25 Feb Test programme for May 2022
PA conducts extensive tests in advance of elections. The test programme in 2022 will focus on the polls scheduled for May 5.
Customers are urged to make use of the tests to ensure their systems are correctly set up to handle PA’s elections data.
Tests for the mayoral and Northern Ireland Assembly use fictitious candidate names and the results and figures will be randomised. The council election tests use fictitious figures with fairly random council control changes.
All test material is marked clearly as “PA Test” and the word “Test” appears in fictional candidate names.
Users of PA’s elections data in XML format for digital products, accessed via the FTP servers, should note that XML files from tests may be cleared from the test folders a while after the test but will be made available in downloadable zip files on the Example XML page in case still needed.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR XML USERS: The IDs of entities provided in the election tests are NOT the same as those provided in the real data, such as for parties. Please do NOT configure your system for a real election event using the IDs provided in the test data. THEY WILL NOT BE THE SAME. See the guidance at XML format
Note that tests may be: small = as few as a dozen test results for some if not all polls; medium = test results for about half the authorities/areas/constituencies in all polls; or full = test results for all authorities/areas/constituencies in all polls.
Tests will include recount messages (where provided), corrections and State of Parties statistics.
The provisional test programme will include:
April
Thursday April 21, at 1000: Small scale council, mayoral and Northern Ireland Assembly test
Thursday April 25, at 1800: Small scale council, mayoral and Northern Ireland Assembly test
Thursday April 27, 18 1800: Small scale council, mayoral and Northern Ireland Assembly test
May 5
Tuesday May 3 at 1800: Small scale council, mayoral and Northern Ireland Assembly test
Thursday May 5: polling day
Live event: from 2200 on Thursday May 5 possibly through to Sunday May 8.
The start and end of tests will be notified through alerts on PA Now, wire advisories and on twitter @pressassocpolls.
Dates and times are subject to change. Additional tests will take place as needed.
Customers MUST ensure all test data is cleared from their systems before polling day.