the same student and assessment, the import will process the first score encountered and skip the remaining duplicates. Skipped rows are reported as warnings so you can review and correct the file if needed.

If one score fails for a student, all related scores for that student/assessment family will fail together. This prevents partial or incomplete data from being saved.

No assessment found using the provided identifier
Multiple assessments found using the same identifier
Identifier does not match any assessment in the selected family

If one score fails for a student, all related scores for that assessment family will fail together. This prevents partial or incomplete data from being saved.

Best Practices

Verify assessment identifiers before importing.
Avoid duplicate assessment names within the same assessment family.
Start with a small test file if you are importing a new vendor format.

Sample File Layout

Below is an example of a vertical file layout. Each row represents a student’s score for a single assessment.

Student ID	Student Name	Date	Assessment Identifier	Score
12345	Alex Johnson	1/1/2026	Math	82
12345	Alex Johnson	1/1/2026	Reading	76
12345	Alex Johnson	1/1/2026	Writing	81
67890	Jordan Lee	1/1/2026	Math	91
67890	Jordan Lee	1/1/2026	Reading	88
67890	Jordan Lee	1/1/2026	Writing	90

Key Points About the Layout

Students may appear on multiple rows
The Assessment Identifier column determines which assessment the score belongs to
Identifier values must match the identifier type selected during setup (ID, GUID, or name)