On December 6, 2002 the Board of Law Examiners issued the following press release:

December 6, 2002 – FOR RELEASE ON RECEIPT

Today the New York State Board of Law Examiners announced a pilot program by which applicants eligible to take the February 25-26, 2003 bar examination will be permitted to use their personal laptop computers to take the essay portion of the examination only. This pilot program, which will utilize ExamSoft SofTest software, is limited to the first 500 applicants who register and complete all procedures for certifying their laptop for the installation of SofTest software. All applicants participating in this pilot program will take the examination at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.

There is a $70 non-refundable technology fee that will be paid directly to ExamSoft Worldwide, Inc. ExamSoft will handle the registration, software download and qualification of the laptops for use at the February 2003 examination. Registration for the pilot program will open on December 16, 2002 and continue through January 13, 2003.

ExamSoft Worldwide, Inc. developed the software technology called SofTest which blocks access to any programs in a laptop other than its own word processing function, and prevents access to information being stored on an applicant’s laptop. SofTest is presently used by approximately 100 educational institutions and several admitting jurisdictions.

For further information, interested applicants should access the Board’s website, www.nybarexam.org.


PILOT LAPTOP PROGRAM – FEB. 25-26, 2003 EXAM

The New York State Board of Law Examiners is pleased to announce that applicants will be permitted to use their personal laptop computers and ExamSoft SofTest software for the essay portion of the February 2003 bar examination. This pilot program is limited to the first 500 examinees who register and complete all procedures for certifying their laptop for the installation of SofTest Software. ExamSoft Worldwide, Inc. will handle the registration, software download and qualification of your laptop for use at the February 2003 examination.

To use a laptop for the essay examination, you must:

§ Have a laptop with the following minimum specifications:

Hardware:

Ø IBM compatible PC with a 200 Megahertz Pentium processor,
Ø 30 megabytes of free hard drive space,
Ø a floppy disk drive,
Ø 32 megabytes of RAM.

NOTE: SofTest is not supported by any Apple (Macintosh) operating system nor emulation software.

Software:

Ø Windows 95, NT, 98, ME, 2000, or XP
Ø Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher.

§ Download and complete the registration process for the required SofTest software from the ExamSoft Web site.

§ Have experience working with the computer and the software before the administration of the examination and be willing to sign a statement to that effect.

§ Continue with the examination by handwriting in the event of a hardware or software malfunction or a site power failure.

Applicants must have the SofTest software installed before the examination. If you have used SofTest in the past, you must re-install the Bar Exam version of the software.

SofTest users will submit their Essay/MPT answers on diskettes provided at the exam. Answers will be printed by personnel after the exam. SofTest users will have no opportunity to review their answers in printed form before submitting the diskette for printing and grading.

To participate, you must:

§ Register between December 16, 2002 and January 10, 2003, on the Web site www.examsoft.com/nybar.

§ Follow the instructions to pay the $70 technology fee directly to ExamSoft Worldwide Inc. This fee covers the software license, technical support, the site technician, disks, a separate test room, power and administrative costs.

NOTE: Fees will only be refunded in instances where ExamSoft verifies that your computer could not be qualified. They will not be refunded in instances where an applicant withdraws, fails to attend the examination, or chooses to write the examination after registering for the pilot laptop program.

§ Complete the enclosed Acknowledgement Form and mail it to the Board of Law Examiners immediately.



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are ExamSoft and SofTest?

ExamSoft Worldwide, Inc. developed the software technology called SofTest which blocks access to any files in a laptop other than its own word processing function, and prevents access to information being stored on an examinee’s laptop. The SofTest disks will be provided to each examinee at the start of the essay portion of the examination. SofTest is presently used by approximately 100 educational institutions and several admitting jurisdictions. Your laptop’s full operating functions will resume after the SofTest disk is removed.

What are the recommended minimum system requirements for SofTest?

SofTest may only be used on a PC. It is not compatible with any Macintosh operating system nor may it be used with PC emulation software. The minimum recommended system requirements are:

· CPU = 200 Mhz
· RAM=32MB
· Drives = 30 MB of free space and one floppy disk drive
· Operating System = Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME and XP
· Software = Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater

How reliable is SofTest?

SofTest has a considerable number of safety features to ensure that answers typed into SofTest cannot be lost. They include:

· An AutoSave feature that automatically saves two separate encrypted copies of the exam answer file on a rotating basis every sixty seconds during the exam.
· Retaining an encrypted backup copy of the exam on the computer’s hard drive should a second copy be needed.
· At times, just as computers freeze/lock for no apparent reason while using any Windows-based software programs, some computers freeze during the examination. A proctor can restart the computer and reenter the exam in the amount of time it normally takes to reboot Windows. No additional time will be given if this occurs. [Do not attempt to resolve computer issues on your own no matter how much computer experience you possess. Ask for a proctor’s assistance as soon as you encounter a problem.]
· Even if a proctor is unable to reenter an exam for the purpose of allowing you to complete taking it on your laptop, the portion of the exam that was completed prior to the freeze will almost certainly be recoverable for grading purposes. You will be required to complete your exam by hand.

How do I get the software?

You must access the ExamSoft Web site, www.examsoft.com/nybar, to download the software and begin the Registration and Qualification process.

What is the Registration Process?

The Registration Process serves several purposes.

· It downloads and installs the software onto your computer
· It verifies the software has been successfully installed and registered
· It provides a record of the name, ID#, email address and other pertinent information you used to complete the Registration Process

What is laptop Qualification?

To ensure that your laptop is capable of successfully running a SofTest exam, ExamSoft provides a brief (2 minute) Qualification Exam. This brief exam must be run in order to (a) register your software and (b) be able to utilize SofTest for the Bar exam. Again this test must be run no later than January 13, 2003 in order to register by the deadline. A thorough explanation of these procedures will be available at the ExamSoft Web site.

 

What if I don’t take the Qualification exam?

Then your computer will not open the software for the exam and your name will not appear on the completed Registration list furnished to the New York State Board of Law Examiners.

How can I check to make sure I have Registered successfully?

You should receive an e-mail from ExamSoft confirming registration once you take the Qualification Exam. You may also visit www.examsoft.com/nybar, select "Exam Takers" and then select "Confirm Registration".

May I practice with the software?

Yes. After it is installed and registered, launch SofTest and select the Practice Mode button. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the SofTest exam environment. Note that practice exams cannot be printed nor saved.

What if I have problems or questions with downloading and registration?

Begin by visiting ExamSoft’s Frequently Asked Questions page on its Web site at www.examsoft.com/faq. Technical support from ExamSoft will also be available to you. We will provide you that information as soon as you register.

What should I do prior to exam day?

· Ensure that:
(1) your PC meets the specifications listed above,
(2) there is plenty of free hard drive space,
(3) your PC is virus free, and
(4) that your PC is free of disk errors by running SCANDISK [click Start Button, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scandisk].
· SofTest’s opening screen asks for an Applicant ID#. Be sure to use your Social Security Number, or the Applicant Number assigned by the Board to applicants who do not have a Social Security Number.
· Download, install & register SofTest by the registration deadline.
· Once you have installed and registered SofTest, familiarize yourself with the software by utilizing the built-in Practice Exam feature.
· Locate your A/C — battery power indicator light on your laptop to determine which light indicates you are running on A/C power (i.e. power from a wall outlet).
· Ensure that your battery has at least 20 minutes of charge in it prior to the exam.
· If you encounter issues in your use of SofTest, visit the www.examsof.com/faq/nybar page.

What happens during and after the Bar Exam?

· Report to Hall 1-C of the Javits Convention Center on Feb. 25, 2003 at 8 AM.
· Bring your registered laptop, a floppy disk drive, a fully charged battery, and an electrical extension cord (6 feet). If you use an external mouse and full-size keyboard, you may bring those as well.
·
There will be a separate exam room for those using laptop computers, and at least one ExamSoft technician per 75 applicants will be in attendance.
·
Boot up your computer but DO NOT launch SofTest. Wait for instructions.
·
Prior to each exam session, you will receive the same general instructions as the hand writers, plus specific instructions for using your computer.
·
At the end of each test session, you will turn in your question booklet, your scrap booklet, three answer booklets with your applicant number written on them, the disk containing your answers, and a back-up disk.
·
All floppy diskettes will be provided to you prior to each exam session so you do not need to bring your own.
·
Your answers will be printed immediately following each exam session. Your answers will be distributed to those grading the exams in the same manner as those who handwrote their essay responses.
·
Immediately before SofTest launches the exam, you will be provided a warning screen with RED STOP SIGNS indicating that you should not begin the exam until instructed to do so. Heed this warning.
· Exams will not be delayed or suspended due to computer problems.
·
During the exam, use extreme care when highlighting and deleting, as well as using other functions that may significantly change a document as SofTest only allows the exam taker to undo the last action.
·
Bar applicants who do not take the time to become familiar with their laptop computer or with word processing functions, should consider handwriting their exams and not opting for this pilot program. No administrative relief will be granted in the event that an exam file is deleted or otherwise altered.
·
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE COMPUTER ISSUES ON YOUR OWN. ASK FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF A PROCTOR IMMEDIATELY. You might want to begin handwriting your exam. If the proctor is able to get you back into your exam, you can transcribe your hand-written response into SofTest. If they are unable to get you back into your exam, continue handwriting your answers for the duration of that exam period.
·
ANY ATTEMPT TO DISABLE OR TAMPER WITH SOFTEST’S SECURITY FEATURES WILL BE CONSIDERED A VIOLATION OF THE BOARD’S RULE ON FRAUD AND DISHONESTY (6000.9). IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT, THE SOFTEST SOFTWARE AND THE INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED BY EXAMSOFT ON ITS WEB SITE PRIOR TO THE START OF YOUR EXAM. PLEASE ALLOW YOURSELF SUFFICIENT TIME TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOUR LAPTOP AND THE APPLICATION.
· COMMENCEMENT OF THE EXAM WILL NOT BE DELAYED DUE TO A HARDWARE PROBLEM WITH YOUR LAPTOP.
· Do not uninstall SofTest until you receive your Bar Exam results.

More Questions? Please e-mail: support@examsoft.com