(CA) Bar Softest/Examsoft Glitches In Feb 2016 Admin (Report it) Forum

[hairyhand]

Hi,

I hope for your sake that this did not happen, but did anyone else have software problems using SofTest/Examsoft on the Feb. 2016 CA Bar Exam? Day 1, Essay 1: tried to cut a sufficiently large amount of text that the program prompted me with the "are you sure" question. Tried to select yes, nothing happened. Tried again. Nothing. Tried cancel. Nothing. The damn thing froze. SofTest/Examsoft actually had a guy on site who, predictably, blamed my computer.

Then yesterday, PT-B. Thought I was cutting and pasting (and again, going through the step of confirming that I want to cut that number of characters). Turns out the program was copying and pasting. So my answer just came out as a bunch of redundant gobbledygook, I'm sure.

Please let me know if you, too, experienced anything similar. Thanks.

FWIW, I took on a Mac - OS 10.9.5.

Also, I know this is unlikely, but it has crossed my mind. I had some problems with ExamSoft employees in telephone conversations prior to the exam. Intransigence/really poor customer service... I couldn't help but wonder if the bugs were an intentional "F*** you" from any of the employees I dealth with I realize this is unlikely, and I hope it isn't true, but I'd be remiss if I didn't ask whether any of you had any somewhat hostile interactions with ExamSoft personnel prior to the exam?

Finally - do we assume the risk of software problems that are known to ExamSoft/California Bar Examiners but not disclosed to us specifically? I'm skeptical, espeically if examinees encountered any of these problems on prior admins and reported them to the Bar Examiners and ExamSoft.

[FinallyPassedTheBar]

Hi,

I hope for your sake that this did not happen, but did anyone else have software problems using SofTest/Examsoft on the Feb. 2016 CA Bar Exam? Day 1, Essay 1: tried to cut a sufficiently large amount of text that the program prompted me with the "are you sure" question. Tried to select yes, nothing happened. Tried again. Nothing. Tried cancel. Nothing. The damn thing froze. SofTest/Examsoft actually had a guy on site who, predictably, blamed my computer.

Then yesterday, PT-B. Thought I was cutting and pasting (and again, going through the step of confirming that I want to cut that number of characters). Turns out the program was copying and pasting. So my answer just came out as a bunch of redundant gobbledygook, I'm sure.

Please let me know if you, too, experienced anything similar. Thanks.

I have heard past stories of Examsoft glitching when cutting/pasting large amount of text. I did a few cut/paste but only one or two sentences each time. I did not experience a glitch.

[RoseBuddy]

Didn't have this issue, but my mouse froze during the last 10 minutes of PT-A. I could use my arrow keys to move around in the document, but couldn't move or click anything with the mouse. Had to restart my computer, which fixed the problem. But still annoying.

[TheLegalOne]

I did not have this issue but I heard the girl behind me explaining something similar to what you just described to a proctor after PTB (in Ontario).

[hairyhand]

I did not have this issue but I heard the girl behind me explaining something similar to what you just described to a proctor after PTB (in Ontario).

What was the name of the facility where you took the Exam?

[hairyhand]

Didn't have this issue, but my mouse froze during the last 10 minutes of PT-A. I could use my arrow keys to move around in the document, but couldn't move or click anything with the mouse. Had to restart my computer, which fixed the problem. But still annoying.

Ugh - I'm sorry that happened. I think it's good to document these problems here.

[hairyhand]

Hi,

I hope for your sake that this did not happen, but did anyone else have software problems using SofTest/Examsoft on the Feb. 2016 CA Bar Exam? Day 1, Essay 1: tried to cut a sufficiently large amount of text that the program prompted me with the "are you sure" question. Tried to select yes, nothing happened. Tried again. Nothing. Tried cancel. Nothing. The damn thing froze. SofTest/Examsoft actually had a guy on site who, predictably, blamed my computer.

Then yesterday, PT-B. Thought I was cutting and pasting (and again, going through the step of confirming that I want to cut that number of characters). Turns out the program was copying and pasting. So my answer just came out as a bunch of redundant gobbledygook, I'm sure.

Please let me know if you, too, experienced anything similar. Thanks.

I have heard past stories of Examsoft glitching when cutting/pasting large amount of text. I did a few cut/paste but only one or two sentences each time. I did not experience a glitch.

Man, I wish I had known. I'm glad you did and used the software with that problem in mind.

[samnicholson]

I had the same problem. It was very disconcerting. I tried it several times in a row before resorting to copying smaller blocks of text. There were no errors in my essay that I could see, but I hope it didn't mess anything up that I'm not aware of.

[Raiden]

If by copy and paste you mean cutting, (Command+X on mac) then yes, I had the same issue with large amounts of text. I would get the error message, and follow through with delete. I would be able to paste, but the section I wanted to cut didn't cut. I resolve this by just copying what I needed, and deleting it after. Fortunately didn't freeze for me while doing this, I probably tried cutting like 3 times in a row before I tried the copy and delete method.

A problem I did have is that my examsoft crashed as soon as I was trying to save my first three essays. I got to the page where I was asked if I was sure I wanted to quit, but then it froze. When I asked my proctor about this, she just said she doesn't know, refer to the handout. The proctor's literally know nothing about examsoft. Fortunately I restarted my computer and my exam was uploaded when I reopened soft test then.

[doubltall]

Seeing proctors being mentioned, and their understandable inability to be of much help, but did any of you in CA have onside Examsoft reps on standby? They had several people at my UBE location around, precisely for pre-exam issues and various situations like this.

[FinallyPassedTheBar]

Seeing proctors being mentioned, and their understandable inability to be of much help, but did any of you in CA have onside Examsoft reps on standby? They had several people at my UBE location around, precisely for pre-exam issues and various situations like this.

I don;t think there were any Examsoft reps in CA. If I remember the head proctor's repeated warnings correctly, she said bootup your computer and open examsoft. If it doesn't work for any reason, raise your hand and a proctor will give you a booklet to start physically writing you answer. That's it.

[doubltall]

Seeing proctors being mentioned, and their understandable inability to be of much help, but did any of you in CA have onside Examsoft reps on standby? They had several people at my UBE location around, precisely for pre-exam issues and various situations like this.

I don;t think there were any Examsoft reps in CA. If I remember the head proctor's repeated warnings correctly, she said bootup your computer and open examsoft. If it doesn't work for any reason, raise your hand and a proctor will give you a booklet to start physically writing you answer. That's it.

Oh I see..yeah we had the head proctor's spiel too, but we also had special pink sheets of paper on our desks with EXAMSOFT printed on it, holding it up being a signal to the proctors along the perimeter that one of the support people were needed.

That being said, however, I think they were primarily used, if at all, during the pre-start process. Knowing and having been told we'd not be given more time if there was a computer issue, I imagine anyone that DID have a problem of any sort would grin/bear, work through it best they could in the moment.

[hairyhand]

I had the same problem. It was very disconcerting. I tried it several times in a row before resorting to copying smaller blocks of text. There were no errors in my essay that I could see, but I hope it didn't mess anything up that I'm not aware of.

Sheesh. I'm sorry you had the problem, too - but great you caught it. I wasn't aware it was happening for a while, so I didn't have enogh time to go and correct most of the duplicates by hand - or figure out which were the dupes and which were the ones I intended.

Were you using a Mac or PC? I was using a MAC. Ended up using a mouse, which helped with the first problem - it seemed - but didn't prevent the second.

Where did you take? I was at the Crowne Plaza in Burlingame.

[hairyhand]

Seeing proctors being mentioned, and their understandable inability to be of much help, but did any of you in CA have onside Examsoft reps on standby? They had several people at my UBE location around, precisely for pre-exam issues and various situations like this.

There was at least one ExamSoft rep at my location - and before the exam, I was told I had the technical assistance accommodation. Not sure why - maybe b/c I had ExamSoft grief on a prior admin?! I don't know. I had other accommodations, so maybe it was related to the other accom.

[hairyhand]

I had the same problem. It was very disconcerting. I tried it several times in a row before resorting to copying smaller blocks of text. There were no errors in my essay that I could see, but I hope it didn't mess anything up that I'm not aware of.

At what location did you take the exam (I can't see how it matters, but it seems like some problems may cluster at some sites)?

I'm sure this is unlikely, but it has crossed my mind. I had some problems with ExamSoft employees prior to the exam. Intransigence/really poor customer service... I couldn't help but wonder if the bugs were an intentional ExamSoft "F*** you." I realize this is unlikely, and I hope it isn't true, but I'd be remiss if I didn't ask whether any of you had any somewhat hostile interactions with ExamSoft personnel prior to the exam?

[samnicholson]

I was in Ontario. I don't think I had the problem until Thursday, but the whole thing is a blur. I merely found it frustrating at the time, but now I am a little concerned my essay might have errors or duplications that I wasn't aware of because of the technical problems.

I had the same problem. It was very disconcerting. I tried it several times in a row before resorting to copying smaller blocks of text. There were no errors in my essay that I could see, but I hope it didn't mess anything up that I'm not aware of.

At what location did you take the exam (I can't see how it matters, but it seems like some problems may cluster at some sites)?

I'm sure this is unlikely, but it has crossed my mind. I had some problems with ExamSoft employees prior to the exam. Intransigence/really poor customer service... I couldn't help but wonder if the bugs were an intentional ExamSoft "F*** you." I realize this is unlikely, and I hope it isn't true, but I'd be remiss if I didn't ask whether any of you had any somewhat hostile interactions with ExamSoft personnel prior to the exam?

[NFLattorney]

I had problems with ExamSoft in July. I copied and pasted text and, after a delay, the text would paste twice. I would then spend time trying to delete the double text but after a while I didn't have time so I would just leave the double text. Somehow, when I didn't pass and looked at my actual answers, none of the double text was there. So, not really sure what to think of it.

This past Feb the only problems I had were pasting with the shortcut keys and having to do it multiple times before it actually pasted.

[hairyhand]

I had problems with ExamSoft in July. I copied and pasted text and, after a delay, the text would paste twice. I would then spend time trying to delete the double text but after a while I didn't have time so I would just leave the double text. Somehow, when I didn't pass and looked at my actual answers, none of the double text was there. So, not really sure what to think of it.

This past Feb the only problems I had were pasting with the shortcut keys and having to do it multiple times before it actually pasted.

That's really strange. How frustrating!

[Raiden]

So are there any solutions for those affected?

[hairyhand]

So are there any solutions for those affected?

I don't know, but I think the more people who experienced the problem notify the Bar Examiners immediately, the better the chances of a remedy.

I sent a certified letter to the Director for Examinations at The Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California describing what happened along with the ExamSoft "Ticket #" that SofTest gave me when I reported the problem to them (at which time SofTest remotely removed or copied some files from my computer).

[hairyhand]

Update: Since the above, I am getting the run-around from ExamSoft. After I reported the problem to ExamSoft, they used Citrix to extract some ExamSoft files from the computer I borrowed to use on the bar. Since then, they have asked to extract some "system logs" from that computer. I asked why. They did not provide a direct or adequate answer, instead seemingly writing that they'd like the files but can make do without them. I asked if that is what they meant or were the files essential. They responded this morning with another non-response, saying the CA Bar Examiners were going to handle the case from here. A short while later, I received another - this time anonymous - email from ExamSoft. They wrote:

Thank you for contacting ExamSoft Support. My supervisor wanted to find out if you were able gain access to the computer that you were borrowing for the CALBAR Exam? It is important to keep the computer and keep all SofTest information on the computer until you obtain the results from your exam. This is something mentioned when registering for the BAR exam and we would like to collect extra information as requested by our development team.

I responded that I was confused, please explain the inconsistency and answer my prior question, and I will send a copy of these communications to the CA Bar Examiners.

There is a disturbing lack of transparency that gives me the sense that something fishy is going on, e.g., are they trying to pin the liability on Apple rather than accept fault?

Any thoughts?