LAPTOP EXAMS FALL 2013 Please find below instructions for taking laptop exams. General information about laptop exams at CLS Laptop examinees are NOT required to sign up since we expect the majority of students to take exams on a laptop. Instead, we are asking students planning to handwrite their exams to notify Registration Services of their decision by e-mail (registrar@law.columbia.edu). Laptop examinees MUST arrive at the exam room 30 minutes before the start of the exam to allow for pre-exam announcements and instructions. EXAMS WILL BEGIN PROMPTLY. You MUST provide your own laptop for the exam. The Law School does not provide laptop computers. Laptop examinees are required to use a software called Softest to take laptop exams. You may NOT use any other software for taking these exams. There is no fee to students for using the SofTest software. The only difference between a laptop exam and a handwritten exam is the method by which the answers are recorded. Handwriters will be recording their answers on an exam book while laptop examinees will be using an exam file, which is a virtual exam book, to record their answers. The document in the exam file is blank and does not contain the exam questions. All students will receive a hard copy of the exam questions. You will be downloading the exam file and then uploading your answers via the Internet. Although you will not be connected to the Internet while you are writing your exam, you will need Internet connection to download the exam file (prior to arriving in the exam room) and to upload your answer file at the end of the exam in the exam room. In order to connect to the Internet in the exam room, you are required to register your Ethernet card through Lawnet. We will be using version 11 of SofTest this semester. You are required to install this updated version even if you used SofTest last academic year. The version we used last school year has expired. In order to download the software, you will need to log in to the ExamSoft website (www.examsoft.com/columbialaw) using the following student ID and password. Student ID: your Law School Username Password: the last 6 digits of your PID number Page 1 of 5
Note: If you don't remember your PID, you can find it by logging on to Student Services Online (https://ssol.columbia.edu/). Select any of the options and then select "Show my name and personal data" under "Viewing Options." Click on "Update View" to see your PID. (see SofTest installation instructions below) We urge you to spend some time practicing with the software so that you are comfortable with it. Please make sure to take the Mock Exam to familiarize yourself with SofTest prior to your exam as there will be no opportunity to practice once you are in the examination room. EXAMS WILL START ON TIME, and students who are not prepared to take the exam on a laptop will have to handwrite their exam. If your computer freezes during an exam, you MUST notify a proctor immediately. You will be compensated for any time lost in recovering your exam. Do NOT restart your computer without a proctor present. If your computer cannot be restarted within 15 minutes, you will have to handwrite the rest of your exam. General Information about SofTest SofTest, from ExamSoft Worldwide, Inc, is an exam software that blocks access to all other applications while it is running. Hence, you will need to print out any information residing on your hard drive (e.g., outline, notes, etc.) that you may be permitted to use during an open book exam. SofTest serves as a simplified word processor similar to Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. It provides features such as cut, copy & paste (within the SofTest document) as well as spell check. To prevent loss of work, SofTest automatically saves, backs-up and encrypts your work for you every minute. The minimum recommended system requirements are: Windows: CPU = 2GHz Intel Core /Celeron or equivalent x86 processor (CPU Info) RAM = highest recommended for the operating system or 2GB Hard Drive = highest recommended for the operating system or 1GB of free space Operating System = English 32-bit Versions of Windows XP, 32-bit and 64-bit Versions of Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. Only genuine versions of Windows Operating Systems are supported. SofTest cannot be used on virtual operating systems such as Microsoft's Virtual Machine, Parallels or VMware, VMware Fusion or any other virtual environments Internet connection for SofTest Installation, Exam Download and Upload Screen Resolution must be 1024x768 or higher Administrator level account permissions Page 2 of 5
MAC: CPU = Intel processor RAM = 2 GB Hard Drive = 1 GB of free disk space Operating System = MAC OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), 10.7 (Lion), or 10.8 (Mountain Lion). Only genuine versions of Mac Operating Systems are supported. Mac OS X Leopard (v10.5) is not supported. If you have a laptop running an English version of Mac OS X (including Mac OS X Leopard (v10.5)), you have the option of configuring Apple s Boot Camp to run Windows. Note: If you are running OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion and Boot Camp, then you must use Windows 7 as the Windows operating system. Server version of Mac OS X is not supported SofTest may not be used in a virtual operating systems Software = Internet connection for SofTest installation, Exam Download and Upload Administrator account PREPARING YOUR LAPTOP FOR YOUR EXAM Before you proceed, you MUST register your ethernet card on Lawnet in order to access the Internet through the CLS network. You will need Internet connection in the exam room to upload your answer file at the end of the exam. In order to prepare your laptop for your exam, you MUST: A. Register with ExamSoft and Install SofTest We will be using version 11 of SofTest. 1. Visit www.examsoft.com/columbialaw. 2. Log in under Exam Takers using the following student ID and password. Student ID: your Law School Username Password: the last 6 digits of your PID number Note: If you don't remember your PID, you can find it by logging on to Student Services Online (https://ssol.columbia.edu/). Select any of the options and then select "Show my name and personal data" under "Viewing Options." Click on "Update View" to see your PID. 3. Click on Download SofTest and then click on either Download SofTest Windows or Download SofTest Mac depending on your operating system. Follow the on-screen instructions. Page 3 of 5
For laptops running Windows XP, Vista, 7, or 8: "Microsoft.NET Framework 4" is required to install SofTest. If you do not have "Microsoft.NET Framework 4" installed, the SofTest installer will prompt you to do so. Please go to http://support.examsoft.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptid=15194&task=knowle dge&questionid=490 for detailed instructions. 4. On the SofTest Registration window, enter your Login ID (i.e., your Law School username) and password then click Register. 5. Upon completion of registration, you should receive a message window, and later an email message, confirming registration. We strongly suggest that you take a "Mock Exam" at least once before your first exam to familiarize yourself with the software (see instructions below). B. Download Exam Files (Internet connection is required for this step) NOTE: You MUST download the exam file for each of the proctored exams you are taking on your laptop prior to arriving in the exam room. 1. Double-click on the SofTest icon. "The SofTest Home" window should appear. 2. Click on "Download Exam Files." 3. Enter your Student ID and password (referred to above) and click on "Next." 4. Select all the course exam files on the list as well as the Mock Exam " MOCK_EXAM_F13_S14.xmzx " and click on "Download." Note: The course exam file(s) MUST be downloaded only on to the laptop you will be using for your exam. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE COURSE EXAM FILES. 5. After downloading your exam file(s), click on Done. Note: NO COMPENSATORY TIME will be given to those who download their exam files in the exam room. EXAMS WILL START ON TIME. In addition, if you have difficulty connecting to the internet while attempting to download your exam file in the exam room, you will have to handwrite your exam as the proctors will be unable to provide you with technical assistance. C. Practice using the software (taking a "Mock Exam") Take the Mock Exam (after you have downloaded " MOCK_EXAM_F13_S14.xmzx") Note: We recommend that you take the Mock Exam on the law school network. 1. Double click on the SofTest icon. 2. Click on "Take an Exam." Page 4 of 5
3. Click on the "Available Exams" drop-down list and select " MOCK_EXAM_F13_S14.xmzx." 4. Type in any 3 digit number (use your 3-digit exam number when taking an actual exam) and click on "Start." Note: An exam password is not required for the mock exam. However, an exam password will be required for your actual exam. The password will be revealed by your proctor on the day of the exam. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE COURSE EXAM FILES. 5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the exam. Note: This is a secure exam so that, as in a real exam, you will not be able to access your hard drive or the Internet during the exam. 6. When finished, exit the Mock Exam by clicking the Exit and Save button and follow the on-screen instructions. 7. SofTest will auto-upload your mock answer file if you are connected to the Internet. Otherwise, you will be given another opportunity to upload your answer file the next time you connect to the Internet. NOTE: We recommend that you take the Mock Exam more than once. You may do so up to 15 times. ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM: 1. You MUST provide your own laptop for the exam. The Law School does not provide laptop computers. 2. You MUST bring your power cable. 3. You MUST bring a network cable. If you have wireless connection, we urge you to bring your network cable in case you encounter any difficulty connecting to the internet in the exam room. 4. You MUST arrive at the exam room 30 minutes before the start of the exam to allow for pre-exam announcements and instructions. 5. At the beginning of each exam, the exam proctor will make a number of preexam announcements. Your proctor will instruct you when to start SofTest, when to open your exam envelope, and when to click on the Begin button which is when your exam officially starts. Please follow your proctor s instructions carefully. Questions If you have questions regarding SofTest, please contact ExamSoft at support@examsoft.com. ExamSoft staff members are available to answer your questions during business hours. Page 5 of 5