LAPTOP USE – July 2012 GENERAL BAR EXAMINATION

Anyone wishing to use a laptop for the July 2012 general bar examination will be permitted to do so, space permitting, provided the applicant files to sit for the examination, properly completes and files the attached application to use a laptop by May 21, 2012, and fully complies with the procedure for qualifying the laptop for use at the bar examination. You will not be able to use a laptop if you fail to follow these steps or if you miss the filing deadline.

A participant will have to pay a total of $118.50 directly to the software security vendor, ExamSoft, for use of its proprietary software, SofTest©, and for access to an electric outlet. The only form of payment which will be accepted is a credit card (Mastercard, Visa, or American Express). Payment must be made on-line at ExamSoft’s website when registering the laptop. None of your laptop fee is refundable. You must register and pay to use SofTest for the July 2012 exam even if you previously installed and used SofTest for another examination.

Participants will be required to use licensed security software designed to provide a basic word processor while locking out access to all other programs resident on the computer, including Internet access, during testing. The proprietary word processor is designed to be familiar to users of WordPerfect and Microsoft Word. Copy, cut, paste, bold, italics, and underlining are available. Spell check is not available. When your answers are printed, a standard font and line spacing are used. Therefore, what you see on the screen may not exactly match what is printed, but the content and organization of your answer will not be altered.

Before you apply to use a laptop for the July 2012 general bar examination, you should read this entire document and also read the ExamSoft Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the “Support” tab at www.examsoft.com/mdbar. The FAQs contain important information about how to avoid conflicts between SofTest and other software running in the background on your computer, such as anti-spyware, firewalls, and other security software.

In order to participate in the laptop program, you must install the SofTest software and complete the laptop registration process during the two week period from Friday, June 29, 2012 through Friday, July 13, 2012. If you fail to properly register your laptop then, you will have to handwrite the examination.

PROCEDURE TO APPLY FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE LAPTOP PROGRAM

• You must have timely filed a properly completed bar application and original petition (for first time takers) or a retake petition (for repeaters).
• You must complete the application for participation in the laptop program and submit it separately to the Board’s office so that it is received not later than May 21, 2012.
  

OVERVIEW OF PROCESS FOR USING A LAPTOP

• Apply for approval to use a laptop and be accepted for the July 2012 examination
• Have experience using laptop computers
• Agree to handwrite your exam answers in the event of a hardware or software malfunction or power failure during the examination
• Confirm that your laptop meets the minimum specifications listed below
• Ensure that your laptop is configured for Internet access
• Familiarize yourself with the Frequently Asked Questions section
• Download and register SofTest on the laptop computer you will use at the examination (you are permitted to register only one laptop)
• Download and write practice text in a Mock Exam file and practice using SofTest to upload your Mock Exam answer file to ExamSoft’s server
• Download from ExamSoft’s website the two files which you will use to record your actual examination answers: one file for the morning session and one file for the afternoon session of the written test. You will not do anything else with those 2 files until the day of the examination.
• Open the designated examination answer file at the beginning of the morning and afternoon written test sessions using a password provided to you by the Board prior to the start of each test session. Keyboard your answer for each session into the designated answer file.
• Upload the two files (morning and afternoon), containing your actual examination answers, to the ExamSoft server after the conclusion of the afternoon session of the written test. If you are unable to upload your answer at the exam site, you must find your own Internet connection outside the test site to upload your answer. You must complete the upload not later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, July 24, 2012.

LAPTOP SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

1. You must register and use one laptop computer for the examination. Once you have registered, you cannot change to another computer. You must keep the laptop you use in your possession until the results of the examination are released. Your examination answers will be saved in encrypted format on your laptop’s hard drive, and you must be able to make your laptop available to the Board after the examination, if necessary, to access the encrypted examination answers.

2. The ExamSoft software, which is called “SofTest,” works on PCs and Macs.

3. Minimum PC system requirements:

CPU = 1 GHz Pentium III or Industry Equivalent

RAM = 1 GB

50 MB of free space; hard drive must be internal to the laptop

Operating System: 32 bit version of Windows XP or Windows Vista; or 64 bit version of Windows Vista

Web Browser = Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater

Configured for Internet connectivity (AOL users must have AOL 6.0 or higher) to install SofTest and to complete download and upload of exam answer files

Screen resolution: minimum of 1024 x 768

4. Mac system requirements

CPU= Intel processor

RAM= 512 MB

Drives= 50 MB or higher free disk space

Operating System= MAC OS X 10.5.8 or 10.6 (Leopard or Snow Leopard) or Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion). SofTest may not be used in virtual operating systems.

Software= Internet browser. Internet connection for SofTest Installation, Exam Download and Upload

A floppy disk drive is NOT required for Maryland’s examination

Additional requirements may be necessary to run your operating system; check your operating system documentation for minimum system requirements

PROCEDURE TO REGISTER AND QUALIFY YOUR LAPTOP FOR USE

1. Registration Period: The Board will provide you instructions for registration and qualification of your laptop by email not later than June 28, 2012, including your Application Number and Password to logon to the ExamSoft website. All registration and qualification actions must be accomplished at ExamSoft’s website during the registration period. This registration period will be open June 29 and close on July 13, 2012 (subject to revision). If you fail to register during this period, you will not be able to use your laptop.

2. Registration and Laptop Qualification Procedure:

   1. Register and Install Software: You must logon using the Application number and Password which the State Board of Law Examiners will provide to you and follow the instructions on the “Exam Takers” tab at ExamSoft’s website (www.examsoft.com/mdbar). You must pay $118.50 by credit card to ExamSoft when you register. You must pre-install SofTest© software specifically for the July 2012 Maryland bar examination even if you previously installed SofTest for another examination. You must install the software on the computer you will use at the examination. You cannot transfer or otherwise change to another computer subsequent to the initial installation. Do not delete or uninstall SofTest or any SofTest program directory files or folders until after the examination results are released. Do not disable or tamper with SofTest’s security features. Any attempt to do so will be viewed as cheating and may result in your disqualification for admission to the Maryland bar. Do not alter or change your laptop’s configuration and do not use system restore to revert to an earlier restore point after you complete the registration process.

   Once you have properly registered, you will receive confirmation from ExamSoft that you have properly downloaded and installed SofTest and registered your copy of SofTest. At the same time, you also should automatically receive a download of the Mock Exam (see below) and the two actual examination answer files that you will use on examination day to record your answers. You will receive email confirmation that you have downloaded the Mock Exam and the morning and afternoon examination answer files.

   2. Practice the Mock Exam:

      Completion of the Mock Exam is mandatory for successful qualification of your laptop. The purpose of the Mock Exam is to confirm that your laptop is compatible with SofTest and to enable you to familiarize yourself, prior to the bar examination, with how to open an answer file, write your answer using the proprietary word processor, and upload your completed Mock Exam answer file via the Internet.

      The Mock Exam is a practice answer file; there is no question provided with the Mock Exam. The content of what you write for the Mock Exam is your choice and your responsibility. It is helpful to practice typing in the Mock Exam file for a period of time sufficient to verify that your SofTest installation will work properly for the actual duration of the bar examination. However, the duration of your Mock Exam practice is strictly up to you.

      You should complete the Mock Exam off-line and then connect to the Internet and upload your Mock Exam answer file to the ExamSoft website. During the upload process, you will see a visual “progress status” (blue bar). When the upload is complete, a “success” message is displayed. An automatic email confirmation of your answer upload will be sent to you at the email address you provided during registration. If you do not receive the automatic confirmation email, you should launch SofTest, click ‘Exam History,’ and enter your login information to view your download/upload history to confirm that the answer was uploaded successfully.

      The procedure you use to open, type, and upload the Mock Exam is the procedure you will use on the day of the bar examination to open, type, and upload the morning and afternoon files for the Board’s Written Test. You are permitted to download and practice upload of the Mock Exam up to 5 times.

   3. Successful Laptop Qualification: You will have successfully qualified your laptop for the bar examination once you have 1. installed SofTest, 2. received confirmation of successful download of the morning and afternoon bar examination answer files, and 3. practiced upload of the Mock Exam file.

   4. Additional Practice with the Software: A SofTest icon will be loaded on your Windows desktop when you register the software. There is a practice exam built into the software you download. Double click the SofTest icon, then click “Launch SofTest.” When SofTest opens, click the “Practice Exam” button. You cannot save your answer to the Practice Exam, and you cannot upload your answer file to ExamSoft. The purpose of the Practice Exam is to familiarize you with the SofTest exam environment and word processing features. You may use this Practice Exam as many times as you wish.
      
      
      
3. Technical Support: If you have problems or questions, first consult ExamSoft’s “Frequently Asked Questions” web page on the “Support” section at www.examsoft.com/mdbar. The “Support” section provides for help by Live Chat, email , or by phone toll-free at 866-429-8889 or fax at 954-429-0733. The State Board of Law Examiners does not offer technical support.
   
   
4. Procedure If You Experience Laptop Problems after Qualification: If your laptop computer becomes inoperable after you complete the qualification process, you must obtain authorization from the State Board of Law Examiners to qualify another laptop and to download another set of answer files. You will be required to show good cause and appropriate documentation to receive this authorization. You will not be permitted, under any circumstances, to qualify a backup laptop.
   
   Do not copy the ExamSoft program from one computer to another. You will receive an error message at the outset of the bar examination if you attempt to use a laptop other than the one on which you initially completed the qualification process. In that event, you will have to handwrite the examination answers.

Examination Day Procedures

1. Permitted Items: You must bring your laptop, the compatible power cord (transformer), and a 6' power strip/extension cord. Be sure that your laptop battery is fully charged in case there is a power interruption. You may bring a compatible mouse and full size or ergonomic keyboard, both of which may be wireless, and you may bring your laptop briefcase or laptop backpack.
   
   
2. Prohibited Items: You may not bring a laptop other than the one on which you successfully completed certification. Backup laptops are prohibited. External hard drives are prohibited. You may not bring floppy diskettes, flash drives, CDs, DVDs or any other media.
   
   
3. Start Time: You must arrive in the designated examination room not later than 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 to set up your laptop, boot up your system, and initialize the SofTest program. The password to open the morning session answer file will be provided then. General announcements for the examination will begin promptly at 8:45 a.m. The examination time will commence to run at the conclusion of the general announcements (approximately 9 am). No one will be given extra instructions or extra time if he or she arrives late. Anyone unable to successfully launch the SofTest software by the commencement of the examination will be required to handwrite his or her answers. No exceptions.
   
   
4. Execution of Waiver of Liability: At the examination site, during initialization of the SofTest program, you will be required to execute a waiver confirming that you have complied with the conditions for using a laptop, acknowledging that you will handwrite the examination if the software or hardware on your laptop does not work, and releasing the State Board of Law Examiners and ExamSoft from any liability in the event you experience a malfunction of the software or the hardware. In the event of a malfunction, you will be required to handwrite the examination.
   
   
5. Examination Steps
   1. You will use the morning session answer file for essay questions 1 through 7. You will use the afternoon session answer file for essay questions 8 though 10 and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). Examination questions will be distributed to you in the same hardcopy format used by applicants who elect to handwrite the essays and MPT.
      
   2. Be careful to follow the instructions provided at the examination. Use great care while editing to ensure you do not inadvertently delete part of your answer. Be careful to insert each question in the section designated for the question (e.g., question 1 in the section for question 1; question 2 in the section for question 2, etc.).
   3. No technical support will be provided at your seat after the examination begins. If you are unable to resolve any problem that occurs after the examination starts, you must handwrite the remainder of your answers. (No exceptions for any reason!)
      
      
6. Post Examination Steps
   
   
   1. You may upload your answers to ExamSoft via Internet at the exam site. If you are unable to upload your answers at the exam site, you must find your own Internet connection after you leave the examination site and upload your answers by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, July 24, 2012. You should receive a confirmation email automatically from ExamSoft when you successfully complete the upload. If you do not receive the email, you must follow instructions which will be provided to you at the exam to manually confirm successful upload of your answers
   2. The State Board of Law Examiners will print your answers at its office using a standard format for line spacing and font. Your printed answers may look different from what you saw on your screen. However, the content and organization of your answers will not change.
   3. If there is a problem printing your answers, the State Board of Law Examiners will require you to bring your laptop to the Board’s office so that the encrypted copy of your answers may be retrieved from your hard drive. DO NOT REMOVE SOFTEST FROM YOUR LAPTOP UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR EXAM RESULTS.
      
   4. The State Board of Law Examiners will grade your printed answers using the same procedures employed for grading handwritten answers.

Laptop Application Form (PDF)